I need Help...Proper Chopper or not

[Cornelius]

Hi All,

New to the Forum here. Now on to my problem.

I am an older guy, grew up riding and fell out of it for a long time. I have the urge to get back out again and start riding.

I have found a 2005 Proper Chopper, it is the style of bike I have been looking for now for a while. It has the S&S 107ci in it, not sure about tranny yet.

I am reading in the forums that there are likers and haters of this brand.

I really need some input here guys. Some of the statements were about insurance and title for the bikes.

Anything will help here guys, help me out on this one cause I am lost.

Cornelius

[Captain America]

Welcome to CC!....I have no direct experience with a Proper Chopper but they are listed on KBB which means the tile and insurance will be a snap. You will just have to come to an "agreed value" of the bike with your agent.

[fuzzman]

I am also new to the forum and an older guy!! Anyway, I have experience with S&S motors, IMHO you can't go wrong with that motor. Don't know how old you are but I would suggest a swingarm or softail cuz, you want it comfortable for the ol' bones from personal experience..just sayin!

[pushrod243]

Welcome to CC! I am not familiar with the Proper Chopper but so many have come and gone if its in good shape and has a quality foundation (frames and drivetrain) and you are willing to work the bugs out of it because they all have a few. Go for it its a buyers market so keep that in mind when you consider pricing......

[Cornelius]

All,

Thanks for the input. It is a hardtail, but I am planing on putting a springer seat to take up some of the jarring. Gotta have pain with beauty I guess.

I am pretty sure I am going to go with the chopper, just gotta have it I guess.

Thanks for the input all, I will keep you all posted

Cornelius

[#1gunnman]

Im new too, but i have an 05 Bobber 357 with a 113. I absolutely LOVE it!! No problem with any paperwork at all. Title went through just fine. Reg was a snap. And insurance was affordable. I am slowly learning that the bikes are all a mis match of aftermarket parts. I recently went to LSR and was run over by an SUV. I cant find anything on replacement parts. At least, I cant find anything on cross reference or parts.

[Rockhewer]

I rode a Proper Chopper back in '05 ..... just a test ride so I really didn't get to know it all that well.... but it felt like it was pretty well put together, as far as handling & such.
S&S motor is top notch. But they, like anything, are not totally bulletproof. Hopefully it was broken in properly.
Condition of the bike & mileage will have a lot of influence on the value obviously.... point being... if it was owned by a weekend rider, who didn't really ride it (& there are a lot of those) it should be fine.
Not sure what trans they used either... might be "TrickShift" ....shouldn't have problems with that.

Originally Posted by #1gunnman

I am slowly learning that the bikes are all a mis match of aftermarket parts. I recently went to LSR and was run over by an SUV. I cant find anything on replacement parts. At least, I cant find anything on cross reference or parts.

I wouldn't call it a "mis match" but yeah it's all aftermarket stuff.... which is good cause if it had a lot of propriotary shit, that would be harder to replace.
The "cross reference" is about as simple as it gets:.... '84 - '99 HD ..... Evo style drivetrain...... piece o' cake!

& rest assured.... anything that needs fixed.... if you are even moderately compitent with a wrench.... post a picture of it here & plenty of guys will help you figure it out.

Go for it Cornelius!

[chopperjeff]

I love choppers, and purchased a very slightly used 2006 Proper Chopper 300RS a couple years ago. It had 800 miles on it when I bought it, and it now has just over 26,000 miles. I love the looks of it, and it handles well, but I'm getting sick and tired of the BS! A few months after I bought it, the transmission seals went bad, and needed replacement, which I had the dealer do. Then within the first year, the regulator fell off due to the POS thin sheet metal bracket that cracked. The front forks began leaking within about 6 months of ownership. The bike also pings like crazy, so I suspect the thing isn't jetted right. The tranny also likes to slip into neutral on occasions when shifting into the higher gears (ie: 2nd or 3rd). The rear tire is also too close to the left rear tail light bolt, causing the tire to rub against the wires going into the hollow bolt, resulting in the wire shorting out. Needed to fix that by cutting a slot in the bolt in order it route the wire thru it to avoid the tire. On top of all this, I just discovered that the manual is totally useless concerning the checking, and draining of the tranny fluid. It states that in order to check the fluid level, you just need to check the dipstick. Turns out there is no damn dipstick. The top "bolt" is pretty much just a drain plug. Then they say that the drain plug is located above the exhaust bracket. Uh, nope, it isn't! It seems pretty clear to me at this point that the idiots of Proper Chopper did not know how to build a bike! Maybe in my old age I just want things to work, but on the other hand, am I really asking too much for people to build a bike with the proper jetting, a regulator bracket that is more that a thin piece of sheet meter, a properly aligned rear tire that avoids rubbing wires, and a manual that actually matches the bike? Oh well, I guess that's what I get for actually riding the thing! Silly me!
Just really pisses me off. Didn't know I was basically purchasing a project bike.

[chopperjeff]

Oh, I forgot two things from my previous post. As nice as the paint job is on the bike, it was obviously done incorrectly. A few months after buying the bike, the rear fender devoloped what looked like small holes in the paint, as if someone took shots at it with a pellet gun. Had a guy repaint the area (by the way, EXCELLENT guy. His shop is called Riff Raff customs). Then, about 6 months later, the gas tank devoloped huge cracks in the paint around the gas cap. Obviously the morons who painted the bike didn't prep the bike properly, or whatever.
The other item is the starter. Every so often, perhaps 1 out of 10 or so starts, It would crank OK, then suddenly stop, with a loud clunk. Replaced the battery and starter, which helped, but within a few weeks it began doing it again. Also, in about 1 out of 30 starts, once the start button is pressed, the starter would just spin like crazy for about a second, then would engage. One mechanic thought it could be due to the starter not being aligned correctly.

Sorry for all the bashing of my bike. I really do like choppers, but it really annoys the crap out of me to have a bike with so many issues. I know, I know... I should just get it all fixed and move on, and shut up. Just really needed to vent. At this point, the 2014 Victory Jackpot may be closer in my future than I first thought.

[67camaro]

If I buy an aftermarket springer for a harley , will it fit a proper chopper 357?

[Spade115]

It Should be 1'' neck, Just make sure its the right length you need.