Mini Choppers are scaled-down versions of custom-built motorcycles known as

choppers Chopper may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Chopper (comics), ''Chopper'' (comics), a horror comic book mini-series * Chopper (film), ''Chopper'' (film), a 2000 Australian film by and about Mark "Chopper" Read * Chopper (Judge Dredd), Chopper ...

. Commercially available Mini Choppers are available from various retailers, some utilizing similar production methods to

Minibike A minibike is a two-wheeled, motorized, off-highway recreational vehicle popularized in the 1960s and 1970s, but available continuously from a wide variety of manufacturers since 1959. Their off-highway nature and (in many countries) typically enti ...

s, while others use Scooter,

Moped A moped ( ) is a type of small motorcycle, generally having a less stringent licensing requirement than full motorcycles or automobiles. The term used to mean a similar vehicle except with both bicycle pedals and a motorcycle engine. Mopeds typic ...

sourced parts/engines. Custom Mini Choppers are generally constructed from 1" steel tubing or 3/4" steel black pipe. The tube or pipe is bent and then welded together to get the desired angles and shapes of the frame. Mini choppers use a variety of engines. One of the most popular is a

Base 50 A Base 50 engine is a generic term for engines that are Reverse engineering, reverse-engineered from the Honda air-cooled four-stroke Single-cylinder engine, single cylinder engine. Honda first offered these engines in 1958, on their Honda Sup ...

engine, a generic term for Imported single cylinder horizontal 50cc to 140cc 4-stroke engines derived from Honda's line of small motorcycle engines. 50cc (actually 49.5cc) engines offer the advantage of being classified as a Moped or Scooter engine, and many municlities do not require a specific motorcycle license to operate a vehicles with engines sizes of less than 50cc. Larger, vertical engines up to 250cc, developed for the ATV and motorcycle market are also used. These engines are

Unit construction : ''For the vehicle design where the vehicle's skin is used as a load-bearing element, see Monocoque.'' Unit construction is the design of larger motorcycles where the engine and gearbox components share a single casing. This sometimes includes ...

, allowing for traditional multi-speed transmissions, and may feature either a semi-auto or fully manual transmission. Before the prevalence of inexpensive Chinese engines, industrial

Briggs & Stratton Briggs & Stratton Corporation is an American manufacturer of gasoline engines with headquarters in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Engine production averages 10 million units per year as of April 2015. The company reports that it has 13 large facilit ...

Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands. A persuasive orator, Tecumseh traveled widely, forming a Native American confederacy and ...

horizontal engines with

Centrifugal clutch A centrifugal clutch is an automatic clutch that uses centrifugal force to operate. The output shaft is disengaged at low rotational speed and engages more as speed increases. It is often used in mopeds, underbones, lawn mowers, go-karts, chainsaws ...

es or

Continuously Variable Transmission A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is an automatic transmission that can change seamlessly through a continuous range of gear ratios. This contrasts with other transmissions that provide a limited number of gear ratios in fixed steps. T ...

were more commonly used to transmit power to the rear wheel. This was similar to

s or

Go-kart A go-kart, also written as go-cart (often referred to as simply a kart), is a type of sports car, close wheeled car, open-wheel car or quadracycle. Go-karts come in all shapes and forms, from non-motorised models to high-performance Kart rac ...

s, and were often not street legal without modification, due to emissions. Mini Choppers often use

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...

moped A moped ( ) is a type of small motorcycle, generally having a less stringent licensing requirement than full motorcycles or automobiles. The term used to mean a similar vehicle except with both bicycle pedals and a motorcycle engine. Mopeds typic ...

or small motorcycle wheels with

pneumatic tire A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which ...

s. Typical sizes range from 6" to 12". Full-size motorcycle wheels and tires are also used, but generally require larger engines to have the power to function adequately. To operate on the road, Mini Choppers will require necessary lighting and brakes to be street legal.

Legality

In the US Mini choppers are not legal in all states. In Pennsylvania, a vehicle with 1.6 to 5 horsepower is a motor-driven cycle; while anything exceeding 5 horsepower is defined as a motorcycle. Both require inspections and adhesion to DOT laws. Vehicles that are built with engines of less than 50cc, 1.6hp and do not exceed 25mph do not require an inspection. When you purchase a kit, or retail Mini Chopper intended for street use, it should be accompanied by a title, or a Manufactures Statement of Origin (MSO). If you custom build a mini chopper, you will need to adhere to local laws regarding acquiring a title.

References

External links

* {{Types of motorcycles Chopper motorcycles Minibikes Motorcycle customization

Legality

See also

References

External links