Choppers: Heavy Metal Art (Hardcover)

by Michael Lichter (Author) "Colorado's Arlin Fatland has what you might call a wicked sense of humor..." (more)
Key Phrases: chopper builders, building choppers, custom choppers, Rigid Engine, Softail-type Engine, Panhead Date Photographed (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Military Writers Society of America Web site, May 2006 (circ. unavailable)

“Sometimes you see a book cover that jumps right out at you and grabs your fullest attention … This is the case for a great book for teenage boys called Choppers.”

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
When a motorcycle has been built from the ground up, stripped of anything not needed for speed, power, and striking looks, and draped in rich colors and chrome, it has been transformed into a chopper. What was once considered an outlaw ride has now become a luxury item and a mainstream obsession. In Choppers: Heavy Metal Art, author and biker Mike Seate explores the many styles of choppers and bobbers and the builders behind them. The book is divided into several sections based on style or type of chopper, with each section devoted to the builders who follow a similar style and philosophy. Some builders are established names in their field, while others are up-and-comers rocking the chopper world with their far-out ideas and new spins on a classic style. Photographer Michael Lichter, who has photographed choppers for Easyriders and several other magazines for nearly three decades, provides stunning studio images of the featured machines as well as portraits of their creators.

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Product Details Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: Motorbooks; 1st edition (November 21, 2004) Language: English ISBN-10: 0760320535 ISBN-13: 978-0760320532 Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 10.8 x 1.1 inches Shipping Weight: 5.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #382,969 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #43 in  Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Motorcycles > Pictorial

Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Colorado's Arlin Fatland has what you might call a wicked sense of humor. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
chopper builders, building choppers, custom choppers, custom motorcycles, young guns, custom bikes

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Rigid Engine, Softail-type Engine, Panhead Date Photographed, Paul Yaffe, South Dakota, Donnie Smith, Camel Roadhouse, Flying Pan, Indian Larry, Swingarm-type Engine, World War

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 1 book:

• Indian Larry by Timothy White in Front Matter

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Ultimate V-Twin Motorcycle Chassis by Timothy Remus Discusses: chopper builders custom motorcycles custom bikes Art of the Chopper by Tom Zimberoff Discusses: chopper builders building choppers custom choppers How to Build a West Coast Chopper Kit Bike by Mike Seate Discusses: chopper builders building choppers custom choppers Atomic Zombie's Bicycle Builder's Bonanza by Brad Graham Discusses: building choppers custom motorcycles custom bikes Loading...

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	60% buy the item featured on this page: Choppers: Heavy Metal Art 4.1 out of 5 stars (20) $13.59
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Customer Reviews

20 Reviews 5 star:  (14) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:  (4)           Average Customer Review 4.1 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 11 of 12 people found the following review helpful: 1.0 out of 5 stars absolute dreck, December 3, 2003 By  mark mcdonald (Connecticut, United States) - See all my reviews This review is from: Choppers (Hardcover) This book is god-awful, plain and simple. Anyone who knows anything about seate's alleged "journalism career" understands how much he knows about motorcycles, and would avoid it like the ebola virus. sadly, you can actually learn more about choppers from watching the discovery channel--and that's not saying much. there's nothing new in the book. It's a marginalized version of stuff that's already been done, and done much better. it's a cheap attempt to cash in on the recent mainstream popularity of choppers and is chock full of historical inaccuracies, lame generalizations and overall weak writing. off hand, I can name 10 people who could have written a better version of this book...some of them could have done so in a coma. this is a great book fr groupthink moron's who need to be convinced that their softail is a chopper, or that they're 'hardcore' or 'old skool', and all the 'bro'-mosexuals who use these terms in regular conversation, get all leathered up on weekends and pretend they're one-percenters at the dairy queen. it's the perfect holiday stocking stuffer fr the "bikerless biker" in yr life...you know the guy, 20 harley tee shirts, chain wallet...but no motorcycle. trust me, he'll love it, and swallow every word as truth. he might even high-five you with his fingerless gloves on. yee freaking ha! it's really a terrible book, and I'm actually ashamed to have taken the time to read it. mcd 5 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 1.0 out of 5 stars Unfactual attrocity, December 30, 2003 By  "kmp666" (Tool City, PA USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Choppers (Hardcover) I recieved this book as a Christmas gift, which is the only way it would have made it into my house. It is full of historical inaccuracies, poor commentary, and even poorer analogies by the said author. How this person is even able to get anything published, especially something this awful, is quite beyond me. How about doing some actual research, Seate? I actually felt somewhat insulted by the blatantly piss-poor information this book has to offer. Topical errors and inaccurately placed photoghraphs are the norm for this publication. Now obviously, this is a great book for newbies and yuppies who have no idea how the chopper "subculture" came about, or who think that Jesse James invented the chopper for the sake of Discovery programs, as other reviews of this book have led us to believe. But for us few who know how it really goes down, this book is a heap and a joke, save for a few nicely detailed photos, hence my 1-star rating. 5 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars socio-cultural origins of this strange art form..., October 27, 2003 By  Ryan McNabb (Ooltewah, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Choppers (Hardcover) This is a really fun and interesting book. Well written, highly literate, very informative, it gives you the skinny on the real origins of these bikes, their place in motorcyle history, and their place in American history (grudging acceptance, in both cases.) Not just for bike lovers, this book would be appreciated by anyone interested in popular culture after WW2, especially the beat/hippy generations: what really happened at Hollister, CA? What's the story behind "Easy Rider" and its influence? Also, for the riders in the audience, you get lots of interesting insights into the mechanics of these bikes: what is the origin of the Wide Glide fork? How did bobbers get their name? Why did these bikes take on the unique look they did? It ends with a look at custom bikes today, which is sort of mandatory, but not as interesting as what led up to them, in my opinion. Highly recommended.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Biker Book For Young Readers Sometimes you see a book cover that jumps right out at you and grabs your fullest attention - this is the case for a great book for teenage boys called "Choppers. Read more Published on April 8, 2007 by W. H. McDonald Jr. 1.0 out of 5 stars Rush Job: Review from Thunder Press This appeared verbatim in the magazine THUNDER PRESS. BTW, Zimberoff's next book (out next spring), a continuation and sequel to ART OF THE CHOPPER is dedictaed to... Read more Published on September 11, 2005 by Tom Zimberoff 5.0 out of 5 stars Heavy Metal Chopper Art- Art that moves and will move you! Indian Larry's bike is pictured on the cover and I find myself opening up to his bike "Wild Child" and the very words are vividly painted on the belt drive; in fact every bit of... Read more Published on September 1, 2005 by Suzannah B. Troy 5.0 out of 5 stars Choppers: Heavy Metal Art If you like to gaze at Motorcycles and admire machinery built by hand. You will enjoy this book. Also good bio's on the guys who build the bikes. Read more Published on August 2, 2005 by F. Campbell 5.0 out of 5 stars For the Chopper Heads & Curious Alike I purchased this book for a friend who is very in to choppers and bikes. He was very pleased at the information & photographs provided. Read more Published on August 2, 2005 by Mayzmoon 5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best chopper book yet This is the only real history of choppers available, but even if it wasn't, it would still be the best. Read more Published on December 3, 2004 by Spike the Biker 5.0 out of 5 stars Best chopper photography I have ever seen As a lifelong motorcyclist, I've always admired the looks of choppers but haven't much liked riding them. This book of chopper photos is perfect for a guy like me. Read more Published on December 3, 2004 by Spike the Biker 5.0 out of 5 stars Indian Larry and more - great photographs When I saw Indian Larry's bike on the cover of this book, I had to find out if he was in it - and he is. Chapter 5 is all on Larry and his great bikes. Read more Published on October 22, 2004 by Avid military reader 4.0 out of 5 stars choppers rule! Anyone who's a fan of customized motorcycles will dig this color history of choppers! Author Mike Seate, who writes for IronWorks, Easyriders and a few other bike mags, has pretty... Read more Published on March 26, 2004 by rodero salazar 5.0 out of 5 stars stretchin' out ridin' on The worldwide popularity of choppers, be they powered by Harley-Davidson V-twins of imported multi-cylinderv engines, is not to be denied. Read more Published on March 26, 2004 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks; 1st edition (November 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760320535
• ISBN-13: 978-0760320532
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 10.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #382,969 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #43 in

  Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Motorcycles > Pictorial

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars absolute dreck, December 3, 2003

By	mark mcdonald (Connecticut, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Choppers (Hardcover)

This book is god-awful, plain and simple. Anyone who knows anything about seate's alleged "journalism career" understands how much he knows about motorcycles, and would avoid it like the ebola virus. sadly, you can actually learn more about choppers from watching the discovery channel--and that's not saying much.

there's nothing new in the book. It's a marginalized version of stuff that's already been done, and done much better. it's a cheap attempt to cash in on the recent mainstream popularity of choppers and is chock full of historical inaccuracies, lame generalizations and overall weak writing. off hand, I can name 10 people who could have written a better version of this book...some of them could have done so in a coma.

this is a great book fr groupthink moron's who need to be convinced that their softail is a chopper, or that they're 'hardcore' or 'old skool', and all the 'bro'-mosexuals who use these terms in regular conversation, get all leathered up on weekends and pretend they're one-percenters at the dairy queen. it's the perfect holiday stocking stuffer fr the "bikerless biker" in yr life...you know the guy, 20 harley tee shirts, chain wallet...but no motorcycle. trust me, he'll love it, and swallow every word as truth. he might even high-five you with his fingerless gloves on. yee freaking ha!

it's really a terrible book, and I'm actually ashamed to have taken the time to read it.

mcd

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Unfactual attrocity, December 30, 2003

By	"kmp666" (Tool City, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Choppers (Hardcover)

I recieved this book as a Christmas gift, which is the only way it would have made it into my house. It is full of historical inaccuracies, poor commentary, and even poorer analogies by the said author. How this person is even able to get anything published, especially something this awful, is quite beyond me. How about doing some actual research, Seate? I actually felt somewhat insulted by the blatantly piss-poor information this book has to offer. Topical errors and inaccurately placed photoghraphs are the norm for this publication. Now obviously, this is a great book for newbies and yuppies who have no idea how the chopper "subculture" came about, or who think that Jesse James invented the chopper for the sake of Discovery programs, as other reviews of this book have led us to believe. But for us few who know how it really goes down, this book is a heap and a joke, save for a few nicely detailed photos, hence my 1-star rating.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars socio-cultural origins of this strange art form..., October 27, 2003

By	Ryan McNabb (Ooltewah, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Choppers (Hardcover)

This is a really fun and interesting book. Well written, highly literate, very informative, it gives you the skinny on the real origins of these bikes, their place in motorcyle history, and their place in American history (grudging acceptance, in both cases.) Not just for bike lovers, this book would be appreciated by anyone interested in popular culture after WW2, especially the beat/hippy generations: what really happened at Hollister, CA? What's the story behind "Easy Rider" and its influence? Also, for the riders in the audience, you get lots of interesting insights into the mechanics of these bikes: what is the origin of the Wide Glide fork? How did bobbers get their name? Why did these bikes take on the unique look they did? It ends with a look at custom bikes today, which is sort of mandatory, but not as interesting as what led up to them, in my opinion. Highly recommended.