Before I got my bike, I test drove a hardtail chopper, beautiful bike, after a couple of miles I turned around, this is not for my back I thought, granted I'm not a 'young buck' no more and if I was in my 20's it may have been different. Anyhow I ended up buying on of the chopper kits for a Sportster and I have not regretted it, it's a little expensive but I love the way it rides, anyway, whichever way you go, send some pics to the group and good luck...

 

Like others have said about your back and how well your kidney's are functioning a rigid is stiff to say the least. As far as the revtech engine, or any engine i would put some research into it.

Here is a link to some rollers and complete with other options to compare. This is just one of thousands of builders out there.
http://www.suckerpunchsallys.com/09_..._and_kits.html

 

Revtec motors are made in Korea. I'm not sure about their reliability, I would go with an S&S or Harley.

 

I don't know if it's by customer request, but it does raise an eyebrow when I see O.C.C. installing Revtech motors in their builds. Hardly "budget" bikes............

 

I wish Gumby was still patrollin this forum. He, in his so very eloquent way, would definitely be throwing around the word "candy ***".

I built a rigid kit bike in 2004 for my 60th birthday. It was called the "Hardcore II", probably the most popular of the kits. It had a 100" Revtech (no problems) except that when you power shifted into 2nd or 3rd the rear would slide to the left as the rear tire broke loose. It was long, 50 degree front end and took a city block to turn around. I put a layer of gel in the Saddleman seat, ran the 200 rear tire at 24 psi, and that took most of the smack out of the ride.

Reliability: Not a single problem. The hi compression 100" was a little hard to start so I always "backed it off of the compression stroke" before hittin' the start button. The bike listed in this thread gives an engine choice of 80" Evo, absolutely bullet proof with multiple build possibilities or the Rev Tech.

Got rid of my rigid after three years and 7500 miles cause my garage has a three bike limit and I wanted to get a bike I could race on the salt at Bonneville. And then, this last August, I ran into a Marine at the salt with a long rigid chopper, 88" Evo kicker that ran 131 mph avg through the measured mile.

Real downside is depreciation. Probably 50 % in two weeks.

Bwana

 

True dat. My new ride came in at just around 10.

 

I had one hardtail when I was in my 20s. I rode it form Seattle, to LA, to New Orleans, to St Paul, and back to Seattle.

I sold it the following week, and never have had a back breaker again.

 

Does anyone know who make s a nice Softail chopper kit?
Thanks

 

GL as you might have figured out by now I've been in the custom bike building business since the only parts catalog around was the Jammers handbook all 28 pages of it . I have never nor will I ever buy a bike in a showroom just not me .

I dealt with the explosion of "Custom " factory kit choppers that hit the scene so heavy starting back the late 90's moonlighting at a few shops for fun and extra pocket money . The tech school certificate grads have no clue how tune a non stock motor it seems and I can , built enough of them over the years .

All non OEM Harley look a like motors have their quirks but the RevTechs are the worse by far . They have odd displacement sizes , use proprietary parts sometimes and in general are a pain in the *** to tune and they don't last . Low end motors in the 80 to 88" range may be ok but why when a S&S will be much more solid base for the same money with lots of room for expandability & common parts interchange .

Only pic of any of my hardtails I have left after the house fire this one survived , rode it 4yrs at around 150,000+ miles but I was 2 " shorter for it .

 

Hardtails are what they are. Hard! Even a spring seat although helpful will not change the spine pounding vertebrate shortening effects these uncomfortable beasts will have on your *** and spine. There are some great softail choppers n kits out there that give u the hardtail look with a softail suspension and offer a superior ride. If u wanna ride it go softail if u wanna show it go ridgid.