What Is A Chopper?

I know in my mind, what I think a chopper is.

A few magazines and blogs I like, pretty much say you have to have a rigid frame, to have a chopper. Or a sissy bar that reaches the axle. Or a kicker. etc etc

What do you think?

What is a chopper?

Who decides?

Who gives a fuck?

Why do these people always have to make rules about what is, and what isn't?

Who are they?

Who made them the bottom line?

You chop shit off.

You CHOP. SHIT. OFF.

So the Question is...

How much shit do you chop off? To make it a chopper?

And if you're building a bike/chopper, do you add a bunch of shit then chop it off?

Because if you don't then what you have is a custom bike, not a chopper.

Because a chopper has to be chopped.

Again, if you love your bike, then who really gives a fuck?

Its like that other question that those stupid magazines and blogs love : who's a real biker?

I think that the Bikers of yore didn't really give a fuck about either of these questions and just made their bikes the way they wanted too, and rode them the way they wanted too. Without worrying too much if someone thought they were real bikers or not, or what the style of their bike was called, as long as they showed class.

Which brings me to another question: What ever happened to CLASS?

'cause I don't know much, but I do know that huffing and puffing and telling everyone what makes a real biker or what you have to do to be a real biker or what you have to ride to be a real biker is showing no class at all.

shut the fuck up and ride!.

Liquid Image puts camcorder on goggles

As more and more riders record their adventures via action sport cameras like the ones made by GoPro and Contour (click here for a full report), a company has come out with a way to capture nearly a true point-of-view video: goggles with a built-in camcorder.

California-based Liquid Image is the maker of the dirt and snow goggles, which hit the market this past January. The company promoted them at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and the WinterX Games in Aspen, Colo. Then it had a booth at Dealer Expo. “We had a crowd there the whole time,” says co-founder and VP Melanie Pearson. “It was great.”

Liquid Image made its first goggle/camera for the scuba market in 2008. That product was so successful the company decided to expand into other markets, Pearson says.

The dirt and snow goggles — the Impact Series HD Model 365 and Summit Series HD Model 335, respectively — shoot 720p footage in 30 frames per minute and retail for $250. (See below for links to samples of videos taken by the cameras.) In the fall Liquid Image plans on offering higher-end models that shoot 1080p footage and retail for an estimated $400. “We’ve done two price points in the scuba market, and it’s worked really well,” Pearson says.

 

The snow model comes in black or white, the dirt model in black or red. Both take still-frame 5.0MP photos. The cameras have a 136-degree wide-angle lens and can hold up to a 32GB MicroSD/SDHC card. The goggles come with a 4GB MicroSDHC card. Files are downloaded to a computer through a high-speed USB/RCA cable provided, or through a card reader.

A LED light inside the goggle indicates the camera’s mode. It blinks while recording is going on.  The goggle’s lithium-ion batteries last for between 90 minutes and two hours on one charge. For longer use, Liquid Image offers extra batteries to swap out.

The goggles are water-resistant and can even survive being dunked during watercraft use, Pearson claims.

Liquid Image sells replacement dirt lenses and double-pane snow lenses that fit either model. “So you can buy one goggle and use it year-round for whatever sport,” Pearson says. “If you ride off-road bikes but also snowboard, you can buy one goggle and swap out lenses.”

Pearson doesn’t consider camera makers GoPro and Contour as direct competitors because her customers often own a stand-alone camera also. 

“People will use both and get two different views,” she says.

Liquid Image sells directly to dealers, who must buy 48 units plus shipping to open an account. The company is also in the process of setting up distributors specific to the powersports industry.

For in-store marketing, the company offers a mannequin head with a built-in LCD screen for showing promotional videos. “Once people see the videos, they get excited,” Pearson says. “They can imagine what they can do with the goggle, whether it’s off-road sports, snowmobiles, even Jet Skis. … In the scuba industry we found that having some sort of in-store video display was huge to selling the product.”

Pearson has mailed out several test units to magazine editors, so expect reviews forthwith, along with ads. “We’re also looking at some grassroots marketing at events and tours,” she says. “And people are posting videos everywhere. That helps as long as they say who made the cameras.”

Below are links to video samples recorded with the goggles, plus some reviews that show their basic operation, including the LED light indicators.

Video samples:

Impact Series HD Model 365: http://www.youtube.com/user/LiquidImageCo#grid/user/F51A8BB5A501FB11

Summit Series HD Model 335:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osaZiRsf1DM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfT28jpKUak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyEfPCm9rfM

Review videos of the Summit Series HD:
 

General features: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr8HHpc-DrE
Unboxing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOpepxIjVuc 

Note: You do not need to cut the box open.

On snow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gbrvRiJF-M
On snow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nZvdUgaDjw

Liquid Image says the LED light looks bright when indoors, but in sunlight users often have to shade the area of the goggle to see if the light is on and blinking. The only issue is for night activities, in which case the company suggests placing some removable tape over the LED light to dim it if needed.

Liquid Image claims night video taken by the goggles is good when there is enough artificial light added. Skip past the rain drop in the beginning of this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9idXQWS9S0Y

A quick product demo done at CES with the Summit Series HD Model 335: http://www.youtube.com/user/futureshopca#p/u/3/fCXMNpwCjhg

Ass Hat

How its done...

Texas

Texas from rouser on Vimeo.

Great Kevin Mack Video

Hello-Moto from rouser on Vimeo.

Allstate TV: The Making of Ghost Bikes

Diesel Motorcycle

Sommer 462 Scrambler

Electric isn’t the only alternative to traditional petrol-powered bikes. There are a few diesel motorcycles around, and one of my favorites is the Sommer 462. This one is owned by Lars-Hendrik Schneider, a German living near Salzburg in Austria. Since last summer, he’s been riding a Sommer Diesel Scrambler, which he’s had customized by the factory. And although the factory is mostly a one-man operation based in Eppstein, Germany, Jochen Sommer has put more than 200 diesel motorcycles on European roads so far.

This particular Dieselkatze is an Enfield-India frame carrying a 462cc HATZ diesel engine; it has 11hp and 26Nm of torque, which might not sound much but is good for a top speed of around 65mph (105kph). And as we all know, the appeal of diesel is in the power delivery. The Sommer 462 is a four-speed—with a right-side shift—and runs a maintenance-free belt drive. Lars-Hendrik’s bike is fitted with stainless steel rims and Heidenau K66 rubber, a mud-and-snow tire more usually found on ‘big wheel’ scooters in wintry climates. (The rear swingarm has been modified to accommodate the larger sizing.) The bike is finished in RAL2009 orange, as used by KTM, and must be a striking sight as it transports Lars-Hendrik around the mountains of Austria. “It’s reliable and easy to handle,” says Lars-Hendrik, “and fast enough to make me smile the whole day. I will never give it away, I have no need for another bike any more.”

Bike EXIF supplies a daily dose of cafe racers, custom motorcycles and bobbers. Brought to you by the good guys at Ural Motorcycles.

Girls and Bikes...

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My Daily Sled...

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My Daily Bread...

My Daily Sled...

Je$u$ holiday$ are $o $acred...

Happy Easter everyone! Jesus dies, comes back from the dead - and we get chocolate eggs. It's like turn-down service from God.

 

Chrome time machine Panhead 4 SALE $!$!

Nick has his beautiful panhead for sell and this is what he say's about it.

So here's a few pics of the panhead. It was basically built from a stock bike - matching cases, proper trans, original swingarm frame  with a pan hardtail welded on, stock '61 rear brake, stock '61 dual point ignition, oil tank, stock controls chromed, etc. The chopper
parts on it are all mid 70s aftermarket - bars, steel trees, spool, seat, Branch/Mikuni carb conversion. I replaced all the soft parts, brakes, and some gaskets. Featured in Dice issue #26. It's a good runner and has been ridden out to Las Vegas, CA and Mexico. No
breakdowns to speak of. It sat in a garage from '82 to '08. Attached are some pics of when it was found and a few of the original owner and his wife.

If anyone is interested in it you can email directly at ngoerdt@gmail.com. He was ridin this sweet machine last night I wish she was mine a true piece of chopper history still alive and rollin in it's original condition.