Build a Chopper Motorcycle - Build a Bobber Motorcycle

Building a Chopper Motorcycle - Building a Bobber Motorcycle

So you have plans to build a Custom motorcycle! That's great!
But where are you going to start? What does it cost? How do you want it? What do you like? Which motorcycle are you going to use? Just a few questions that probably shoot through your head.

What is your budget? Are you going to use a Harley Davidson motorcycle as your base? That can be quite an attack on your budget. Make sure you have a clear idea of what style you like. It's hard to use a standard HD to build a CaféRacer....

If you're not quite sure if you want to build a Bobber motorcycle or a Chopper motorcycle, you can read this blog post on What's a Bobber and what's a Chopper?

Actually, you can turn almost any motorcycle into a custom motorcycle. Only some motorcycles will require more modifications than others.

Make a clear plan for your motorcycle. Make sure you collect pictures of custom motorcycles that you like. Make a drawing or a collage of the images you have collected. This will give you a good idea of what your custom bike will look like. You can now make a list of all the things you want to change on your Chopper or Bobber. Maybe you want a different fuel tank, higher or wider handlebars, a custom exhaust, different footrests or forward controls. Or even a different oil tank, wider tires with wider fenders, better brakes, a smaller motorcycle seat or just a larger motorcycle seat with springs. You may even want to modify the frame. You can widen or lengthen the swingarm or even remove the swingarm and modify the frame to an rigid frame (Hardtail).

Then start filtering by things you can do yourself, things you need to buy, and things you need to have done. This will give you a pretty good approximation of what the total cost will be for your project bike.
 

Do you have a lot of experience rebuilding motorcycles? Then you know the tricks of the trade and don't have to shy away from anything.

My advice, if you don't have much experience yet: Start small!

Divide your big plans into smaller parts so it stays manageable for you. Many projects end up in a shed under a sheet because the owner started too enthusiastically and had no overview anymore. Start with a different fuel tank, for example. That immediately gives your bike a completely different look. And if the tank does not look good, make sure that you can go back to the original. So do not just grind all kinds of brackets and mounting points off your frame. Start bit by bit is my advice to the beginning custom motorcycle builder. A big advantage is that you can just keep on riding your bike as opposed to a project that sits in the shed gathering dust for years.

If the fuel tank is a successful project, you can continue with for example a custom exhaust. Do you need help with this? Let us know. We are experienced in making custom stainless steel exhausts for motorcycles.

So: Make a plan!

* What style of custom bikes do you like?

* What base engine are you going to use for your custom Chopper or custom Bobber motorcycle?

* Collect images and visualize what you want your bike to look like.

* Make an overview of what you want to change on the bike:

   - What can you do yourself?
   - What can you buy?
   - What should you have done?

* Divide the rebuilding of the motorcycle into small parts!

Good luck with your project engine!
Need some inspiration? Come have a look at Kollies Parts - Everything for you and your motorcycle.