History of Choppers
harley model S 1948
Choppers came about from the efforts of American servicemen returning home from World War II. They started removing parts from existing motorcycles that were big and clumsy and replaced them with more streamlined parts or even omitted them altogether.
So you would find that fenders were no longer used over the front wheel. The old type saddle that was supported by large springs was replaced by a saddle that sat low on the frame.
Even the fuel tanks were given a face lift.. they were smaller, more streamlined. This also made the motorcycle lighter and more maneuverable..as these motorcycles were now being used for dirt track racing..
One particular motorcycle that got an overhaul was the Harley Davidson. While in Europe the American servicemen saw that the motorcycles there were more light weight with exciting designs.
So they started to make the Harley Davidson lighter. The front fender was removed and the back fender was shortened just enough to prevent water and mud from the rear tire from splashing up on the passenger. This is where the term ” bobber” came from.
This trend started to catch on and individuals began to design there own custom bikes to sell to other riders and this is how the Custom built Chopper industry began.
