Regret the Error

Our
April cover featured a photo of clothing designer Quinn Thompson
astride his motorcycle, which he described as a "Harley chopper." We’ve
since heard from several motorcycle enthusiasts among our readers, who
insist that Thompson’s bike is neither a Harley nor a chopper.
(Thompson’s bike features a motor made by S&S and a Harley-Davidson
wishbone frame.) "It’s not even near the size needed to be considered a
chopper," says reader William Xavier. "Someone there obviously doesn’t
know motorcycles." Intrigued, we checked with experts at the American
Motorcyclist Association (amadirectlink.com), the Motorcycle Hall of
Fame Museum (motorcyclemuseum.org), and custom-bike manufacturer Orange
County Choppers (orangecountychoppers.com) in Montgomery, N.Y. All
agreed that any customized motorcycle of the cruiser style will be
called a chopper by some. "It’s really a matter of opinion there’s no
official standard," says the AMA’s Lance Oliver. "There will always be
those who argue that a ‘true’ chopper has to meet a list of additional
criteria. These are the kinds of things that we motorcycle nuts can
debate endlessly among ourselves over the campfire."