How to Build a Cheap Chopperwas originally written to give chopper builders of the day a way to build cool, functional choppers for cheap money. Instead of building bikes out of a catalog, readers were encouraged to combine a donor bike with an aftermarket frame. With a Sportster or Metric bike as a foundation, and a hardtail frame, a complete bike could be assembled for less than $5,000, sometimes much less. Today, there's a whole new generation of riders looking to build simple, functional, unique choppers and bobbers based on everything from a 200cc Honda to the old classic Shovelhead or Panhead engines. No matter which drivetrain they choose, there remains the need to build bikes that work, bikes that are safe to ride, bikes that are fun! How to Build a Cheap Chopper- Revisedstarts with a look at the basics. The first chapters cover brakes, drivetrains, and frame geometry. The second half of the book shows readers how to actually assemble a bike. Four start-to-finish assemblies done at professional shops take the reader from a pile of parts to a finished, running motorcycle.

Choppers are hot again. All you need to decide is what style you want and this book will guide you through the building sequences. It shows how to build a genuine old chopper or a chopper that looks old and has the conveniences of today, such as electric start and functioning brakes.

In the old days all a person needed to build a killer custom motorcycle was a bike, a set of tools, a little know-how, and a creative vision. But with the rise of the high-dollar, haute moteur Gucci choppers, the true custom bike has gotten out of most riders’ reach, right? Dead wrong. In this book Jose de Miguel, a custom builder from way back, sets out to prove that those good old days never ended. In the clearest and simplest terms, he shows readers how they can turn odds and ends found around the shop into one-off motorcycle parts--and make a cheap, run-of-the mill custom build into a drop-dead show stopper. Following de Miguel’s lead, along with his straightforward illustrations, any resourceful owner with rudimentary mechanical skills, a basic tool kit, and--most importantly--a modicum of imagination can build the bobber of his dreams for less than the price of a new bike.

Billy Lane is the fastest-rising star among the high-profile custom chopper builders, and in this book he offers many of his secrets for building a chopper that will stand out in a crowd. This is the ultimate resource for any chopper builder-a book designed as a step-by-step guide to building any type of custom motorcycle. This book also covers custom-building beyond the chopper genre, including the building of "bobbers," an old-school style of custom that has been revived as a hot trend. Predating choppers, they are on the cutting edge of current biker "cool", for real riding, and are much safer and more functional than choppers. Billy Lane has been featured several times on the Discovery Channel's top rated series Biker Build-Off and the Monster Garage premiere episode. Plus, He was Easyriders Builder of the Year, and winner of numerous national Best in Show awards. This book shows Billy's inside secrets of constructing a complete motorcycle, from hand fabricating metalwork to adding the detail parts that will make your bike your own creation and stand out from the crowd. Hundreds of color photographs will lead the builder through the construction process.

This book presents a step-by-step guide to building a West Coast Chopper's C.F.L. kit. Kit choppers are hot commodities. While few people can afford to buy a custom-built chopper from one of the high-end builders like Jesse James-bikes that often sell for $100,000 or more-many can afford to buy such bikes in kit form. Because of this, all the high-end builders sell their creations in kit form. For example, while Jesse James might build perhaps a dozen custom bikes per year, he sells hundreds of chopper kits. The same is true of any number of other builders like Matt Hotch, Cyril Huze, and Paul Yaffe. Authored by Mike Seate and featuring the photography of Joe Appel, this book is a step-by-step how-to guide for anyone building a kit chopper.

Old Skool is kool. No theme bikes here, learn how to build a real American motorcycle based on a Panhead, Shovelhead or Evo engine. Don't buy expensive new parts, build your own bobber or chopper from mix-and-match swap-meet parts. Written by Kevin Baas, the Kennedy High School shop teacher with the Build-a-Chopper class, this book takes a back-to-basics approach to motorcycle assembly. As Kevin says, if you can't buy it cheap, adapt it, and if you can't adapt it, build it from scratch. The author explains which engines fit which frames, and which transmission and primary drive is the best fit behind a particular V-Twin. The back half of the book includes three start-to-finish assembly sequences utilizing early and early-style engines, drivetrains and components. This 144 page book uses over 350 color images to illustrate kool parts and even kooler motorcycles.

The Build reveals the "behind the scenes" story of the popular TV reality series American Chopper for the show's millions of fans. Author Paul Teutul, Jr., is arguably the most creative builder of custom "chopper" motorcycles in the world. His talents were revealed to millions of TV viewers worldwide on American Chopper, as well as later on a spinoff series, American Chopper Senior vs Junior. The Build gives the reader at Paul Jr.'s life behind the camera, which included volcanic conflict with his father and business mentor, Paul Sr. Using his own story of improbable success as an illustration, Paul Jr. offers insights on how anyone can find and activate often hidden talents. In a charming, often humorous way, The Build is a rallying cry to unleash God-designed creativity and live life to the fullest.

How to Build a Motorcycle leads you through all the key stages - from initially finding the right project for your skill level, to sourcing a base bike and safely taking on some full-on bike-building tasks. With clear, easy-to-follow instructions, proper advice and specially commissioned step-by-step illustrations throughout it is an ideal aid to getting your hands oily. Written by Gary Inman, the co-founder of independent motorcycle magazine Sideburn, and illustrated by Adi Gilbert who is best known for his bicycle and motorcycle drawings whose clients include Harley-Davidson, Guy Martin, Wired magazine, Sideburn magazine and Nike, this is a must-have for all motorcycle lovers. Read this book, even dip in and out where relevant. If it makes sense, schedule some time, clear your mind, pull on some old clothes, grab your toolbox and get going. The chapters in How to Build a Motorcycle will tell you how to complete a huge variety of tasks that will allow even the greenest of novices to get their hands dirty and start modifying with purpose. If you belong to this camp, start with some of the low-input, high-reward jobs, such as fitting bars, swapping the rear shocks or wiring in a new tail light. Even though these require relatively little work, they'll transform the look of your bike, and completing them will fill you with confidence to undertake the more difficult jobs, such as fitting more modern front forks or even making your own frame. The book comes with a glossy 32-page section on finished bikes and is a reference and the perfect gift for all fans, from those who merely like to tinker, to riders taking on a full build.

The chopper is quintessentially American and, since Easy Rider, has embodied the American dream. This book tells the true story of the most rebellious of all motorcycles. The chopper is a quintessentially American invention, rivaling jazz and abstract exp