Chopper bike for the kid
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Mcarlo77
KC77Monte
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G3GM :: Media :: Non G3 Projects
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Chopper bike for the kid
Just finished a chopper bike project for my 9 year old. If you can't buy it you have to make it so that's what I did. It's fun to ride takes me back to the Seventies!
chevellelaguna- G3GM Enthusiast
- Street Cred : 16
Re: Chopper bike for the kid
I wish I had a sissy bar I would send it to you!
SSTOOLMAN- Donating Member
- Street Cred : 7
Re: Chopper bike for the kid
Very cool! I certainly remember the tall "sissy bars"!
I still suffer from mental deprivation from when my dad took me to Montgomery Wards on my birthday to buy me a bike. I desperately wanted one of those Schwinn Krate Stingrays with the 5-spd shifter but they were apparently too much money. Had to settle for a conventional 3-spd bike while listening to my dad try to convince me the Stingrays were just a fad and weren't practical (he was a C.P.A...so, everything had to be a balance between cost and practicality...lol!). Of course, I was grateful for a new bike...but, my heart was set on the Stingray and I always felt envious of all the other kids in the neighborhood who had the stingray style bikes.
Speaking of which...anyone ever check out what those original Schwinn Krates are selling for these days? Not unusual for them to be $1500-$2000!!
I still suffer from mental deprivation from when my dad took me to Montgomery Wards on my birthday to buy me a bike. I desperately wanted one of those Schwinn Krate Stingrays with the 5-spd shifter but they were apparently too much money. Had to settle for a conventional 3-spd bike while listening to my dad try to convince me the Stingrays were just a fad and weren't practical (he was a C.P.A...so, everything had to be a balance between cost and practicality...lol!). Of course, I was grateful for a new bike...but, my heart was set on the Stingray and I always felt envious of all the other kids in the neighborhood who had the stingray style bikes.
Speaking of which...anyone ever check out what those original Schwinn Krates are selling for these days? Not unusual for them to be $1500-$2000!!
Mcarlo77- Donating Member
- Street Cred : 77
Re: Chopper bike for the kid
Beautiful job Chevellelaguna! You did it correct, with tubular forks.
Reminded me of a great memory growing up- my oldest brother and 2 other neighborhood kids modified a regular bike into a chopper like yours, but it was before the bikes had tubular forks, this bike had the curved forks. One of the guys sourced the fork extensions from somewhere. The coversion was done in a day that I distinctly remember. along with the forks was a conversion to the big handle bars, and a mini-bike style seat.
My Mom took a picture of them 3 with the bike when it was done, had to be 1978-1979, and I remember the maiden voyage going great, house driveway to house driveway, my brother riding it proudly, until exiting one driveway and turning the handlebars too far and the front wheel leverage on those thin extended forks just twisted the chopper forks like a shoelace. The chopper was born and died the same day! I'll never forget that day, thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Reminded me of a great memory growing up- my oldest brother and 2 other neighborhood kids modified a regular bike into a chopper like yours, but it was before the bikes had tubular forks, this bike had the curved forks. One of the guys sourced the fork extensions from somewhere. The coversion was done in a day that I distinctly remember. along with the forks was a conversion to the big handle bars, and a mini-bike style seat.
My Mom took a picture of them 3 with the bike when it was done, had to be 1978-1979, and I remember the maiden voyage going great, house driveway to house driveway, my brother riding it proudly, until exiting one driveway and turning the handlebars too far and the front wheel leverage on those thin extended forks just twisted the chopper forks like a shoelace. The chopper was born and died the same day! I'll never forget that day, thanks for the trip down memory lane!
clanceman427- G3GM Enthusiast
- Street Cred : 16
Re: Chopper bike for the kid
I was hoping this would evoke some awesome childhood stories and it has! Just stuff that we forgot about but those memories are sparked and finally see the light of day.
My wife was bugging me about all the junk around the house, my kid has at least 5-6 bikes. I grabbed a frame and bent the forks forward and added 10" to them. I didn't really want the traditional straight fork chopper.. I liked the look of bent forward forks. I bought the handle bars, banana seat and sissy bar off of eBay out of California. I did the body work on the frame and painted it cyber green with a mid coat of silver metal flake. What it really needs are white tires and pedals, and a chrome crank and chain. I didn't want to sink more money into it and I couldn't wait to ride it, so I just put it together. It's small for me, at least with the ape hanger handlebars I'm not banging my knees into them. I might have to build one for me now!
The whole thing started when I was in fact trying to find an old school chopper bicycle, but like you guys mentioned they're crazy expensive! This one doesn't have the laid back frame I envisioned, but for a cheap project that he's just going to beat up on it'll be okay.
Boy is it a little touchy to steer with the stretched and bent forks and the little wheel up front.... Jeeze is it fun though!! Glad you guys got a kick outta it!!
My wife was bugging me about all the junk around the house, my kid has at least 5-6 bikes. I grabbed a frame and bent the forks forward and added 10" to them. I didn't really want the traditional straight fork chopper.. I liked the look of bent forward forks. I bought the handle bars, banana seat and sissy bar off of eBay out of California. I did the body work on the frame and painted it cyber green with a mid coat of silver metal flake. What it really needs are white tires and pedals, and a chrome crank and chain. I didn't want to sink more money into it and I couldn't wait to ride it, so I just put it together. It's small for me, at least with the ape hanger handlebars I'm not banging my knees into them. I might have to build one for me now!
The whole thing started when I was in fact trying to find an old school chopper bicycle, but like you guys mentioned they're crazy expensive! This one doesn't have the laid back frame I envisioned, but for a cheap project that he's just going to beat up on it'll be okay.
Boy is it a little touchy to steer with the stretched and bent forks and the little wheel up front.... Jeeze is it fun though!! Glad you guys got a kick outta it!!
chevellelaguna- G3GM Enthusiast
- Street Cred : 16
Re: Chopper bike for the kid
Here is my story (sorry long read) I wanted a Sting ray for xmas when I was 10, my dad said if I got a perfect score on 5 spelling test in a row (1 a week for 5 weeks) I would get one from Santa... Well I did it. Christmas came... I ran down stairs and there was a haphazardly wrapped bike next to the tree. I was so excited, when my parents got up and came down they said open it up see what Santa brought, well it wasn't a String Ray, but OK it was a banana bike.... a brown banana bike, A brown Banana bike with a white seat covered with Red CARTOON HOWDY DUTY COWBOYS printed all over it. I started to cry. No way my friends could see this after I bragged about how I was getting a String Ray. My dad got mad and put the bike in the shed where we had some rabbits in cages and there it sat until spring. At some point it tipped over and it leaned against the cage, to my delight the rabbits chewed the seat where it contacted the cage and ripped it up pretty good. I got some black electrical tape and wrapped it front to back. I rode it for the first time (because of Wisconsin winter) over to my friends house. He saw it and said cool seat! Then it was all good.
SSTOOLMAN- Donating Member
- Street Cred : 7
Re: Chopper bike for the kid
LOL great story! Should be laughing cause I can relate to the trauma suffered as a kid! My son rode it around tonight and all the neighborhood kids ran out to check it out. They've never seen anything like it before, he was proud that no one has anything remotely close to any sort of cool bike!
chevellelaguna- G3GM Enthusiast
- Street Cred : 16
Re: Chopper bike for the kid
[img][url=https://imgbb.com/][/url[/img]
Sinister- G3GM Member
- Street Cred : 0
Re: Chopper bike for the kid
https://powersports.honda.com/street/cruiser/fury
Sinister- G3GM Member
- Street Cred : 0
G3GM :: Media :: Non G3 Projects
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