Custom Chopper Kits

Custom Chopper Kits
Choosing the parts that your custom chopper will be made of can be very confusing, considering the large numbers of custom chopper bike kits available on the market today. Chopper innovators like Biker’s Choice, Phantom Cycle, Paul Yaffe and many more sell chopper-in-a-box kits available for chopper enthusiasts. Thanks to these kits, custom choppers have become quite affordable and are no longer necessarily toys for millionaires or master mechanics.

Custom chopper kits provide the future chopper owner with all the instructions and just about every component necessary to create a perfect chopper of ones dreams. Jesse James, famous for his Discovery series “Monster Garage”, offers a Big Book catalogue loaded with individual parts and accessories needed to create a fully custom bike with truly unusual frame configurations and groundbreaking metal sheet parts as seen on his TV show. However, the most exquisite details, such as an unusual tortoiseshell finish of the gas tank, can be obtained in your custom chopper only if you have your chopper built from scratch by Jesse himself.

Before you start building your custom chopper you need to ask yourself what kind of chopper are you interested in building. Then you have to set up a budget for parts, labor and inevitable cost overruns. The price of the parts has scared many chopper enthusiasts from building a custom chopper of their own, but if you have exact specifications and the time and skills to invest into the project, then parts can be fairly inexpensive. If you choose the parts for your kit at the lower end spectrum, you will still end up with bike that will look like a Jesse James creation but will still have enough money left to throw a party when your new chopper leaves the garage.

When you select the parts for your custom chopper kit, try to use the most genuine parts available on the market within your price range. Sometimes even if you have a beautiful design in-mind, you can end up with poor-looking chopper, due to a lack of attention to detail by different suppliers

Complete custom chopper kits typically consists of an engine, chassis kit, exhaust pipes, tires, steel tanks and other metal parts, taillights, various controls, a seat, headlamp and many more. The extras supplied with a chopper kit would vary depending on the brand of chopper chosen. To finish your project, you will need paint and sometimes battery acid. Most chopper kits do not provide mirrors, speedometers or other accessories. These you can buy separately according to your taste.

To avoid unpredictable result, experienced chopper builder recommend waiting until you can afford buying all the accessories from one manufacturer. Waiting may not be easy when it comes to building your dream come true. But when you finally complete your custom chopper, you will be really glad you waited.

Kathryn Whittaker writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on Choppers please visit <a href="http://www.choppers-guide.com/" target="_blank">http://www.choppers-guide.com/</a> and for additional Chopper articles please visit the following article page <a href="http://www.choppers-guide.com/chopper-articles/" target="_blank">http://www.choppers-guide.com/chopper-articles/</a>.

Building a Custom Chopper, where do you start?

by, Ian Parish

So you want to build a custom chopper? I do too, so the first question I asked myself, is where do I start. Should I make a business plan, a schedule, a financial statement, or should I just buy my wife some flowers and blindly proceed? I guess I should do all of the above but not necessarily in that order.

I will start by trying to justify this purchase and or endeavor, to do this I will make a list of my reasons? 1) I want to ride a custom chopper, a totally cool stretched out, fire breathing, gas eating, pavement pounding, old lady scaring, 2 wheel monster. 2) I want to be able to say “I built that” when someone asks me where I got that totally sick bike. 3) I want to be able to customize the bike beyond the standard add on parts I can get for my current bike a Harley Davidson Fatboy. 4) I want to be able to make this dream come true, meaning I need to be able to pay for it. A $35,000 chopper is out of my current budget. 5) I have been talking about this for 5 years so why don’t I get to it and stop doing all the talking and start doing some building.

Now I have a few reasons on paper a will look at my options, then make a plan, a schedule, and find some extra money.

Let’s start with a my build options, and plan on a slow and steady approach. I realize I will need to do a lot of research before I start. I have 4 basic options, a kit bike, a rolling chassis, a start from zero build, or an extreme makeover of a current motorcycle.

Option 1) If I start with a motorcycle kit I maybe the farthest ahead from a mechanical perspective, and farthest behind from a financial point of view. What do I mean by this, well a kit bike has all the parts it just needs paint, labor, gas, oil and some love. The problem a complete kit bike will cost me $12,000 dollars right up front. This is a bit out of my spend a ton of money now then not be able to ride a bike for a year or two thinking. If I get a kit, I maybe able to get it together faster, as I will be motivated and have all the parts ready to go. As a first bike I think this is a very good option, when you consider all the expensive mistakes I may make along that way. One drawback to this option is the amount of customization I can do to the bike as it is put together. Because all the parts are in the kit, I may resist the urge to get new bars or different sheet metal, or other parts.

Option 2) Start with a Rolling chassis, this is the middle of the road option, spend a lump sum of money, about 1/2 of what the overall bike will cost and get a basic setup that all works together.

A Rolling chassis kit consists of a Frame, 2 wheels, the forks, and triple clamps and bars, all build and configured to work together. Add a motor and a transmission and all the major workings of the bike are in place. This setup helps avoid some of the major work needed to mix match and fit these items together. This option also allows for a ton of customization in the parts that people see and the parts that give a bike it’s personality. For me this is a very serious option to consider. I would only have 1/2 the cost and 1/2 the parts sitting around and gathering dust until I get time to get it together.

Option 3) Find each and every part one at a time and build a completely custom motorcycle. I know I could do this, but I also know I will encounter more unexpected and possibly expensive issues with this type of build. This option would give me a bike that no one would ever duplicate. This could be very good or this could be very bad. What if some possible combination of frame, motor, forks, or wheels didn’t work together? It would not be discovered until the motorcycle was all together. I think this option is better left to the serious professional who build bike all night long, as the are working on other peoples bikes, and running businesses during the day. I may consider this for my second custom chopper.

Option 4) Take an existing bike and start cutting and changing it. This is maybe as involved as chopping and re-welding the frame to create a new rake and angles. Or it could mean just getting a new frame and using the engine, transmission, and various other part to build a new machine. I like this idea, and I think it would be a lower cost alternative to all new custom parts. With this option you are also able to keep the current registration and title if the frame is not replaced. This is also a lower cost option because a lot of the miscellaneous parts can be reused.

I know that in one page all the possible combinations of Custom Chopper build can’t be completely explained, I just hope this information give you something to start with and build on. It has help steer me in the direction of a rolling chassis, so I better get shopping.

<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Ian Parish is an avid motorcyclists and Jeeper and has been for the past 20 years. He has jumped into building a custom chopper full force and is assembling that parts and the plan, on his website <a href="http://www.MyChopperBlog.com">MyChopperBlog.com</a>. Check out the website as I need all the help I can get. He is the owner of <a href="http://www.RedJeepClub.com">RedJeepClub.com</a> and <a href="http://www.MyChopperBlog.com">MyChopperBlog.com</a></P>

Guide to Choosing a Driving Instructor
When it comes to choosing a driving school, or more specifically a driving instructor, there are many factors to consider in making the right choice. Choosing a driving instructor that is compatible with you is the best way to ensure that you are adequately prepared for your driving test and ultimately more likely to be a better, safer driver, when it is time to go it alone. A good driving instructor will be patient, understanding and approachable. Those factors, along with others should be central to choosing which one is right for you. Referrals When people are happy with a product or service they are usually happy to refer the business to their friends and family. The same applies with driving instructors ” if your friend or family member recommends a certain driving instructor then this could be a good means of finding one that is right for you. Although your friend or family member may like the driving instructor on a personal level, it is important that you find out if they are also satisfied with his or her teaching ability and how they have turned out as a driver through using their services. Car They Drive Although you may not be too concerned with the kind of car your instructor has, this could become a factor when you eventually get in a car on your own. If, for example, you have bought a large car in preparation for when you pass your test, then you may find it a shock to your system when you have to drive a car that is much larger in size. In that instance, an influencing factor in choosing an instructor could be to choose one that has a car around the same size and engine displacement as the one that you have bought. It is also worthy of note that many driving instructors are happy to take you out in your own car, however it is better to check with them first as not all instructors and schools will be happy to do this. Experience Choosing a more experienced driving instructor will mean that you are more likely to be dealing with someone who knows a lot more than what they had to in order to pass a test. With experience comes knowledge and expertise in how to deal with students, as well as how to act on the road. Although you should not be completely put off working with a younger driving instructor altogether, it is probably best to consider someone with more years of experience to have an advantage where this is concerned. Compatibility One of the most overlooked parts of choosing any service provider is their compatibility with you. Although it may be hard to work this out on a phone, or in a quick meeting, you should try to get a grasp for whether or not you are likely to get on with them. Keep in mind that you do not have to become best friends with your driving instructor, however having a mutual understanding is vital.

David Hart, a proficient writer, writes for http://www.andy1st.info The author writes articles about Driving schools or driving instructors and driving schools directory. For more information about please visit http://www.andy1st.info/shop.php and http://www.andy1st.info/directory.php

Discovering A Better Motorcycle Loan With A Better Credit Score
It is common knowledge that motorcycle financing companies? base high importance on your FICO credit scores when approving motorcycle loans. However, what many people overlook is that their FICO credit score can dramatically impact the term on their motorcycle loan along with the interest rate that is assigned to the motorcycle loan.

In order to gain better motorcycle loan rates, it is highly important that you think of your FICO credit score as a picture of how risky you are to the lender. Your FICO credit score is essentially a benchmark which motorcycle financing companies use to grade you and assign a risk to you when applying for a motorcycle loan. Since factors about your credit change on a daily basis so can your FICO credit score.

The below 5 tips are designed to help ensure you improve your creditworthiness as your credit score changes. Ultimately these tips should help you obtain better motorcycle loan rates and loan terms in the future.

Watch Your Debt? Keep your account balances below 25%-30% of your available credit limit. This is especially true with your revolving credit card because many motorcycle financing companies see credit card debt as more risky. If you have a credit card with a $500 limit, you should try to keep the balance owed below $150 when you apply for a motorcycle loan.

Check Your Credit Regularly ? In today?s age it is easy to get online to check your credit report. Checking your free credit report regularly is very important because it can help you uncover inaccuracies that are affecting your FICO credit score. Don?t let your credit health suffer due to inaccurate information or errors on your credit report. If you find an inaccuracy on your credit report contact the creditor associated with the account or the credit reporting agencies to correct it immediately.

Avoid Excessive Credit Inquiries ? A credit inquiry normally happens when you apply for credit. If you have a large number of credit inquiries in a short time period many motorcycle finance companies see this as a negative since it affects your FICO credit score. Therefore, when you are applying for credit or shopping for motorcycle loans it is very important you consider how many times your credit is accessed. Be advised that sometimes motorcycle dealerships will pre-screen you for a loan by asking you for your driver licenses and social security number. Normally this results in a credit inquiry on your credit report. Be prudent in shopping for credit and motorcycle financing.

Establish Credit Early ? Time is very important part of improving your FICO credit score. Therefore, it is recommended that you start building credit early in life. Getting one or two credit cards can significantly help build your credit. However, the key to this strategy is keeping your purchases small and frequent and paying off the balance every month on time. When establishing credit you should also keep the oldest account on your credit report open in order to lengthen your period of active credit use. The length of your credit history can make a big difference in getting approved for a motorcycle loan.

Make Your Payment On-time - Paying your current credit bills on-time is one of the biggest factors that contributes to a higher FICO score. Typically when motorcycle finance companies see potential customers that do not pay their bills on-time then they either decline them or issue a motorcycle loan at a much higher interest rate. Late payments, collections and bankruptcies have the greatest negative effect on your credit score and how lenders rate you when getting a motorcycle loan.

Copyright (c) 2005, by Jay Fran.

Jay Fran is a successful author at <a href="http://www.motorcycle-financing-guide.com" target="_blank">http://www.motorcycle-financing-guide.com</a> - A comprehensive resource to compare online motorcycle financing, motorcycle loans and online motorcycle buying tips for Polaris, Honda, Suzuki, Harley-Davidson, Yamaha and more.

Touring Central Utah on a Motorcycle.

By Ian Parish

I love to get on my motorcycle and ride I am fortunate enough to live in Utah, which offers many different opportunities from the steep windy mountain roads, to the flat open desert highways, to the scenic beauty of our many national parks. The terrain is vast and varied, and the highways plentiful. If I have a week or just a couple of hours I can’t seem to get enough of the wind, the sun, the sound’s, the smells, and the bugs.

The mountains of central and northern Utah are some of my favorite places to ride. The Wasatch mountain range runs north to south covering almost all of the central, northern and eastern sections of Utah. From Salt Lake City there are many small canyon roads that lead out of the city and into the mountains. These allow you to climb from the valley floor of 4500 feet above sea level to 9,000 feet above sea level in as few as 30 miles. The roads wind up and out of the valley and into the mountains in almost all directions.

I will describe a few of my favorite places to get away from Salt Lake City for a day ride. Most of these rides are short enough for a good day trip. The 2 rides that go to the Uinta mountains and the Nebo mountain loop are longer and will make for a full day adventure.

The Salt Lake Valley Canyons, are all close to the city and basically head east out of the valley, from north to south they are: Emigration Canyon road, I-80, Mill Creek Canyon road, Big Cottonwood Canyon road, and Little Cottonwood Canyon road. These are all fun short and in some cases very steep canyon adventures. You can make a loop out of Emigration Canyon road, and East Canyon, and or I-80 if you would like. Big Cottonwood Canyon does loop over the top of the mountain into Park City but you get to travel on 2-3 miles of dirt road right at the top of the canyon. Traveling on dirt roads on a big touring motorcycle is an option, but not one I would really recommend if it can be avoided. Mill Creek Canyon road and Little Cottonwood Canyon are dead ends so once you head up the canyon you can expect to return to the same place after the ride.

The High Uinta Mountains:
The Uinta Mountains are located east of Salt Lake City about 80 miles. Getting there you have 2 basic routes, I-80, or highway 189 from Provo, Utah. Take either of these routes with Kamas as the destination. If you choose I-80 go east on I-80 and exit south onto Highway 40, follow this a few miles and exit east onto Highway 248 towards Kamas. If you choose highway 189 from Provo, follow this road into Heber, Utah and turn left onto Highway 40, follow this and exit onto Highway 248 towards Kamas Utah. Once you arrive in Kamas, you have two choices going into the Uintas mountains. The Mirror Lake Highway 150, or the Wolf Creek Pass Highway 35 south of Kamas. Both of these roads are nice long scenic byways into the Uinta mountains. The Mirror Lake Highway goes all the way over the top. If you have time you can continue on to Evanston, Wyoming. Once in Evanston you can take I-80 and loop back South into the Salt Lake Valley. This is nice ride and long enough with a lunch stop to turn your ride into an all day adventure. On the other hand if you take Wolf Creek Pass Highway 35, to make a loop out of it you will end up in either Duchesne, or you can turn south on Highway 208 and meet up with Highway 40 to loop back to Heber, Utah. I have not ever taken Highway 208 so I cannot recommend that. I have been over 35 all the way to Highway 40 in Duchesne so if you go this route I know you will be ok. This will also be a very long day. One other road worth mentioning is highway 32 from Francis back to Highway 40. This is a nice little short cut between Highway 40 and Highway 35 which is Wolf Creek Pass.

The High Mountain Mount Nebo Loop.
This mountain pass is south of Provo about 30 miles, the way I like to drive this loop is from the south end the road loops north over the top of the range and then drops back down into Utah Valley. To make this loop take I-15 south to Nephi, Utah and exit east onto highway 132 follow this east for a few mile then turn left and head north onto the Nebo Loop road. This road winds steeply up to the ridge top of the Nebo Mountains. Once on this road you can follow it for what seem like miles and miles, all the while feeling like you are on top of the world. Like other mountain passes if you have a fear of heights at a few places along the way you want to make sure you are paying attention because the mountain steeply drops off hundreds of feet on the downhill side road.

Spring is a nice time in the mountains, because all the flowers are out and the grasses and trees are bright green with new growth. Summer is a nice time to take a ride in the mountains because it allows you to escape the heat of the valley floors. Fall has a different look and feel to it the grasses are brown and dry, but the trees and leaves are a blaze with bright fall colors, as the trees change colors and the leaves fall off in preparation for the up coming winter. Winter in Utah is not a good time to take a motorcycle tour. The roads are icy, salty, covered in gravel, sand and snow. The Winter temperatures can also be very cold.

One other thing to remember about taking your Harley Davidson motorcycle in the high mountains. Be prepared, with extra warm clothes and some food. I have experienced many days where we leave the valley and it’s 100 degrees, only to be rained on and experience wind chill factors in the low 30 and 40’s at 10,000 feet. If you are not prepared with an extra set of warm clothes or leather gear in your saddle bags it can be an extremely long and possibly dangerous ride back home. One day about 100 bikers spent well over and hour at the High Uinta Forest Ranger District Information Center. They had all taken a day ride and got caught in massive rain storm, not being prepare for winter weather made for a serious and cold environment. Most of the people on the ride were forced to just wait out the rain in the tiny Rnger Station.

That sums up a few of the nice canyon touring rides around Salt Lake City. It certainly is not all the roads available, It is basically the fun roads south of I-80 in Northern Utah. For more nice day rides in Southern and Central Utah stay tuned or check my web site for more information. As always Ride-safe

Ian Parish is an avid motorcyclists and jeeper and has been for the past 20 years. He jumped into building a custom chopper full force and is assembling the parts and the plan, on his web site MyChopperBlog.com. Check out the web site to learn about building a chopper or to lend a hand. He needs all the help he can get. He is the owner of <a href="http://www.RedJeepClub.com">www.RedJeepClub.com </a>and <a href="http://www.mychopperblog.com">www.MyChopperBlog.com</a>

Are Motor Scooters Safe? Yes and No!

Motor scooters, both electric scooters and gas scooters, are a style of motorcycle that have a step through frame and have become a very popular method of travel all over the world. They have been scooting out of show rooms at record speed. But what many people do not realize is that motor scooters are classified as motor vehicles when it comes to highway regulations. And although they are an object of desire for many they can also be dangerous for many.

They are typically regulated by state laws as either motorcycles or mopeds and are subject to many of the same regulations as other motor vehicles. With a careful and alert driver a scooter can be as safe as any other vehicle on the road. But accidents frequently occur when motor scooter drivers think they are exempt from the conventions that apply to automobiles.

Motor scooters (sometimes called mopeds or go peds) are commonly purchased for use by children and teenagers, most of whom do not even possess a valid license to drive. Licensed drivers have had a certain amount of training behind the wheel of a car, unlike many motor scooter drivers under the age of 16. Without proper training children and young teenagers can easily find themselves in positions that experienced drivers normally would not.

Darting in and out of traffic with little driving experience, on a motor scooter that is so small it cannot be seen by other drivers, poses a hazard to both the scooter driver and other motorists traveling the highway. To be safe a motor scooter driver must think of himself as being invisible to the other drivers making their way down the busy streets. A scooter driver cannot assume that other drivers will see them.

A safe approach for a scooter driver would be to assume that they are completely invisible to other drivers and then act accordingly. A motor scooter rider must be ready to maneuver out of harm’s if another driver makes a sudden unexpected movement. Being safe means staying alert at all times. Being safe also means following the rules of the road and not making unnecessary or risky moves in traffic that would cause their moped scooter to dart out in front of another moving vehicle. Automobile drivers must have time to react to a scooter driver’s movements.

There are many reasons to own a motor scooter. They are often used for traveling short distances around the neighborhood to perform errands. Due to their size, fuel-efficiency, weight, and typically larger storage room than a motorcycle, they are ideal in this situation. But in the hands of the youth, without any previous driving experience, they can be deadly.

The ATV, go carts, dirt bikes and mini bikes are other vehicles that are often owned and operated by younger drivers. ATVs are usually used off road along with dirt bikes and mini bikes. Go karts are typically driven on paved tracks specifically made for the go cart. The go kart, mini bike, dirt bike or ATVs don’t usually get out on the open road where there are cars to contend with. Therefore they also avoid many of the dangers that scooter drivers must face.

Motor scooters are the latest craze, especially among the youth market looking for a quick, cheap form of transportation. These youths can be too young to own a driver’s license, and the result is a dangerous situation. They are more popular than ever, but as their popularity grows, people’s awareness of driving regulations has not kept pace, especially among the younger generation.

Kids often think of motor scooters as toys, not as adult vehicles. But a scooter is not a toy. It’s a potentially dangerous motor vehicle subject to certain laws and regulations. Also, youth often think of themselves as being immune to automobile driving regulations and immune to accidents as well. “It won’t happen to me” is a very common attitude among the youth. But it’s precisely this attitude that can get them into trouble.

People need to be aware of the potential motor scooter dangers and take appropriate action. Scooter riders should pay special attention while driving, making sure not to drive erratically, but to be predictable and courteous to other drivers on the road.

Both kids and adults need training and experience before attempting to maneuver their scooters out in traffic. If parents will take a little time to train their children, making sure they are aware of the rules of the road before they are allowed to travel on them, it could make driving a pleasure instead of a danger. With a little training and some wise words of advice we can all make a difference in the lives of the youth. Give them some training and experience and their motor scooters may be an object of fun instead of injury.

J Larry Alan is an enthusiast of <a href="http://www.my-motorscooters.com">motor scooters</a>. He enjoys driving motorcycles and motor scooters. He also enjoys promoting scooter safety. For more information visit his site about <a href="http://www.my-motorscooters.com">gas motor scooters</a>.