Ok, I have asked this question various times, many places!
I am seriously considering a softail chopper! Not HD (sorry this is off topic, but figured this forum the best to answer) most likely a Big Dog.
My thinking is, get it while I am fairly young! If I knew they rode as good as a regular softail, great! I have asked several dealers and of course they say great, can't test drive until the loan is signed (as some HD dealers I have been to).
I am 6'1", do frequent 2-up riding, she is 5'5" small build. We do not tour, but do easily put on 100-300 miles most weekends, going from small rural towns to another, along with larger cities.
We would be coming off of a XL1200, so about naything would be a little more comfortable.
Dealers tell me, "Same as a softail, with more leg room. Wider turns of course."
I have not ruled out other smaller custom makers like BMC, Inronhorse, Titan, etc. Just looking for a basic raked out softail chopper!
Anything to compare it to?
So if anyone has ridden, owns, or knows of someone who has, any feedback is appreciated.
Thanks so much,
S

 

I have a friend here in town that bought one about a month ago. We went together for a few short rides around town , and I got to ride his Big Dog for about 20 minutes or so.
So based on my experience with choppers all I can tell you is that if you are the type of guy that can fork out 30 large ones and up just to look good at the local tavern or coffee shop , doesn't go on long rides at all and have the time to put into cleaning and polishing then of course , go for it . In my humble opinion I truly think that there are enough Harley Davidson models out there to satisfy any taste or any need so I will never even consider anything else . Choppers are nice to look at and that's about it. Just my 2 cents!

 

just to keep from typing a bunch of crap ill go with him!!

 

A lot will depend on how its set-up. I’ve got a buddy with a OCC that I got to ride and that was as smooth going down the road as my Springer Classic, I also have a chopped 87 softail that I dropped as about as low as you can go and the ride on that is a bit on the harsh side because when I slammed it I cranked the pre load on the rear shocks up so I wouldn’t have to worry about bottoming out every time I hit tar strip on the road. But if you don’t have the pre load cranked up it should ride just as well as a stock bike and in some cases it may have an even better ride due to the increase in wheel base. But as you were told it does take a bit more room to turn it around not a lot but some. As to the horror stories you may have heard about how they handle Ill tell you right now 95% of them come from people that have ether never been on one or there total riding experience has been a been in some parking lot, and the other 5% the bike was not set-up right in the first place. I’ve been riding for well over 30yrs. and never had a problem with one yet.

 

My chop experience mostly comes from building and riding them, but this was back in the '70s & early '80s, before the Softail type frame happened. I have ridden one of the new wide-tire stretched out customs. Comfort and handling-wise, it was "different", shall we say? I didn't like the offset engine/tranny, as it completely unbalanced the feel of the bike. Reach from the seat to the bars was uncomfortable, too. But that can be fixed with the right riser & bar combo. It didn't have enough passenger seat to make THE MAMA even consider throwing her leg over. With all this blather in mind ...

The factory made machines (calling them choppers or customss sorta sticks in my craw!) based on a Softail type frame ride as well as a regular Softail. The super-weenie rear tires most of 'em have, combined with the narrow front tire, makes for some different handling. The fat rear tire can tend to push the bike in a turn. The tall frames (stretched up & out from a stock frame) coupled with the extended front ends will slow the handling, but then no one thinks these are Rodney-Road-Racer bikes, so once you get used to it, it's really not too bad. I haven't seen any I would want to ride pillion for 300 miles, tho. The seats on 'em are for bar-hoppin & profilin', not riding. But seats can be changed, so no big deal there. Too many of 'em have engines and trannies offset to clear that stupid fat tire. This affects the balance. Some of the newest ones use the Baker right side drive tranny that allows the engine/tranny combo to be centered. Good deal, IMHO.

Big thing to me is knowing I could build a chop for about $10k, so I couldn't see paying $20 - 30k and up for one of these factory builts.

 

No, I don't have that kind of cash, but I plan to be deep in debt on my next bike, so...I just dig their overall look and vibe. I was planning on a RK, but with paint, etc it would put me over 20k easily, figured I could pick up a couple year old Big Dog for the same price, make sense?

 

I have just sold a custom bike; here are my 2 cents worth:
Granted what I just sold was not a softtail, but a rigid, I have experience with many customs. These are a few things to consider: Even the softail customs, they are not to be rated for comfort or dependability. Most are rated for power and looks with high horsepower and high performance. These bikes just haul *** and then look great when parked at one of the local bars or restaurants. Recommend for the type who likes working on bikes, as these bikes will require your attention. Be prepared for a serious love / hate relationship. You will love the bike when it is running and hate it while it is in the shop being repaired. I owned one with 113S&S, pure violence! It was a head-turning, dude-envying, chick-capturing, tree-climbing, get-the-hell-out-of-my-way, wicked monster deprived of common moral values. They are great looking bikes that are ideal for riding around town, bar hopping or short rides and most are intended for solo riding, they are even less comfortable for passengers. On most customs I rode, the ones with big motors, from the minute they start to the minute you shut it down, it is pure aggression. You better get a good grip or you're going to get thrown off these beasty bikes. The power produced by 113 cubic inch and bigger motors is unbelievable. Most softtails customs are long enough and flexible enough to absorb much of the imperfections found in roads, but with a rigid chassis, a good chuckhole will slam your teeth together in a pretty sound fashion.
Having said that, some of my finest moments were spent on my custom bike, wide rear tire. Low. Fat. Loud. Vicious. And if money is no object, I would still be the proud owner. But I had to sell due to reliability/dependability factor, one too many times, were the bike would not start or something. Waiting on my order of a 2006 Fatboy. Customized of course.

 

This question brings up another debate. I personaly dont think ANY softtail is a "chopper" In my opinion choppers are rogod frames. A softtail is a custom motorcycle.

 

Apeking, you are so right. A chopper means a bike that has everything "chopped" off that wasn't absolutly nesc. A softail is wasted weight.

I would build one, you can get a great rolling frame for about 5 grand, a S&S 124 for 6-7, a Baker for $1,500, tins for a grand, and bars, controls, lights etc for another grand, and that's if it's all brand new. I know of tons of shops that will sell you the parts used to make a great cheap ride. $10-$14 grand and you will have a fantastic custom.

 

I rode a friend of mine's Ironhorse and I found it a little cumbersome. I think I'll hold on to my Standard and my $30,000.