Another Schwinn Chopper build

So far I've picked up a BMI peanut tank, Kalloy seat-post and a saddle and added a left-hand freewheel to the rear wheel and made use of the OEM 44t chainring. A full-coverage OEM rear-fender is in the mail as is a Hayes V9 9" brake rotor for the front.

The rotor is gonna be a bit tricky since the front fork on these things comes down where the rotor needs to be. I'm not gonna be able to simply build a disc-brake wheel to suit my needs like I did with my cruiser, I'm going to have to modify the OEM hub to accommodate a rotor while maintaining clearance with the fork.

 

[RallySTX]

The only other option I can see is to search for a Schwinn Spoiler, and if you can get one cheap enough, to nab the front end off that. I've seen them for as low as $500 for a good one. I wouldn't worry about the angle they posted, just how your bike works. I guss the custom tree option is the one that makes the best sense. Unless you are willing to wait for Choppers.us to restock their supply. I would send them an email or call if needed to get a reply about how long that would take. Don't give up on your plan without a fight. I've been plugging away at mine now for over a year, and still have another year to go, before it will be finished. I just hope I still have legs to ride it with when it's done. Swelling in my feet now, and I hope it's just minor.
Gotta see the doc on Monday. If things go bad, mabye I'll send ya my bike.
Brian L.

 

[Cavi Mike]

I was originally looking for a Spoiler but they're few and far between, ridiculously overpriced and still would require modifcation.

$1,000? Really? Even if it had an engine already I wouldn't pay that.
http://rochester.craigslist.org/bik/2704122785.html

I can't allow the build to take too long. It will at least be rideable come spring and necessary modifications will be subsequent. I also have to keep costs down or else I'm going to regret the build; the more money and time I spend on this build, the more I think it should be a real chopper. I'm not sure I even want to tally what I've already spent. (A lot of parts I've bought aren't here yet or built like wheels, bars and risers, front brake and levers, so they're not pictured). I've also decided to start using real motorcycle parts to help offset the regret like the risers and bars and hand controls. I can use them on a real chopper if I ever decide to.

As far as yours not being done yet, I hope you figure out what you need to do, it seems like a waste if you never finish it. Good luck with the doc.

 

[Cavi Mike]

Finally got to my front wheel. Unfortunately there wasn't an option of a gold freewheel-type wheel so I had to buy a coaster wheel AND a chrome freewheel-style wheel and steal the hub from it. 140 spokes from bicycledesigner.com.

I covered the center of the hub with mirror-gold vinyl and fortunately you can't really tell the flanges of the hub are chrome. Surprisingly, the wheel wasn't hard to build at all, just very time-consuming. It took about an hour to disassemble both wheels and a little over 2 hours putting the gold wheel back together. I spent maybe 45mins truing it.

Then I bought the BIGGEST friggin' brake disc I could find: Hayes V9 9" rotor, and the adapter...

And voila, an obnoxiously in-your-face front wheel.

 

[Cavi Mike]

Oh, and for comparison: 180mm disc vs. the V9. HUGE.

 

[RallySTX]

Just got off the phone with Choppers.us. He said they will have new springer forks in after the holidays. He also said he builds wide rims with disk brake hubs. I was interested in them until I saw his prices. Looks like I'm gonna be fine, and a harness for my Spoiler is due to arrive today! Spent three days in the hospital with a huge clot in my leg, but now I'm back to walking about town! Golly, I like the way your front end looks. I saw Spoilers for sale for less than $500, a while back. I'm planning to give away a OCC stingray for Christmas, that I put $250 into. Merry Christmas.
Brian L.

 

[Cavi Mike]

I decided to just make a new bottom tree, I can't justify spending another $300 no matter how good those forks would look. My math says I need about 10* rake in the trees to get my trail where it should be so that's what I'm shooting for.

Thanks for the compliments, congrats on the good news and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

[Cavi Mike]

I think this is what I'm going to do for the bottom tree. I posted a picture of the top tree for comparison.

 

[RallySTX]

Don't forget to cut and drill/tap the green one so you can tighten things up when assembly is done. Nice three dimensional sketch there. You may need to angle the two upper fork holes outward to facilitate the rake without putting stress on the tubes.
Brian L.

 

[Cavi Mike]

Yeah that's just the first operation, I'm gonna tilt it 10* to finish those bores. I have to do the same thing to modify the top tree. I'll just put it on its side to cut the slit and drill/tap/c'bore the holes for the cap screws.

Hand controls got here! I wasn't gonna put stuff together until I had everything I ordered but they're just too pretty. Waiting on grips and the throttle. The anodize doesn't match on the reservoir but I think I'm gonna take all of that stuff off, the tiny brake on a bicycle doesn't need that much extra fluid.(I'm running an Avid Juicy hydraulic front brake, can be seen in a previous image) $87 on eBay! I don't know what I'd do without eBay sometimes, you can find anything on there.

 

[suitcasejefferson]

I found a used Spoiler for $500, and the guy still has a brand new one still in the box for $1000. Are the Spoilers better quality than the OCC bikes? I was not impressed with the quality of the OCC bike. I bought one back when they first came out, just to play with. I never put a motor on it. I put really tall ape hangers on it, and made the seatpost longer. That gave me room to fit on it, but the seat being so high ruined the chopper look. I rode it around for awhile, and decided it was just too flimsy for my 230+ (at the time) pounds, so I sold it to a coworker to give to his 10 year old son. I didn't realize they were going to stop making them so soon, and they would be so sought after. But the OCC bike was marketed as a kids bike, while the Spoiler, which had an MSRP of around $600 when it came out, was designed as an adult bike.

I have been keeping my eye out for a used Giant Stiletto, because Staton makes a kit for them. Will be my luck that just as soon as I find one, Staton will discontinue the kit.