While I love all motorcycles, the sleek lines of a cafe racer, the versatility of a scrambler, choppers hold a special place in my heart. When the day is clear and there isn’t a specific reason for me to ride a specific bike, my go-to is always my chopper.
What defines a chopper is a topic hotly debated around every garage and bar counter. You know how it goes. But for me, the definition is literal: there has to be some significant modification to the frame, hence the name, Chopper. You have literally cut or chopped the frame. To me, the heart of a chopper is that unwavering, no-nonsense cut frame. I find nothing more aesthetically pleasing than a straight, unbroken line running from the rear axle, through the top tube of the frame, right up to the neck.
The builders featured on Bike EXIF consistently deliver machines that capture this spirit while pushing the envelope in engineering and style. Here are six of my favorite hardtail choppers that have graced Bike EXIF, machines that perfectly embody that defiant custom ethos.
Christian Newman’s Turbocharged Harley
If you ever needed proof that mechanical engineers moonlight as mad scientists, look no further than Christian Newman. Christian is a full-time engineer who channeled his love for finding complex solutions into this eye-popping, turbocharged Harley-Davidson chopper. This isn’t just a custom bike; it’s almost entirely scratch-built, even starting with a mere handful of parts from a 1939 Harley-Davidson Flathead motor and replacing nearly everything else.
The focus here is truly on the intricate details and the audacious use of forced induction. The engine is a Frankenstein masterpiece, mixing in modified Panhead cylinders, Evo pistons, custom Leibenweber cams, and one-off four-valve heads designed by Christian himself. Then there are the twin Garrett GT1241 turbos, mounted with hand-made stainless steel manifolds and charge pipes. It’s an insane application of performance tech to an old-school V-twin, and the rest of the bike is built to match: a custom-built, hand-polished single-loop stainless steel hardtail frame where the tubes cleverly double as oil lines. The front end is a scratch-fabricated stainless steel springer, making this machine as aesthetically clean as it is mechanically complex.
Newman’s genius is everywhere you look, from the Baker-cased four-speed transmission that’s been modified six ways to Sunday, to the rear brake lever that rotates backward to become the kickstart lever. This is pure, defiant chopper culture taken to a level of engineering excellence we rarely see. [MORE]
Nigel Petrie’s BMW R nineT Boxer
When Nigel Petrie, the master fabricator behind Engineered To Slide, received an R nineT Racer from BMW Motorrad, he did the only sensible thing: he kept the engine, the rear drive unit, and the brake, and threw the rest out. The result is this absolute head-scratcher of a machine—a slim, elegant chopper built around a modern BMW Boxer engine. It flies in the face of chopper tradition, and that’s why I love it.
The central challenge, and its ultimate triumph, was integrating the bulky Boxer twin and the shaft drive into a classic, skinny hardtail silhouette. Nigel achieved this with a custom chromoly frame that ‘hangs’ the engine and re-angles the stock transmission and drive shaft. The most striking element is that skeletal girder-style fork, constructed from Chromoly tube, with its highly innovative ‘spring’ made from five layers of baked carbon fiber prepreg. Rolling on a massive 22-inch front wheel and an 18-inch drag slick at the rear, the proportions are simultaneously historic and completely alien.
The factory ECU is gone, replaced by a Morris Magneto driven by dry-sump pulleys, giving it a motorsport look that perfectly fills the space. Custom billet alloy Smart Carbs replace the throttle bodies, and the entire control setup is simplified—including a heel-operated rear brake and clutch—to leave the hand-fabricated bars absolutely clean. Though travel restrictions sadly kept it from the Born Free show, this BMW chopper is a technical marvel that completely redefines what a custom machine can be. [MORE]
FKKMOTO’s Yamaha XS650
If a chopper is defined by minimalism, then FKKMOTO’s 1972 Yamaha XS650 is a masterclass in calculated subtraction. Built by Justin Kagy and Kieran Thompson, this bike is a beautiful contradiction: a vintage Japanese parallel twin wrapped in an attitude that’s pure, old-school outlaw.
The foundation is built for stance: the original back half was chopped off and replaced with a Voodoo Vintage MK21 hardtail kit, stretching the bike four inches and dropping it three. To compensate for the lack of a front brake, the rear wheel—a 16-inch Harley-Davidson Sportster item—runs a massive Tokico 6-piston caliper borrowed from a Hayabusa. Meanwhile, the engine was fully overhauled and runs a sleek, battery-less setup thanks to a Sparx capacitor and a single Mikuni VM36 carb feeding the twin via a 2-into-1 intake.
Driven by the builders’ “never-ending quest for clean bars,” they fabricated a unique handlebar-looking arm complete with a separate clutch lever to handle shifting duties. It’s a statement piece that immediately communicates the bike’s raw intent and perfectly complements the one-off ‘flying Vee’ handlebars. Finished in a sublime ‘Ford Brittany Blue’ paint with flawless lines and not a single unnecessary part, this XS650 is a testament to the power of a clean, well-proportioned chop. [MORE]
Prism Supply Co.’s Mary Kay Pink Evo
Sometimes you want a chopper that just works. That’s the core philosophy behind this sultry Harley-Davidson EVO chopper from the brothers at Prism Supply Co. The goal was simple but often elusive: combine a newer, reliable powertrain with a bike that looked like it was built in the ’60s, that you wouldn’t hesitate to take on a long trip. They delivered, and then some.
The build started with a dependable 1,340 cc Harley-Davidson Evolution V-twin engine lifted from a 1995 Softail. To get the perfect silhouette, they bolted that Evolution onto a Paughco hardtail frame, opting for just the right amount of rake and stretch, and finished it off with a classic V-Twin Manufacturing springer front end. Rolling on 21F/18R wheels and topped with a Lowbrow Customs tank, the geometry is spot on for a period-correct feel.
The real joy of a Prism bike is in the flawless execution of small, clever details. The bike uses an early prototype of Prism’s Quick Stick starter to start the bike, and Magic Box to clean up the wiring for the rear light. The paint, which features a matching pink frame and a subtle flame job on the tank, was the client’s request to stand out. And stand out it does! The road dirt and faded paint on the exhaust tips prove the best part: this chopper gets ridden a lot. As Hindes says: “ride ’em, don’t hide ’em.” [MORE]
Purpose Built Moto’s Performance XS650
Purpose Built Moto, led by Tom Gilroy, set the goal of achieving perfection with their Yamaha XS650 chopper, aiming for a fast-handling, performance chopper. The 18-month build allowed them to achieve that perfection by obsessing over every single detail.
The team started by stripping the frame, setting the frame’s neck to a sharp 27-degree rake, and fabricating a new hardtail section from chromoly tubing. They kept it narrow and compact, even shortening the wheelbase by two inches, a move essential for their performance goals. The engine received a major glow-up, too, with a Hoos Racing 700cc big-bore kit, performance cams, and a ported head, fed by a giant pair of Mikuni TM flatslide carbs.
Beyond the performance upgrades, it’s the details that truly shine. Up front are lowered 39mm Sportster forks with super-narrow Mullins Chain Drive yokes, running on bespoke 21F/19R Jonich wheels that allowed them to squeeze in a custom front brake setup. The cockpit runs low-rise, narrow mountain bike handlebars, custom-welded directly to the top yoke for a flawless finish. Weighing in at just 158 kilos (348 lbs), this build proves that a scratch-built hardtail, combined with meticulous attention to geometry and performance, can deliver a custom motorcycle that is both stunning and genuinely fun to ride. [MORE]
Robbie Palmer’s Sand-Cast Triumph
The choppers that come out of England often carry a certain elegance and resourcefulness that is unique to the island, and Robbie Palmer’s Triumph 6T Thunderbird—nicknamed ‘Dune’—is the definitive proof. What’s incredible about this build is not just the beautiful finished product, but the sheer dedication to fabrication: Robbie sculpted, and then sand-cast, many of the custom parts in his suburban back garden workshop.
Starting with a mixed-bag pre-unit Triumph from eBay, Robbie kept the original front frame loop but heavily modified the off-the-shelf hardtail section to ensure a perfect visual flow with a curved tube replacement and custom lugs.
Robbie’s build process is as much an art form as the finished bike. He sculpted parts like the fuel tank, primary cover, oil tank, and even the headlight body of clay, then cast them in his tiny shed. The result is a ’60s show bike’ aesthetic, heavily inspired by the era and builders like Mark Drews, but with unique, handmade textures and shapes that sheet metal simply can’t replicate. The tank and fender are not simply stock; they were cast in pieces and then welded back together, adding labor-intensive detail that no one had seen before. [MORE]
