Hahah dreamers...........

[Claviger]

Dave, that chopper... I'm not a "squeeze a v8 into a motorcycle" guy, but I do love that hardtail chopper!

 

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

I been alternating rides between the BH and the Rocket when the rides are typically more than 200 miles long. I like the both of them for cruising, especially when packing my wife. Each one has its high points and they are both pretty fast while still being comfortable.

 

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

Dave, that chopper... I'm not a "squeeze a v8 into a motorcycle" guy, but I do love that hardtail chopper!

The all time most fun bike I've ever had is the Chopper, its also the most useless. Its the fastest bike I've ever ridden, it never has its tongue hanging out as it can not be strained, the motor thinks its on an engine stand. It handles on twisties worse than any bike I ever rode but its still not terrible, its just no Ducati. Its not to good for long distances but it can be done. It has no windshield or bags for storage and its a rigid frame but its so much fun to ride that you forget about all of those things. It sounds better than any bike or car, it sounds like a rail job, it has no baffles. Not so great on your ears after an hour but you still keep smiling. You twist the throttle, no clutch and hang on, it goes as fast or slow as you want, its geared for about 160 mph top end with only a high gear and a torque converter, no need for a low gear as it will burn the tire with the with the gear it has. It gets about 19 miles per gallon and it needs premium, race gas is even better and it smells good too. Your wallet gets lighter every time you leave a light. Rear tires can be a memory in short notice if you want to have the most fun. It does not do wheelies just spins the tire and starts to come sideways but is easily controllable due to the length. Where ever its ridden it becomes the attraction even for those that hate it. Its a super high quality build so its impossible to pick it apart mechanically. I don't ride it as much as I used to but whenever I do I feel like a kid again, its the only bike I ever had that makes me feel like I'm about 19 again and immortal. It never breaks or leaks, its crude, no computers or ABS or anything modern, just 400 under stressed horsepower between two wheels ready to thrill with a flick of the wrist. Its also the rarest bike I ever had, I've never seen another one on the road.

 

[grampi]

Gary's 140 ci. S&S motor would be about 200Hp. to the wheel. I guess if the people who built that thing did a better job of frame work or had the ability to keep the chassis torque to a minimum, then maybe you could ride it hard with out fearing for your life

It was called "The 140 Tribute Bike". 100 years of Harley Davison and 40 years of S&S motors, I think he paid about $65K for that thing.

The sound that came from that motor was like standing next o a Funny Car when he started it just at idle it would shake your insides. You did not want to be anywhere rear of that bike when he hit the throttle

This is a pic of that thing

I have a hard time believing that motor makes that much power without some form of forced induction, and even if it does, it certainly wouldn't be reliable...

 

[Steel]

The all time most fun bike I've ever had is the Chopper, its also the most useless. Its the fastest bike I've ever ridden, it never has its tongue hanging out as it can not be strained, the motor thinks its on an engine stand. It handles on twisties worse than any bike I ever rode but its still not terrible, its just no Ducati. Its not to good for long distances but it can be done. It has no windshield or bags for storage and its a rigid frame but its so much fun to ride that you forget about all of those things. It sounds better than any bike or car, it sounds like a rail job, it has no baffles. Not so great on your ears after an hour but you still keep smiling. You twist the throttle, no clutch and hang on, it goes as fast or slow as you want, its geared for about 160 mph top end with only a high gear and a torque converter, no need for a low gear as it will burn the tire with the with the gear it has. It gets about 19 miles per gallon and it needs premium, race gas is even better and it smells good too. Your wallet gets lighter every time you leave a light. Rear tires can be a memory in short notice if you want to have the most fun. It does not do wheelies just spins the tire and starts to come sideways but is easily controllable due to the length. Where ever its ridden it becomes the attraction even for those that hate it. Its a super high quality build so its impossible to pick it apart mechanically. I don't ride it as much as I used to but whenever I do I feel like a kid again, its the only bike I ever had that makes me feel like I'm about 19 again and immortal. It never breaks or leaks, its crude, no computers or ABS or anything modern, just 400 under stressed horsepower between two wheels ready to thrill with a flick of the wrist. Its also the rarest bike I ever had, I've never seen another one on the road.

You had me sold until you said no wheelies.
I've wanted to ride one since I first heard about them. Now I'd like to meet up with one at a red light, to see how my little 2.3 liter would stack up against a monster motor like that.

 

[sonny]

The 140 cubic inch S&S Engine is performance engine only. S&S makes no claims that the engine is reliable. Matter of fact they clearly state that it is for performance only and is not recommended for every day riding.

 

[joey fletcher]

Grampi

Just from the seat of my pants it is real close to 200 or more Hp. Maybe I will try to look up the spec. on the S&S 140 engine.

If the motorcycle would have ran half way straight down the road I am sure it would have dusted my Ol Rocket. In 3rd. and 4 gear I was pulling just about as hard as I could pull with my left hand and pushing very hard with my right hand, trying not to let off the throttle. I found it very hard to stay in my lane under full power.

Oops....I called it wrong.....It is called a 145 Tribute Bike

145 ci. S&S engine

 

[grampi]

Grampi

Just from the seat of my pants it is real close to 200 or more Hp. Maybe I will try to look up the spec. on the S&S 140 engine.

If the motorcycle would have ran half way straight down the road I am sure it would have dusted my Ol Rocket. In 3rd. and 4 gear I was pulling just about as hard as I could pull with my left hand and pushing very hard with my right hand, trying not to let off the throttle. I found it very hard to stay in my lane under full power.

Oops....I called it wrong.....It is called a 145 Tribute Bike

145 ci. S&S engine

I'd like to know how they get that much power from a naturally aspirated long stroke twin...I also wonder how it would compare in terms of straight line acceleration to something like a 2nd gen Vmax or a ZX-14...

 

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

Grampi

Just from the seat of my pants it is real close to 200 or more Hp. Maybe I will try to look up the spec. on the S&S 140 engine.

If the motorcycle would have ran half way straight down the road I am sure it would have dusted my Ol Rocket. In 3rd. and 4 gear I was pulling just about as hard as I could pull with my left hand and pushing very hard with my right hand, trying not to let off the throttle. I found it very hard to stay in my lane under full power.

Oops....I called it wrong.....It is called a 145 Tribute Bike

145 ci. S&S engine

I don't think the horsepower or torque had anything to do with it pulling to the right. The torque is parallel to the frame in a Vee Twin with a belt drive. I have 3 times the torque of that bike and the torque is at a right angle to the frame and its still undetectable once the bike is moving.

 

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

You had me sold until you said no wheelies.
I've wanted to ride one since I first heard about them. Now I'd like to meet up with one at a red light, to see how my little 2.3 liter would stack up against a monster motor like that.

Actually the 2.3 would stack up pretty good leaving the line and for the first 100 or 200 feet but after that its all over. If you have a Carpenter bike you might win. The beauty of the Chopper is that its always like a Carpenter bike with twice the torque but its not hopped up. Its just a 350 Chevy ZZ4 crate motor, like an older corvette. Its just proof that nothing can compare with cubic inches, thats why our 140 cu inch Rockets are so impressive, they are the biggest engines in any mass produced bike. The problem is as the engine gets bigger so does everything else. A small engine can be made to put out incredible horsepower but at the expense of engine life and reliability and a narrow hp/torque range. The Rocket is a compromise, large reliable motor with good power and torque, yet still light enough to handle decently.