With recent sales of my first street bike, my 98 HD and my first real bike, my 2005 502 I will soon be the owner of a V8 Chopper. it will be delivered around the third week in March. Having never rode one, the same as when i purchased my Hoss, do the V8 Chopper owners, or who have rode the V8 Chopper, have any comments they would like to share? What do you run for front & rear tire pressure? Fuel Mileage of what you have encountered as motors are different? Do's and dont's of riding experiences, Cornering, anything those in the know are willing to share would be appreciated. There will be a passenger for mine alot and i will be needing a passenger seat sometimes. i see they are removable with multiple suction cups, any experience with suction cup P pads? Having never ridden any type chopper before so it will be a new experience as well.
when i posted my soon to be Hoss owner post in march of 07 i received alot of replies, i hope i get alot of valuable info as i did then from this thread,, thanks in advance. and when i get it, i will post pictures.
Signed ,,,
Ready
V8 Choppers,,, Soon To Be New Owner Questions,,,,
-
gaston 2005 502
- Posts: 454
- Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2007 9:58 pm
- Location: South Texas & Working Around the World, Across The Nation And Up Your Street
- Contact:
V8 Choppers,,, Soon To Be New Owner Questions,,,,
Darryl Campbell
Re: V8 Choppers,,, Soon To Be New Owner Questions,,,,
Having gone from a 502 B.H. to the V8 Chopper, I think I can help. Before I begin, please remember that these are different bikes and both have pro's and con's. For me, the pro's outweighed the con's but that's me and my view's will be different from someone else. Your opinion is the only one that counts for your bike.
When you first ride your new bike there are several things that you will notice. The V8 Chopper is lighter and has a greater lean angle. It will feel more nimble when you are in parking lot situations and on very curvy roads. The raked front end has absolutely no "fall off" in slow turns. Stan did a very nice job of getting the rake and trail correct. You can easily turn this bike to the turn stop with one hand....if you can ride that well.
This is a rigid frame and if you have ever rode a rigid before, you will be amazed at how well it rides. But, it will never be as comfy as your B.H. on the open highway. A lighter rigid V-Twin chopper does not have enough weight on the rear tire to absorb road imperfections. The weight of this bike along with the 300 rear tire does a very nice job of absorbing bumps at slower speeds, but on the interstate, those hard bumps come too quickly for that rear tire to compensate. I have ridden hundreds of miles on the highway with my bike, and it is fine for me but it is more tiring. The tire pressure really does effect the "softness" of the ride. I have always ridden my rear tire at 38 lbs. If you drop that to 32, it will make a huge difference.
We also ride 2 up and have a "lick and stick" fender seat. I have the wide one that doesn't match the lines very well, but the wife likes this one best for comfort. I think the one I have is the ugliest one that Stan has but Melba tried 2 or 3 different ones and she thought this was the most comfortable for her. You will notice that when riding two up, the extra weight on the rear tire will make the ride feel smoother. Melba doesn't mind the ride of this rigid and has ridden 200 to 300 miles days with me. The fender seat is very stable and doesn't move around at all. You (or she) just have to be careful not to "kick" it when getting on and off the bike. This bike sits lower to the ground so it's not hard to mount without dragging a boot across the seat.
Stan makes a small windshield for this bike, but I haven't purchased one yet and still haven't made up my mind on that. The lower seating position and the higher tank helps block some of the wind and you can "tuck" down behind the tank and bars to further reduce wind. It's not as effective as a windshield but better than a normal bike with no windshield. The shield Stan has looks ok, but I do think it detracts from the "Chopper" look. It's not very large and matches the lines very well, but it just seems wrong to put a windshield on a chopper....that's just me.
These are just some of my observations and I have no doubt that your impressions will be different. I'd love to hear what you think after some seat time.
When you first ride your new bike there are several things that you will notice. The V8 Chopper is lighter and has a greater lean angle. It will feel more nimble when you are in parking lot situations and on very curvy roads. The raked front end has absolutely no "fall off" in slow turns. Stan did a very nice job of getting the rake and trail correct. You can easily turn this bike to the turn stop with one hand....if you can ride that well.
This is a rigid frame and if you have ever rode a rigid before, you will be amazed at how well it rides. But, it will never be as comfy as your B.H. on the open highway. A lighter rigid V-Twin chopper does not have enough weight on the rear tire to absorb road imperfections. The weight of this bike along with the 300 rear tire does a very nice job of absorbing bumps at slower speeds, but on the interstate, those hard bumps come too quickly for that rear tire to compensate. I have ridden hundreds of miles on the highway with my bike, and it is fine for me but it is more tiring. The tire pressure really does effect the "softness" of the ride. I have always ridden my rear tire at 38 lbs. If you drop that to 32, it will make a huge difference.
We also ride 2 up and have a "lick and stick" fender seat. I have the wide one that doesn't match the lines very well, but the wife likes this one best for comfort. I think the one I have is the ugliest one that Stan has but Melba tried 2 or 3 different ones and she thought this was the most comfortable for her. You will notice that when riding two up, the extra weight on the rear tire will make the ride feel smoother. Melba doesn't mind the ride of this rigid and has ridden 200 to 300 miles days with me. The fender seat is very stable and doesn't move around at all. You (or she) just have to be careful not to "kick" it when getting on and off the bike. This bike sits lower to the ground so it's not hard to mount without dragging a boot across the seat.
Stan makes a small windshield for this bike, but I haven't purchased one yet and still haven't made up my mind on that. The lower seating position and the higher tank helps block some of the wind and you can "tuck" down behind the tank and bars to further reduce wind. It's not as effective as a windshield but better than a normal bike with no windshield. The shield Stan has looks ok, but I do think it detracts from the "Chopper" look. It's not very large and matches the lines very well, but it just seems wrong to put a windshield on a chopper....that's just me.
These are just some of my observations and I have no doubt that your impressions will be different. I'd love to hear what you think after some seat time.
Re: V8 Choppers,,, Soon To Be New Owner Questions,,,,
Darryl, I can't offer much insight or advise for a V-8 Chopper bike
but can tell you that when you lay down that hard earned money
for a V-8 Chopper you are getting a motorcycle engineered like no
other! The attention to fit and finish and then customer satisfaction
sets it apart from all others. Yes they will still break down but if that
happens you will get prompt attention and staight forward answers
to get you back on the road ASAP.
Also there is no such thing as too much Horsepower! Stop kidding
yourself and start planning on adding NOS.
but can tell you that when you lay down that hard earned money
for a V-8 Chopper you are getting a motorcycle engineered like no
other! The attention to fit and finish and then customer satisfaction
sets it apart from all others. Yes they will still break down but if that
happens you will get prompt attention and staight forward answers
to get you back on the road ASAP.
Also there is no such thing as too much Horsepower! Stop kidding
yourself and start planning on adding NOS.
....Johnston, Iowa