Bigdogchopper

BIGDOG CHOPPER

RIDES 2K3

Plus-size custom

MATTHEW MILES

GOTTA HAND IT TO BIG DOG, THE WICHITA, Kansas-based custom-builder, for sticking it out in what has become a harsh climate for the once-ballooning Harley-clone market. Founded in 1994 by camping-gear heir Sheldon Coleman, the privately owned company boasts a six-bike model line that includes the new-for-'03 Chopper featured here.

The $25,900 Chopper, with its radical 40-degree rake, thundenng 107-cubic-inch S&S V-Twin and enormous 250mm-wide rear tire, is a 21st-century take on the stretched rigids of the 1960s. As produc tion bikes go, it's the only one of its kind.

Why a chopper? "People kept bugging us to build a chopper," explains Nick Messer, Big Dog presi dent. "And fat-tired bikes sell."

Unlike the outfit's other models-the identically powered Boxer, Bulldog, Husky, Mastiff and Pitbull-the Chopper isn't named for a breed of canine "Hey, Chopper is a good dog name, `jokes Messer "Senously, we tossed around all sorts of names-K-9, Jackal But nothing fit as well as `Chopper'."

Big Dog (www.bigdogmotorcycles.com) currently employs 225 people producing 300 bikes per month. Over the years, the company has learned its lessons the hard way. Much of its components used to be purchased from the Harley aftermarket. Now, nearly all are proprietary in a bid to rid the company of the tough-to-ditch "clone" moniker. R&D is now in-house, and a temp room simulates from -20 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. "We don't trust anyone's word on anything anymore," says Messer. "We test everything." A new diagnostics-capable ECU, starter circuit and sim plified wiring harness are among the many largely unseen changes that have helped drop warranty claims to an all-time low. Baker six-speed trans missions and Big Dog-specific Works Perfor mance shocks are other across-the-line updates. For the moment, all Big Dogs are carbureted, but fuel-injection is in development.

We'd like to tell you exactly how much horse power and torque the air-cooled V-Twin makes, but the 77.7-inch-wheelbase Chopper wouldn't fit on our Dynojet dyno. Our last Big Dog, a 2000 Husky XT boastmg identical displacement, churned out 97 bhp and 105 ft.-lbs, and posted a 12.19-second quar ter-mile run. The 606-pound Chopper fared similar ly at the strip, laying down a 12.17-second time.

With its 25-inch seat height, the Chopper sits low, though sub-6-footers may have trouble toeing the billet foot controls. Thanks to that massive chunk of rubber out back, steering is ridiculously heavy, like playing spin the bottle with an anvil. Turns, lefts in particular, must be taken with care, as cornering clearance is negligible. As for engine vibration, think pre-Twin Cam 88B Softail. The ride is firm, just short ofjarring, the bike's under engine shocks giving 3 inches of appreciated wheel travel. Less good are the rear-view mirrors, which are large but equipped with toy-like glass, rendering them all but useless at speed. At least the LED brake lights/turnsignals cast quite a glow.

Everything evens out at stoplights, where all eyes are on the fibergiass-fendered Chopper. Jaws drop. Children point. Middle-aged fathers in minivans give you the thumbs-up. In fact, unlike other Big Dogs, this bike does its best work at a stand still, where onlookers can appreciate its sheer span and the largely impressive attention to detail. Sure, third-gear roll-ons are a blast, but kicked-back at the local ride-in with a burger in one hand and a Coke in the other, you're a star. Jesse James, eat your heart out.