We've all heard the sayings, "Size matters" and "Go big or go home." While these statements may be valid for the current trends in the custom motorcycle industry of triple-digit displacement and enormous rear tires, the guys over at Pocket Choppers, located in Belding, Michigan, have taken their own path with their custom mini choppers. While many of you may be thinking to yourselves that mini bikes are for kids, you would be partially right if you were referring to the old-school Honda 50cc Trail bikes and the like that we grew up with. However, with its stretched frame, long frontend, and powerful motor, the scaled-down Pocket Chopper is definitely not your old childhood mini bike.
The bikes are so compact, they can be shipped via UPS and require minimal assembly. We had our bike delivered to V-Twin City in Santa Ana, California, where we snapped a few photos as Koon assembled the frontend. With its small stature, one would think that the bike is uncomfortable and unable to handle an average-size adult. Actually, the opposite is true. Made from 14-gauge tubing, the frame is capable of handling riders up to about 300 pounds, and is designed to accommodate people who are taller than 6 feet. Keeping the frontend off the ground is an 8-inch wheel, while out back is a 6-1/2x6-inch rear with a Comet mechanical disc brake. In the sheetmetal department, the bike has a classically-styled teardrop gas tank and a short but sturdy rear fender with supports for added strength.
When it comes to riding, even the most inexperienced chopper rider can quickly pick up how easy it is to ride the Pocket Chopper, with its gas-and-go operation. At the heart of our chopper was a very powerful 6hp (195cc) Tecumseh four-stroke motor - capable of speeds up to 40 mph - with a Comet Torq-A-Verter mated to it, which is a fully automatic variable speed drive system. There are no gears, no complicated controls or levers, and neither manual shifting nor clutching is involved. To give the bike the look and sound of a real chopper, our bike was set up with dual slash-cut exhaust pipes, which is an upgrade from the standard straight-pipe exhaust. Luckily, our bike came with the optional wheelie bar, because even with a 6-foot, 215-pound male in the saddle, the bike still had enough horsepower to easily throw the front wheel off the ground.
Just like all the "big" bike builders, Pocket Choppers has plenty of options to choose from when ordering a bike. The stock 6hp bike goes for $1,995, while a 3-1/2hp version of the same bike goes for $1,775. Upgrade options range from custom sheetmetal, paint, seats, rear slicks for drag racing, sissybars, chrome packages, and road-ready light kits to stage one performance kits for the 6hp motor that can get the bike up to 70 mph. You can also build you own mini chopper with one of its rolling chassis kits.
We were very happy with our test bike, and wished that we could have kept it a bit longer. It would definitely be something we would like to have for cruising around in the parking lot while tailgating at the races or doing hot laps around the neighborhood block. With all the possibilities for customization and hop-ups, we could easily envision a special issue of STREET CHOPPER titled STREET POCKET CHOPPER.