#Chopper motorcycle for sale free#

Crawl all over your prospective purchase, check every inch and above all, ride it.

Whenever possible, take a buddy for a second opinion. Watch out for unfinished projects, they might be a bargain or a nightmare of mismatched parts. They’re not always easy to live with and at some point, you are going to get your hands dirty. Just remember that you’re buying a custom bike and not something out of a factory. Lowering rear frame rails affects the handling and clearances, so on your test ride make sure you hit a lump or two and see if anything bottoms out.Īnd that basically is that. See if it picks up cleanly and what it sounds like when you back the throttle off. If it’s an older bike, unscrew the gas cap as a quick look inside will tell you if rust is an issue.īobbers tend to be loud, and although short air cleaners look cool, they don’t work so well. So listen to the bike running and when riding, give it a handful. This modification looks great but a lower seat means it’s closer to the wheel so make sure nothing snags or rubs.Īs everything is reduced to a minimum, check that the wiring harness isn’t so hacked that the retro looking lights don’t work. Any frame alterations will tend to be a lowering of the seat rails, so take a look at the welds and fabrication in general.

#Chopper motorcycle for sale free#

So when checking, look at the wheels, if they’re nonstandard make sure they run free of things like mudguards and chains etc. But remember, it's a custom, so basically anything could be changed. Just because it may not have undergone such radical alterations, the engineering work is no less important.īobbers are generally more practical in terms of everyday usage, and traditionally speaking alterations usually consist of taking things off, rather than adding them on.Īs a general style guide, a bobber can retain its stock frame geometry. The bulk of the alterations covering mud guards, tanks, bars, wheels, seats, exhaust and lights. When it comes to buying a bobber, the same basic rules of common sense apply. Uneven wear? Maybe the wheel is misaligned. A bald spot on the tread could mean the mudguard’s hitting it. A crisscross pattern on the sidewall means the chain runs too close. I’ve seen expensive frames and big buck engines held in by wrong sized nuts and bolts, it does happen.įor the static checks, follow the type of procedures you would on any bike, such as making sure brakes work, forks move, the clutch operates, lights work etc.Īnd just be sure to pay attention to the rear tire, it can reveal all kinds of hidden nasty’s. Obviously, if it's an aftermarket frame, still make sure it looks straight but take a close look at the engine mounting points. In both cases, don’t be afraid to get on the floor or to ask the owner to remove the seat.

If you can't see the joins they’ve been ground, filled and painted, but you can still check for any warning signs such as cracks or flaking paint at the stress points.įor alterations to the front, like top tube conversions, raking or goose-necking the same rules apply. If it’s bolt on its easy enough to see if everything looks right. With a weld on, check its smooth and uniform. If it has been modified on the rear, check if its bolt on or weld on. Regardless of how it’s been attached, take a good hard look at the points where the two sections join, this will be somewhere under the seat on the top rail and probably by the gearbox on the bottom. So the first thing to look at is whether the original bike’s frame has been modified, or if its owner has gone down the custom frame route. What you do have to remember when buying someone else’s pride and joy though, is this.īy their very nature, some form of frame alteration has been necessary either to the back end, front end or both. They come in all shapes and sizes and quite literally, you can chop anything. Hopefully, it will help you steer clear of some of the pitfalls I’ve fallen into in the past.Ĭhoppers look cool, end of story. Don’t be easily put off.Ĭustom bikes come in a variety of categories and subcategories but this article deals specifically with Chops and Bobbers. Still interested? Excellent, you've passed the first test. Of all the types of motorcycle you could possibly buy, this has the potential to be the best thing you ever did or a waking nightmare of epic proportions. In Theory The Answer Is An Easy One:īuy a custom bike. You my friend, are a tricky customer but don't worry, help is at hand and it doesn’t involve medication or therapy. Stock bikes leave you cold but the thought of a ground-up, custom bike build gives you nightmares.

Ok, so you've been doing the rounds of the bike dealers and read so many classified ads, it’s made you dizzy and you still can't find something that hits the spot.