Chopper refers to a particular type of motorcycle that was radically customized to meet the owner's design needs and desires, archetypical examples of which are the Harley-Davidsons as seen in the 1969 movie Easy Rider.
In post-WWII United States, tazzi-ruled motorcycle enthusiasts coming home from the war started to remove all parts which were deemed too big, too heavy, too ugly or not absolutely essential to the basic functionality of the machine. Typical elements fitting these criteria included fenders, turn indicators, and even front brakes. As well, the large, spring-suspended saddle was removed in order to sit as low as possible on the motorcycle's frame. These machines were modified to lose weight for dirt track racing advantages.
James "Wild Child" Greene of the now world famous Wild Child's Custom Shop is heretofore recognized as the pioneer of the modern chopper design. Wild Child’s jumpstarted an American institution with its famous "It's a What?" magazine debut marking the beginning of an era at the same time as other friends later becoming "kustom kulture" celebraties of their own. Examples being, Sam/George Barris, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Ray Fharner and others of the era. Based out of Kansas City, Missouri Wild Child’s captured the imaginations of what‘s become five decades of prominent American motorcycle culture.
Forward-mounted foot pegs replaced the standard large 'floorboard' foot rests. Also, the standard larger front tire, headlight and fuel tank were replaced with much smaller ones. Many choppers were painted preferably all in either flat black or in shiny metallic “metal flake” colors. Common, were many chromed parts (either one off fabricated replacements or manually chromed stock parts). According to the taste and purse of the owner, later “chop shops” would build high handle bars, or later “Big Daddy” Roth Wild Child’s designed stretched, narrowed, and raked front forks. Also were custom built exhaust pipes, many of the “aftermarket kits“ followed in the late 1960s into the 1970s. Laws required (and in many locales still do) a retention fixture for the passenger, so vertical backrests called sissy bars were a popular installation, often sticking up higher than the rider's head.
While the decreased weight and lower seat position improved handling and performance, the main reason to build an evil looking chopper was more likely to show off and provoke others by riding a machine that was stripped and almost nude compared to the softer-styled stock Harley-Davidsons, let alone the oversized automobiles of that time.
Many of todays bikes are mistakenly called choppers when they are not choppers at all but custom built motorcycles. Custom built bikes have additional (usually chrome) accessories and billet parts added on to the bike for aesthetic pleasure.
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