71 outlaw chopper

#1
I have had my outlaw chopper since i was 13 now im kinda bored with the way it looks. (do not read any further if your a purist) I was wondering has anyone on here ever modified the frame. Im thinking about having it stretched 3-6 inches. Having the rear end widened to accept a wider tire and live axle. Shortening the forks a little bit and extending the rake about 5-10 degrees. So itll sit lower. With a taller tire on the front. It looks wicked in my mind but not sure if i can pull it off and still keep the split frame design which i love. can anyonw chime in for me.
 
#4
Sell it and buy a real minichopper kit from the various vendors who sell them. I think BMI sells some accessories and fork parts. Butchering a vintage chopper is silly when they bring good money intact, sell it and have money to build one like you want rather than ending up with a freak bike worth very little. If you have the fabrication skills it would be easier to build from scratch rather than making a kid size frame into an adult size rider.
 
#7
Each to their own but, I would start with a less desirable chopper first and then stretch it.
The only ones i like are the desirable ones. Which are going for a fair amount of $$$. With that being said i would rather keep the 2-500 i'd spend on another roller and put that towards build cost or my truck note.
 
#8
Sell it and buy a real minichopper kit from the various vendors who sell them. I think BMI sells some accessories and fork parts. Butchering a vintage chopper is silly when they bring good money intact, sell it and have money to build one like you want rather than ending up with a freak bike worth very little. If you have the fabrication skills it would be easier to build from scratch rather than making a kid size frame into an adult size rider.
Touche'
 
#9
By building your own to scale you can have clean lines and by studying up on rake and trail you can have a great ride without compromising safety. I grafted a schwinn chopper frame section and forks onto a clapped out old frame with junk forks and rusted bottom tubes and made a cool chopper that rides pretty well given I did it by matching the frame section tube angle with the minibike neck tube that is actually trapped and plug welded to the new frame section. The bike forks are raked so it does give it a good look, the ride is as good as the bike they came off but that's nothing to brag about.:doah:

And having some good funds from selling a complete vintage chopper will allow you to buy some cool stuff for your build, a predator 6.5hp engine from HF will propel most anything and is enough even for an adult size minichopper frame. Reaper minichoppers sells kits too I believe, a guy in Ponca City Oklahoma builds kit choppers to sell finished and uses BMI fork parts and the flame front wheel they sell on his bikes and sells em for as much as a grand with motorcycle tanks feeding briggs intec engines, his even higher dollar ones run animal briggs racing engines. There is a whole subculture of minchopper builders and they build some truly spectacular stuff, check it out on the web and you'll see what I'm saying.
 
#10
Ive poked around on the interwebs a bit and found several chopper sites but my issue is none of them seem to be one off customs. Yes i can have a frame made but again that costs $$. And besides that the outlaw choppers are fairly common around the motor city. Now not all of them have the fixed handle bars. But the stock forks wont be the ones i mod. A buddy of mine has a set that he mangled when he totaled his. I dont really care about resale value as i plan to keep it. Some 15-20 years down the line ill strip it and hang it in my man cave.
 
#12
If you look in the build off for this year, you can see where a non chopper bike was made into a chopper. I'd do that and keep yours in tact. Right now it does not seem like a bike deal, but if you cut it up, it will never be right again, plus it's a smaller chopper anyway, just hang it on the wall now!!
 

buckeye

Well-Known Member
#15
Chop it up!!

But, while you are measureing and marking where you cuts will be, think about the hands that built that fine bike. What, they certainly retired by now.

Think about the overtime they put in, so their kids could hwve name brand tennis shies, so their kid didn't get picked on..

Kids went to college on the cash the ol man brought home from his work at the fsctory.

Think about that as you start up your torch. As you get ready to cut up a cool bike that, will never be as it was when it left on that truck on midnight, two days befor Christmas.:shrug:

It's yours.....
 

Mean Dean

Active Member
#16
It takes a real man to cut up a real Outlaw Chopper. Anyone can restore one. I think you should post some pics and calm the masses. Grasshoppers? we have no frickin grasshoppers! What do you want a real Ruttman Grasshopper. Drop me a line .
 

toomanytoys

Well-Known Member
#17
Chop it up!!

But, while you are measureing and marking where you cuts will be, think about the hands that built that fine bike. What, they certainly retired by now.

Think about the overtime they put in, so their kids could hwve name brand tennis shies, so their kid didn't get picked on..

Kids went to college on the cash the ol man brought home from his work at the fsctory.

Think about that as you start up your torch. As you get ready to cut up a cool bike that, will never be as it was when it left on that truck on midnight, two days befor Christmas.:shrug:

It's yours.....
:thumbsup:

It will never again be the bike that made some kid very happy 42 years ago.
 

Bikerscum

Active Member
#18
I don't know...
I have an nos REAL outlaw chopper I am restoring and the people I have asked for help have all clammed up for some reason... I wonder what thats all about.maybe I should cut mine up too,I would probably get more response.
I find that hard to believe of the people on this forum.

Exactly what question did you ask that wasn't answered?

"Wow,don't everybody chime in at once on this topic"


Maybe the attitude is on your end?

Ball's in your court.
 

joem

Active Member
#19
your right...I was wrong
i sould refrane from tongue and pen
everybody has been very helpful to me...sorry
 
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