Ever wonder where the name “chopper” came from?  Want to learn a bit about how that quintessential image of hardcore bikes got its start?  I just stumbled across a useful short history of the chopper motorcycle. 

I’ve read more than one book on the subject, and have been into them since I saw my first one as a youngster in the early 80s.  So it’s nice to see a decent Cliff Notes style summary the chopper ‘movement’.

Here’s a sample from the article:

1. History of Choppers
   

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3. Upon returning from World War II, soldiers seemed dissatisfied with the motorcycles that were being built by Harley-Davidson and Indian. The bikes they had rode in Europe were lighter, sleeker, and were much more fun to ride.
   

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5. These vets started to hang out with other ex-soldiers to relive some of the camaraderie they had felt in the service. These groups of buddies realized that their motorcycles needed changes that Harley was not providing.
   

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7. These new "bikers" (another new term at the time) started their "chopping" by removing or shortening (bobbing) the fenders on their bikes. This made the bikes look cool and uncluttered. They originally called the new chopped bikes "Bobbers". The bikes kept evolving through the 60's and in the 70's and they started to call them "Choppers". In 1969 the movie "Easy Rider" was released which brought the Chopper into the public eye. That movie set into motion the wave of cool Choppers and Chopper builders that we see today. People wanted a Chopper and nobody was building them so they had to go build them themselves.
   

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9. Just what is a Chopper? ...
   

You can read the rest over at Choppers.com.