Building A Rigid Springer Chopper

by Rob Watt
(Victoria, Canada)

I am building a rigid chopper with a springer fork, solid rear wheel with a 200 rear tire (front is a traditional chopper 21".)

Because my other bike is 1953 Panhead with kickstarter and a tiny peanut tank, everything on this bike is being done with an eye to reliability and ease of repair (so no internal throttle or combined rear sprocket / brake, for instance).

It will have 16" apehangers (the bars in the photo were temporarily welded to move the bike around the shop), a custom built high sissy bar with devil tail, solo sprung seat, and a large mustang tank so that I can do longer trips than on the panhead (peanut tanks look awesome, but I am tired of pushing that thing to gas stations).

We cut all the tabs off the stock frame and custom built all the fender tabs, fork stops and exhaust mounts. All the welds and edges have now been cleaned and the neck filled in so that the frame can be chromed.

The tinwork will be rootbeer candy over silver metalflake, with cream scallops on the tank.

The exhaust will be upswept Paughco martini-shaker belltips for the serious old-school look.

We have also done some nice custom touches like machined brass spikes for the top of the springer. I am using a stock 80' Evo motor with an open belt primary and hand shift / foot clutch.