Atomic Zombie's Chop This! Volume 1 This is the ultimate guide to chopping just about any bike into a defiant, twisted creation. With 10 complete chopper projects, each fully detailed during every stage of the build, this CD will show you how to become a chopper building guru. There are over 350 high resolution photos of every step of the building process - no guesswork, or confusing explanations. This CD shows you how to create your own chopper from just about any old bike by showing you how I did it. There is a radical assortment of bikes on this disc, ranging from kids chops to full size street worthy machines. PC compatible CD ROM opens in any Browser |
Presenting A Complete Preview Project From Brad Graham's New CD-Media Do-It-Yourself Bike Construction Manual: |
What do you do with that old skool 1980's BMX bike hanging in the corner of your garage? Maybe paint it back up, build a half pipe in your driveway, and start impressing the neighbors? Maybe not. How about turning that dead weight into a cool chopper? Now that's a good plan. Can a dilapidated BMX become a chopper you ask? Hey, I can turn a baby carriage into a chopper, and if it can be welded, it can be chopped! Besides, that rear mag wheel (5 spoke wheel) matches a smaller mag wheel from an old kids bike I have in the scrap pile, so the ideas are already flying - let's start cutting. |
Photo 001 - Remember "Radical Rick"? If so, you're too old! This old BMX is in such rough state, you would think I found it underwater! Well, that's not too far off, it was laying at the dump in a mud puddle, and probably sat in some dudes back yard for the last 15 years. No big deal, the rear mag wheel is still functional, and the rust is only in the chain and bearings - east to fix that. The old skool BMX (Photo 001), would make a fine chop, if I played my cards right. |
Photo 002 - BMX dissection. Considering the amount of rust on the bike, I was surprised at how well it came apart (Photo 002). In fact, besides the chain, most of the components cleaned right up. I got rid of the front wheel and replaced it with a smaller mag wheel from a kids' bike that somewhat matched the design of the original BMX rear mag wheel. |
Photo 003 - Cut the rear triangle from the frame. To make this old frame look a lot less like a BMX bike and much more like a chopper, the rear triangle is cut from the frame at the seat tube (Photo 003). It will be inverted and welded back on, radically changing the dynamics of the frame in two simple cuts and welds. Cut the tubing as close to the bottom bracket and seat tube as possible. |
Photo 004 - Rear triangle inversion. Look at how much inverting the rear triangle transforms this frame! The bike is more laid back, the head tube is higher, and the rake is increased (Photo 004). It will now be easy to extend the front forks without placing the bottom bracket too high in the air. |
Photo 005 - A frame transformed The newly transformed frame (Photo 005), loses most of its BMX look, and becomes a laid back chopper frame. Sometimes the simplest changes can make a world of difference to a bicycle. When welding the rear triangle back into position, make sure it is aligned properly (as viewed form the top), or you will be riding down the street like a sidewinder. Fully weld around all the tubing and then clean up the welds with your grinder. |
Photo 006 - Cutting the stem for the forks. Instead of extending each leg of the original forks, only the head tube will be modified by inserting a length of 1-inch conduit in between the fork top and stem. The stem is cut as close to the fork top as possible (Photo 006), leaving enough of the wider part of the stem for welding and reinstallation of the bearing ring. Make sure to knock the bearing ring off before cutting or welding, as it would be easily damaged if hit with the grinder disc or welding rod. |
Photo 007 - Fork stem extension. This mono-tube fork extension, is an easy way to get some length on those forks, and only requires a few feet of extra tubing. The completed forks (photo 007) should be straight and parallel, and the welding should be done all the way around both joints to ensure strength. You may have to grind the top weld down a little bit in order to slide the bearing ring over the joint to put it back in place. Do not take too much of the weld metal off, just enough to get the ring in place. |
Photo 008 - Installing the forks and wheels. Look at the rise on that frame! Although the head tube is way up there, the bottom bracket remains in a position similar to that of the original frame (photo 008). If the rear triangle were not inverted, the bottom bracket and seat tube would be pushed so far back, that an instant wheelie would occur by just sitting on the bike. |
Photo 009 - Un-BMXing the handlebars. To make use of the original handlebars, the cross-bar is cut away, and a few inches of width are taken out as well (Photo 009). The handlebars are transformed from the BMX world into the chopper world this way. Grind away the sharp edges from where the cross-bar was cut. |
Photo 010 - Getting it all together. The Wizard is assembled one last time before painting, to make sure everything is going to work properly (Photo 010). The BMX seat was replaced in preference for a banana seat in order to give the rider a little more leg room. BMX frames are notorious for having stupidly long curved seat posts that bend like wet noodles rather than lengthening the seat tubes - a style thing, I guess. I did not want a 3-foot long seat post, so the banana seat was a good alternative due to its length. |
Photo 011 - The Wizard, painted and completed. The black plastic front mag wheel was spray painted white in order to match the rear wheel, and the frame was done in yellow with deep red accents (Photo 011). The final product turned out quite well, and it's hard to see the original BMX bike anywhere in this laid back chop. |
Photo 012 - Elizabeth posing it up with the Wizard. Elizabeth strikes a pose with the Wizard chopper (Photo 012). The bike made a large transformation from its original state, considering only 4 welds were made. The mag wheels really gave some unique style to the bike as well. |
Photo 013 -The Wizard on its maiden voyage. The chopper rode perfectly on its first test run (Photo 013). The project was a complete success and it turned a rusty old junk BMX into a sleek uniquely styled chopper. Proof again, that the original bike is not important, only the fusion of imagination and a little hard work. |
Atomic Zombie's Chop This! Volume 1 This is the ultimate guide to chopping just about any bike into a defiant, twisted creation. With 10 complete chopper projects, each fully detailed during every stage of the build, this CD will show you how to become a chopper building guru. There are over 350 high resolution photos of every step of the building process - no guesswork, or confusing explanations. This CD shows you how to create your own chopper from just about any old bike by showing you how I did it. There is a radical assortment of bikes on this disc, ranging from kids chops to full size street worthy machines. PC compatible CD ROM opens in any Browser |
