Choose The RIGHT Bike For Your FIRST Chopper Build 

What are YOUR thoughts on the list? Do you agree with these choices or do you think there's a great platform that got left out? Let me know down below.

Honda VT600c or “VLX” is an excellent first chop platform. Affordable, reliable and lots of modification choices out there today. Easy to hardtail, easy to foot clutch, jockey shift, et cetera. Wanna keep it a chonky chop, easy peasy. Wanna extend the front end, again easy peasy. Sprocket options widely available to make the highway miles more enjoyable. I’m 6’3” 220 lbs and have ridden one for almost 20 years. Engines are bulletproof. Had to give that a mention. 😎 Absolutely excellent video! Great information that will no doubt be invaluable to many many people. Well done!

Just FYI: 1984 and 1985 Softails came with factory 4 speeds with Kicker. 1985 FXWG also came with EVO and 4 speed kicker. Fair Warning, chopping an 85 FXWG is an EVIL act and will result in the eteranal damnation of your immortal soul.

One of the best videos on RU-vid. Excellent job man, thanks for the info!

Great video, well done!

Wish this vid existed 5 years ago!! First 10mins so relatable - happened to me. Love my shovel!! Been an awesome 2 years building and riding it

Great video. Very helpful 👍👍👍👍

Fantastic video! I wish you had come out with this 10 years ago when I started my journey into choppers... oh well, it's here now! Thank you for making this video!

Great video. Thanks for using one of my bikes for reference!

Hell yes! I love the deeper dives into things. I'm always down for a long video with good info! Thank you for the info and showing my bikes! I will say though, that blue XS650 in the video was my first build and I absolutely loved it. I am 6 ft 1" at 260 lb and I made some custom mid forwards and they felt great! I didn't feel too cramped and I was very comfortable. I looked goofier than shit sitting on it because I'm so big but it was not an uncomfortable ride in the least. I would definitely build one again!

Glad I stumbled along this I was fixing blindly buy a shovelhead frame $300 but then seen a ironhead 80s down tube stretch frame and I’ve decided go with the evo like I originally planned thanks for info

I would like to see a video, where an EXPERIENCED person talks a COMPLETE NEWBIE through an entire build--and ALL OF THE MISTAKES they would make along the way.

Hey man I love the videos. They have helped me a BUNCH. I started a 07 suzuki savage ls650 build as my first bike build. I was just curious on what your experiences with builds on this bike. Thanks

Sportster guy here and you forgot one major detail. Solid mount evo Sporties are a completely different animal from chopping a Rubbermount Sporty. 2004 and later frames are harder to hardtail than 03 and older. My 98 has a horseshoe tank with battery box in it so it's not impossible. I think it depends on the stretch in the hardtail.

Insanely detailed video, loved it! I started on a '86 rebel 250, jumped up to a 1200 sporty, and now a 1340 shovel. All about a slow and steady progression. If my first bike was a big ass 117" M8 I feel like there wouldn't be anything to look forward too and would only feel like i'm down grading

BTW On my evo sportster chopper I put a TC Bros hardtail on which I believe is about a 4 inch stretch with forward controls and it's a great fit for me. I'm 6' 250 pounds - plenty of room for me. I also put on super long exhaust and 12" over front end so it looks proportional to my body. Something to consider for the taller guys who may think sporties are too small. It is a bit of extra time, effort, money to do this but it can be done.

My introduction to choppers, besides the 1960s & 70s movirles, was my father's XS650 Special I have a 46 U model flathead chopper

Let me first say great video, I am old guy, back in the day the bikes of choice for chopping were Honda 750/4 and Kawasaki 900 because they were quick and smooth for there time. However having said that I have always loved a Harley as they were and still are a simpler bike to work on. In addition I have always started builds from wrecks not a running working bike. One because I just can’t bring myself to chop a complete running bike and two saving a bike from the junkyard is a open canvas. Probably not the easiest or cheapest option but certainly very satisfying when you have brought it back from the dead. Oh and iron head sportster is not a bad option if you like working on your bike if you maintain them properly they can be very reliable and rewarding. Currently I am building a 2003 twincam with a morris mag SU carb kick start 100 cu inch kit again something I saved from the junk yard. Looking forward to your next video. Regards Tim

Love the shovel head but I’ll never get rid of my sporty!

Thanks 4 the reply big time but can u let me know what bike a Firestone start with even if I have 2 build a copycat Firestone when u got time .... I know ppl got things 2 do thanks hope u & your family stay well ride safe 😁 enuff said.

My first chopper build I started last winter and finished it this winter. It was an '84 Honda Shadow VT700C. It was cheap to buy and if it didn't go as planned it wasn't all that much of a waste and I got a lot of good experience from building it. My next project: Couple months ago I picked up a '77 Ironhead motor. I can't afford a Shovelhead :-( I'm building the frame from scratch, but I'm not building a Sportster frame, I'm building a big twin frame so later on if I get a Shovelhead motor I can modify the frame for it. The front engine mount will be the Shovelhead platform and I'll fabricate an Ironhead engine plate to fit it. It should be a fun project.

You perked my ears up when you started talking about size limitations and highway speed. Back in the early to mid 1970's I had a Honda DOHC 450, you could practically put it in your back pocket. I lived in southern NH then, heard about a concert in Boston starting in an hour. The sun had set when I went past the rest area just north of 495 at 100 mph and noticed a state trooper going in, I kept going. I made most of that ride at 100, the bike had more speed but I didn't need it. Rode that bike 2000 miles to Austin, Texas, nice ride with no problems. I had converted it to a cafe racer with clip on handlebars and rear set controls shortly after I bought it, oh and I am 6'4" tall. Moved up to a 1976 Kawa 900 then a 1977 Kawa 1000 for 20+ years. I bought my 88" panhead in a 1981 FXE in 1998 with jockey shift, suicide clutch, open 3" primary, kick only, all that good stuff. Getting old, looking for an electric start spare bike, found a 1978 XLCR with electric at an estate sale. It sat in a shed for 25+years except the engine was used for the drags, never heard it run. Bought it cheap, opened the engine, 74 cu in, new pistons, new stock Harley cylinders, very lumpy Andrews cams, 4 spark plugs, S&S super B carb and intake ported and polished all the way to the valves, Sputhe engine cases. After I get the brakes and wiring done I will get a battery and find out how well it runs. Should be an interesting spare bike. I haven't watched all your videos yet but I like all that I have seen including this one. I just couldn't let you slide on the old story that you have to have a huge bike to ride on the highway. Having a big bike is nice although I wouldn't want one of those wheeled sofas, but people got around just fine on smaller bikes at decent speed for a lot of years. Thanks for the thoughtful content.

Working on my first build going on 2 years so far, but not worried about it, aoo that means is i'm getting it to how I want. My platform is a 1972 Ironhead, Electric start.

Awesome video. Really no love for the ironheads😢. I love mine that's all that counts😅

Im 6'4" and 260ish. Ive built a twon cam heritage vicla, a 131 powered street glide, and now im building my foot clutch jockey shifted evo sporty. Im going bobber not chopper, but some of the stuff is still relative. Maybe on round 2 of building this bike ill go hardtail

The v star 650 is a super popular platform for chopping

Hay man I'm a new subscriber what do a thunder mountain custom cycles Firestone start out as b4 it's a factory pro street softtail chopper? please let me know coz , I'd like 2 build 1 I know TMCC is out of business no other channels will take the time 2 give me a answer thanks in advance 😂 ride safe enuff said.

Non biased builder ?? Subscribed !!!

If going with an Evo Sporty also get a 5-spd version. Hard to find stuff for a 4-spd evo Sporty

Have a 00 sporty and I've probably got 600 in for it to be a bopper😂

Hey, nice vid, question- on an evo would a softail/or touring be better?/ what are different problems. Lmk thanks

Im rebuilding my dad's 77' XLH1000 from the ground up and I'm $3k into it already between paint and new parts. Everything is original except the interals and carb. Has just over 20k miles on it.

What do you think about a 1978 CB 750A build?

You can't go wrong with the throttle addiction deluxe hardtail kit if you're building a sporty. High quality, includes all the big ticket items to do the build, and the price is very fair

My dream build is a 72 shovel. Grandpa had one and I want one.

I'm surprised he didn't have Honda shadow 600 on the list.

Answer is always sportster. Or you could "save a sportster, chop a hipster" - shadetree surgeon

A major consideration should be resale value. No matter what motor/trans you choose; frames(often) forks, wheels, tires, brakes, tanks, paint and chrome all cost the same. But what's worse, if you don't do ALL the work yourself, someone else's labor costs the same. The more desirable the motor/trans combo, the more likely you are to see a higher return on your "investment" when you sell.

So I do have a question. I have done the Sportster chop and I love the process but now I would like to do an Evo Big Twin for the power to get me down the highway a little faster. I am having a hard time figuring out with Evo Big Twin Motors can be used for this next build...I was told to look for ONLY FLST 85-99 but some of the motors during that time confused me. FXR FLST. FLST/c could you shed a little light on this one? I am starting to look for the bike to build which is how I found you. Thanks!

Whats up with that chop cult light ese

I don’t understand why big twins “must” be chain driven. At my shop we put belts on everything and never had a problem. Unless we’re having fitment issues we will not put a chain on a chopper. My personal bike has had the same belt for 7 years, I rode it hard daily and no issues!

Sage wisdom

3 minutes in, i feel like I'm being attacked. EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT IS REAL! I was so emotionally attached to my first build that when it quit running and i couldn't afford to fix it any longer (ironhead) i just let it SIT. 7 years later, no I'm not exaggerating, i just sold that build as a project to some poor schmuck

What is the advantage of replacing the belt final drive for chain on a hardtail?

Would a 78 Yamaha xs650 with a "brat kit" rear suspension, with extend forks still a chopper? I know how them hard tail guys are.

I'd use the 80cc EVO motor!

My dude what do u think of making a v rod muscle or a breakout a chopper?? & which do u think would b better than a Firestone & why? yes I know lots of ppl hate v rods 😔 I know this is a lot 2 ask 4 but please give me your opinion ride safe enuff said.

I have a slightly different question. I ride an 05 Dyna Twin Cam. I'm late 60's with back and neck issues. Rigid chopper probably not a great idea. I would like to do a jockey shift set up. How difficult would that be? And I don't want a clutch lever on the shifter. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

when did they hire a big twin old chopper sales rep.. this video is crazy.

I bought a kraftec 200 mm frame with 1 1/4 tube frame and built a bike in a month or two.

I'd have put your list in reverse order. For me, the XS-650 is the greatest bike ever to chop, and if I ever own another H-D it'll be a Sportster or a (not on your list but) UL. As for the XS struggling (I don't think you used that word but it's what you meant) on the highway, yours might have. Mine doesn't. As for big twins, I bought a basket-case '77 Shovelhead back in 1980 and before I even rode it, I had an S&S 93ci Sidewinder kit (the latest and greatest thing at the time) put in. Nowadays I'd have to ask the question - since when is 1200cc not a big enough motor for a bike? I've seen Boss Hoss bikes with 572ci Chevy engines. Unless you find yourself in a pissing contest, is there any need for that?

I had a friend who bought a 883 for his first bike and he didn't keep it long. He's 6'5" and about 280 😂😂. I couldn't believe he bought it in the first place.

Sportster make the best first choppers. Nobody can ever change my mind on that. Also, let's recognize that the Evo sporty is the only reliable bike Harley has ever built. I mean actually reliable. Something that can go 100k or more without replacing shit outside of fluids and filters. As for underpowered, yeah the 883 is lackluster. The 1200's however, will blow the doors off a stock M8 114. The Sporty is way way faster than anyone gives them credit for. Also, dirt cheap to get 120hp out of.

why did you choose an EVO over a Shovel?

I was so set in getting a xs650, now I’m not sure lol.

As someone who owns a shovel you really need to be mechanically inclined or have a large bank account I can rebuild a S&G carb blindfolded

It's all about budget, the price of the donor bike, the customizing will always be just about the same.

The CB750 should’ve been in the XS650’s place. It is currently cheaper, more reliable, faster, easier to adapt harley parts & for the cool factor of not many people ride em to shows. It has a history of harley riders junking their shovels for it just off of reliability & speed alone. Currently fighting in my head on a CB750 or a big twin evo for my first build.

What happened to llcp?

Are you no longer doing the podcast?

I think the worst think to start with will be a 2004 up rubber mount Sportster… Don’t get me wrong, I love my 2004 1200 C, but building a hardtail kickstart bike out of it isn’t worth the effort!

Kool is often over rated and chasing esthetic minutiae is fun but not always optimal. I have Shovels and Evos, wrenched on many more since the late 1970s, and it's no contest the Evo is a much more reliable big twin engine because the top end properly sheds heat. That's why it saved Harley-Davidson. If you're new to chopping get the Evo and remember you can always bolt in a Shovel engine later one while keeping your stock engine as a ready spare. If you save up and begin with a Softail then RIDE the thing instead of going insane throwing parts at it you will get a specific idea of what YOU want that bike to do for you. A common deadly mistake is tearing apart a perfectly good motorbike too far then losing interest after which people like me buy the basket case cheap. On an Evo Sporty kickers are purely for looks which always bears reminding because many noobs feel great pressure to conform to someone else's idea of kool. Best years are the five speed years with a proper clutch instead of the retarded clutchernator abortion with the undersized trap door bearings. I'm 6'2" and greatly prefer mids on everything but controls are a matter of personal ergos. I give away forward controls when I get a Sporty with them because only mids allow standing on pegs to deload the riders spine surmounting bumps. Yam 650s are like having a British twin that's not a grenade (I collect Nortons and Triumphs but unless you are a seriously dedicated mechanic they're pointless). They make excellent short chops and trackers, they're very easy to work on and it's still cheap to buy donor bikes. I would not cut up a seriously nice stock one as they're getting collectible but would certainly sell a nice one to buy an Evo Sportster. A bike is just money on wheels so don't feel obligated to chop what ya got. I didn't mind my XS size but I ride small bikes around town and big machines cross-country. I flipped it though since I do prefer much more power. You can spice up an XS but for the same total investment you can have a superior Evo Sportster. Chopping oddball rides can be fun if you're already a mechanic but be aware choppers are folk art and believe it or not all art has rules (Golden Mean etc) so to ge the bike you want the smart way is begin with the bike you want. Not everything NEEDS to be chopped (or cafe'd, another meme resulting in many butchered mistakes). Lastly, go visit Chop Cult and Jockey Journal to learn classic chopper esthetics and tech info you won't get anywhere else.

Lmao. I won't fit on a sportster, but a xs 650 ya I can fit on that. 😂

U look like alex jones and ryan gosling had a baby

"Promosm" 🙈

CB750s are better than XS650s, they nearly killed Harley and there’s plenty of ways to chop em, if not thousands of dirt cheap survivor chops to modernize

Panheads are much cooler

MOTORS ARE ELECTRIC DUDE. ENGINE IS AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION. COME ON GREASE !

"Doesn't even own a shovel!" 😅

Sorry, you said in this video you're 5.10 feet tall by 190 pounds. 1,55 mt Am I right? Very interesting video! Thank you for this explanation. 👍