[iamandrewx]

I always look for things I don't need and cannot afford. Lately my flavor has been modern, vintage style, choppers and bobbers. Very old school cool but reliable...

That said, there are little-to-no Polaris-era Indian choppers and bobbers, especially on the 111 Platform - mostly on the Scout. Do you think that custom Heavyweights will ever take off.. and no I am not discussing big wheel baggers at all? I did really like the Indian Build Off bikes that were done but have not seen anyone begin to replicate something similar, even on the Scout platform.

 

[Gort]

Choppers are dead, the craze is over, so no.

 

[S.Orona913]

Last year they had this bad boy at IMS in Long Beach

choppers seem to come and go, all it takes is for a hipster to take a few pictures using cool slangs and a lot of pomade and suddenly everyone wants one for the next couple of months. Then they slowly fade away

 

[Sil]

I love them, but I think the Indian culture is not quite so open to them. Just my thought.

 

[lwszabo]

I live true choppers not the OCC stretched out with a 250 rear tire. I loved sucker punch sally bikes and still would love to own a real old school raw chopper. I’ve often looked at iron heads but have heard you better be able to work on them often to keep them on the road.

ever since I’ve had my Scout I think of the amazing old school chopper with a Scout engine that could be built. Not sure how it would all work together but it would rip!

 

[high plains rider]

IMO more bobber than chopper... from the beginning Indians heritage has been racing... "Polaris" Indian is carrying on that heritage... I see more racing customs in the future than any other... from the wrecking crew to Burt... and don't forget they went to the Isle of Man and won.. but it takes a builder to come up with a "custom" not a manufacturer... so until some builders start building who knows...

 

[Geronimo]

I'm going to say no, not to any large extant anyways. The old school chopper / bobber culture is mostly dead and gone. What's left tends to prefer vintage bikes, because they generally tend to be cheaper and easier to work on. Not as many people are as psyched about taking a dremel to a $30,000 bike with a host of electronics. It can be done, for sure, like some of the examples posted above, but you are talking about high dollar add ons (or take offs, as would be more traditional chopper) to an already expensive bike. There were some builders who rose to prominence and started to command top dollar for their work, but most of the true chopper and bobber scene back in the day was cheap backyard craftsmanship on cheap bikes and that was part of the aesthetic.

 

[iamandrewx]

I'm going to say no, not to any large extant anyways. The old school chopper / bobber culture is mostly dead and gone. What's left tends to prefer vintage bikes, because they generally tend to be cheaper and easier to work on. Not as many people are as psyched about taking a dremel to a $30,000 bike with a host of electronics. It can be done, for sure, like some of the examples posted above, but you are talking about high dollar add ons (or take offs, as would be more traditional chopper) to an already expensive bike. There were some builders who rose to prominence and started to command top dollar for their work, but most of the true chopper and bobber scene back in the day was cheap backyard craftsmanship on cheap bikes and that was part of the aesthetic.

not so much talking about today... but a few more years down the road when the 2014s are getting to be tired and more worn out and you can find more of them in salvage yards, etc.

 

[leepetersusn]

I think once they have been around for a while and folks are able to pick up used bikes on the cheap, more radical customization and chopping will happen. As a few others have said. Kind of hard for most folks to take a $20K or $30K bike and go to hacking. Most of us aren't made of money. But let the price slip to between $5K and $10K, I'd for sure consider it. Or.... Buy myself a New Challenger and then chop my 2014 Vintage. Now that is a great idea.

 

[Chucky53]

I truly enjoyed my Victory Jackpots except bumps, and even then it could have been worse. Put the new Power Plus, liquid cooled, air ride, and some clip on bags and I'd think you'd have something...……. Harley came out with a fat tire bike I believe because of the Jackpot.

 

[dieselgman]

I think once they have been around for a while and folks are able to pick up used bikes on the cheap, more radical customization and chopping will happen. As a few others have said. Kind of hard for most folks to take a $20K or $30K bike and go to hacking. Most of us aren't made of money. But let the price slip to between $5K and $10K, I'd for sure consider it. Or.... Buy myself a New Challenger and then chop my 2014 Vintage. Now that is a great idea.

I agree... have already begun experimenting with wrecks (mostly purchased below 5K$). This is the way to afford parts and to build your own.

 

[high plains rider]

you can buy 14-15 Chief Classics in the 10K range right now... if one wanted to he could do it... I would like to... but don't have the time or expertise... and paying someone else to do it defeats every bit of purpose in money and bragging rights about the build..

 

[timbojon]

I always look for things I don't need and cannot afford. Lately my flavor has been modern, vintage style, choppers and bobbers. Very old school cool but reliable...

That said, there are little-to-no Polaris-era Indian choppers and bobbers, especially on the 111 Platform - mostly on the Scout. Do you think that custom Heavyweights will ever take off.. and no I am not discussing big wheel baggers at all? I did really like the Indian Build Off bikes that were done but have not seen anyone begin to replicate something similar, even on the Scout platform.

that chief dark horse bobber is bad ass would love to have that. Just don't like the bigger Indians because of the factory look. Take all that shit off and that chief is a keeper.

 

[Randall]

Choppers are dead, the craze is over, so no.

Guess these folks didn't get the word...
Twin Rivers Chopper Campout III
--- Randall

 

[Gort]

Guess these folks didn't get the word...
Twin Rivers Chopper Campout III
--- Randall

I think the OP was talking about NEW choppers, not ratty-ass one-percenters with old shovels.

 

[thebreeze]

I would love to bob my Springfield but it would be cost prohibitive for me. I can’t weld for shit and the fabrication involved would be way above my head. I’m to old and beat up to ride a hard tail and just can’t see a mono shock as an option so some serious frame work would be required.

 

[dieselgman]

I would love to bob my Springfield but it would be cost prohibitive for me. I can’t weld for shit and the fabrication involved would be way above my head. I’m to old and beat up to ride a hard tail and just can’t see a mono shock as an option so some serious frame work would be required.

Take a quick look at what can be done on one of these modular frames... a decent bobber is absolutely doable within a very modest budget. I recommend retention of the existing suspension... just a few frame deletions and new tins = different style bike. Tank Machine has some impressive examples to peruse:

 

[dieselgman]

Here is our own quick low-dollar mock up to consider...

 

[muz]

 

[Randall]

Evening Folks,
Riders have been customizing and modifying motorcycles since early in the last century. I won't get into parsing out the differences between bob-jobs, choppers, diggers, cafes, and brats but there is an international culture that revolves around customizing motorcycles. A good site that covers the world is www.pipeburn.com and Cycle Source Magazine ( cyclesource.com ) is published every month. Here in Texas I have ridden my bob-job Knucklehead to the Handbuilt Show ( The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show | Revival Cycles ) and the Giddy-up Texas Vintage Chopper Show (

). There are many young builders, both male and female, building amazing customs out of almost any kind of bike you can think of. Check out Fuel Cleveland , Mama Tried Motorcycle Show , Born Free Motorcycle Show , The One Moto Show and many others around the country.

The main thing that's been holding folks back from building Polaris Indian customs has been a lack of cheap used bikes or wrecks to work with. They've been out long enough now that this is changing. I'm very interested to see what @dieselgman and his friends put together.
--- Randall