Oh, To Own A Chopper

Oh, To Own a Chopper. Dec 07. by Glenn Moore and Carrie Stewart

Webster dictionary Main Entry: 1chop·per Pronunciation: \chä-pər\ Function: noun Purpose: Riding like a Bat Out Of Hell Definitions: 1: a customized motorcycle 2: a machine gun 3: a helicopter 4: a set of teeth 5: a short ax with a large blade, etc. While I admit definitions two and three sound like fun, I'm primarily concerned with definition number one. Let's face it, everyone wants a chopper. Young, old, short, tall, male and female, yuppy or blue collar; deep down, we all want to own a chopper. Choppers look, you know... cool.. They sound cool. It's amazing when you're riding one, ripping through the gears, pissing off your neighbors and impressing the chicks. Your ego's close circuit camera watching you as you think about how cool you look. Priceless. If you've convinced yourself that you're content to drive your wife's mommy van while groups of bikers roar past you on the highway, then there are issues to be addressed. My best advice to you: snap out of it before the emasculation process is complete! Ok. That's a bit dramatic. All I'm saying is that now may be a good time to re-download who you are and what you want out of life. Play it out loud (and often - to remind yourself)), because life really is too short to be putting off the dream...whatever it may be. To this end, there is the Great American Chopper. Muscle and metal, High Plains Drifter on wheels; the Iron Horse. What we are really talking about here is freedom. Can I get an AMEN on that? Of course, freedom ain't free, but neither is captivity. So pay attention. If you wake up one morning and find that you've allowed yourself to be taken hostage, by your job, your relationship, or whatever your life circumstances might be, now is the time to take back your life. It's actually a quite simple proposition.. In order to regain your freedom, all you have to do is give up your fears. Not easy, but simple. And it beats the alternative. So how do we go about reclaiming this elusive freedom? Again, it's simple. Just ask Al Hauser of Al's Custom Cycle in River Falls, WI. You want freedom? Al creates the Freedom Machine. The American Chopper. Not flimsy, pretty boy bikes that look great at the bike show, but ride like shit on Wisconsin's twisty curvy alphabet soup roads. Al makes beautiful bikes that also function with amazing practicality. Start with the basics. For a great ride you need a frame designed for agility. Take note; the softail frame with hydraulic shocks. For this entry Al begins with a softail frame made by Rolling Thunder Frames out of Quebec, Canada. (Ya, der eh?) The frame is black powder coated with a 35 degree rake. The shocks are stock chrome Harley-Davidson softail shocks. If you can't navigate, you might as well masterb…well, never mind. Building out from the black frame, we need to roll and we need to stop. Al accomplishes this with a 21 inch front tire and a 17 x 180 wide rear tire. The wheels are chrome. The brake calipers are THH four piston polished chrome, front and rear. Now for the good stuff. The engine is a 110 cubic inch polished chrome Rev Tech pushing out over 115 horsepower and 120 ft/lbs of torque, you'll have more than enough ponies for whatever type of riding you do, so you can get up and leave while running through all six gears on the Rev Tec tranny. The carb is a Mikuni HSR 45 suckin' gas and pushing your ass down the road. That's the way it was meant to be. That's also why this bike has a five gallon tapered gas tank, so you can keep scootin' past the Exxon monopolies. The digital console and high gloss black paint gives this baby a very sleek, streamlined look. Add the gold and blue accents that glisten when they catch the sunlight and well; all I can say is this baby is truly a class act. And true class doesn't have to flash. Braided black oil lines make a subtle statement of quality and beauty. The same can be said for the black powder coated forward controls and lower front fork. Of course quality paint and chrome work like magic and this is no exception. The great thing about using paint and chrome correctly is that the components compliment each other rather than compete with each other for the limelight. Al has accomplished this feat masterfully, and estimates this bike will sell in the low 20's. So that's your price for freedom. And while I can't guarantee that buying a chopper will set you free, I can guarantee that whatever the cost for your freedom, it can never be too high. Start small. Buy the chopper and see what happens. Ride it. And let freedom ring.