If you are preparing to build a custom motorcycle and would like someone to hold your hand and guide you around some of the pitfalls, the $25 you spend for the 144-page book, How to Build a Cheap Chopper, is probably a great investment.
Author Remus addresses many of the issues you need to confront, from basics like choosing the proper fasteners and complementary brake components, to how to adjust frame and steering geometry so you don't end up with an unmanageable ride, and registering and insuring the final result. He offers advice on where to shop (for example, buy as much as possible from one local shop that you can then turn to for advice) to engine choice ( e.g., a Buell is a better engine than a comparable Sportster).
Though he admits that "cheap" is in the eye (or wallet) of the beholder, he does look at ways to hold down the costs of your project. Remus reckons that a metric-based chopper can be built for under $5000. Two of the six chapters (which comprise about two-thirds of the book) that look at individual projects from start to finish, deal with metric bikes, a Honda 750 and a Kawasaki Z-1. The rest cover Harley Sportsters or Big Twins.
Although How to Build a Cheap Chopper doesn't provide directions on every skill you'll need, it will get you started, and many of the missing info—such as welding, sheet metal fabrication, and painting—are covered in Remus' other books from Wolfgang Publications.
Resource
Wolfgang Publications, Inc.
217 2nd St. N
Stillwater, MN 55082
(651) 275-9411
www.wolfgangpublications.com
For additional evaluations of, comparisons of, and shopping advice for motorcycle gear and accessories, see the Accessories and Gear section of MotorcycleCruiser.com.