How Much Does It Cost To Build A Chopper?

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Күн бұрын

The number one question asked by new chopper builders...how much does it cost to build a chopper?
In this video I'll take you through the total cost of building the chopper you've seen here on my channel, my Harley Davidson Evo Big Twin.
At the end of this video you'll have a great understanding of how much you can expect to spend on your first (or next) chopper project.
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#chopper #chopperbuild #harleychopper #harleydavidson #motorcyclebuild

Пікірлер: 100

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

If you want a copy of my Chopper Build Planning Sheet you can get the free PDF here 🤘🏼 greasesgarage.wixsite.com/greasesgarage

@paullirette6277 7 ай бұрын

Thanks Grease, I like the no nonsense real world, common sense approach. This is what real working people can do on a real budget. Keep them coming bro. Peace.

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

Thank you Paul, I appreciate the kind words 🙏🏼🤘🏼

@mississippidrifter5960 7 ай бұрын

A video on picking out the right welder for this type of work for the average home person would be great

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

This video goes into that 👍🏼 How to Set Up a TIG Welding RIG kzfaq.info/get/bejne/b59poKZe3d-aZac.html

@blakepistofian7370 Ай бұрын

Would love to see the studio set up. Great video

@pastorbobncc365 7 ай бұрын

I always end up spending double what I originally thought. My last shovel build $9500, my recent 1974 XLH restoration $4500,

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

Good on ya for even totaling them up. It seems most people only remember what they paid for the bike itself haha

@LOLjerel 3 ай бұрын

I like k100 stabilizer for the fuel , And S100 total bike cleaner spray for the spring .It will clean brake dirt from rims leaves paint spotless . will not harm paint !

@claytondetwiler8512 7 ай бұрын

Loved the podcast. Love the instructional videos. Super helpful.

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

Thanks Clayton I appreciate that 🙏🏼

@chrishankins2700 7 ай бұрын

Good info as always.

@BNatoAk 6 ай бұрын

Hey, great information brother!

@chrisishmael7025 7 ай бұрын

Awesome video, especially the section on open primary drives. Thank you.

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it 🤘🏼

@jimmybelcher7768 7 ай бұрын

Great video great info

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

Thanks brotha!

@MoeLarrycurly1 7 ай бұрын

Well done

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

Thank you 🙏🏼

@user-bl4xv4dx2t Ай бұрын

Excellent content--I only wish you would show more the bike!. That said, absolutely excellent content--great idea! ; )

@greasesgarage Ай бұрын

Can definitely take that feedback and try to get more b roll shots of different bikes. Tough running a channel like this with only one motorcycle 🤣

@frankmarkovcijr5459 2 ай бұрын

I wore out the original hard tail on my Triumph Tr-6. It started cracking and a piece was missing. My good quality Renolds chain was holding the back end on. Replace the hard tail was easy because it was a bolt on. My bike looks like a Triumph Bobber. I have had my Triumph Tr-6 with a hard tail and magneto for 40 years.

@greasesgarage 2 ай бұрын

That’s rad! Sounds like you put some serious mileage down on it 🤘🏼

@frankmarkovcijr5459 2 ай бұрын

@@greasesgarage T Triumph shop l went to put a new hard tail on the bike because I never whined about prices and they figured that l was good advertising for the shop riding the bike.

@377Pro 7 ай бұрын

Great video! I am looking to build my first chopper and I only have beginners skills :)

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

This is a great breakdown for a beginner as you’ll likely be buying a lot more parts than you make, at least at the start, which is totally fine. In time you will develop the skills you need to save yourself some money by making certain items

@dwayneglover914 7 ай бұрын

U r killing it & thanks 4 the previous reply but can u please let me know what do a Thunder Mountain Firestone start out as I know they use aftermarket parts from Heart Land customs in Colorado thanks in advance & U will have 1 of the top motorcycle channels good luck ride safe enuff said.

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

I wish I could help with the Firestone thing but unfortunately I don’t have any knowledge on their bikes sorry brotha

@dwayneglover914 7 ай бұрын

@@greasesgarage hay it's ok I'm not ready yet anyway,but if u do find out something please let me know till then thanks 👍😊 a lot .....keep building your channel .

@usabadone 6 ай бұрын

Big fan love your channel really like the floorboards on your bike could you show us how you install those what kind they are part numbers please

@greasesgarage 6 ай бұрын

Thanks brotha, I appreciate that. These are the factory floorboards that come on the fat boy, heritage and a few other softail models. I wil try to find a part number for them

@seller559 7 ай бұрын

My gear shift pedal lost its weld so I replaced it with an open end wrench 🔧 …metric, just to be smart ass. Great video 👍

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

Haha love it

@johnalbright8093 7 ай бұрын

Good vid a lot in there I had to learn the hard way over the years, a lot of truth here. I Built mine current sled starting with the motor cases and went from there one part at a time as I could afford it (as usual lol) using only new parts except the flywheels and crank which I got from a bro who upped his displacement which is the only used part on the scoot. ended up with a 89" evo rigid with a 6 speed took me about a year and a half to finish. I Ride it everyday since I don't own a cage rain or shine to work or anywhere else I go. I spent $6357.00 inspected, taxed, and tagged. Haven't bought a new bike since 1985 have built them all and see no reason to do otherwise

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

That’s fantastic man, great outcome to get a bike like that for that price! And yes, I have learned the hard way myself and watched many friends learn the hard way too. I’ve seen swap meet springers break, swap meet wheels end up having dings that weren’t noticed, drive gears on belt drives that don’t play right together, carbs that just don’t work right no matter how many times they’re cleaned…the list goes on. I think the biggest thing people miss when making price the top factor is what the value of their TIME is. A great deal that costs you a month of frustration and eventual replacement anyways will change the way a person thinks about the time vs money equation forever. I hope these videos communicate that concept effectively, I just want people to skip the struggle

@Kris_Stiletto 7 ай бұрын

Very informative. Thank you! :-) Peace, Stiletto :-)

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

Thanks Kris!

@johnwerner7194 6 ай бұрын

Thanks. Now i need a base bike.

@greasesgarage 6 ай бұрын

What do you have in mind?

@DEATHMETALCYCLE 7 ай бұрын

Video on shimming your trans and motor?

@user-xp6ei7us1u 6 ай бұрын

This was helpful - thanks for putting it together! Couple questions. Did you buy an old kick transmission for the project or convert the Fat Boy's transmission? What was the cost and can you provide details on the tranny/kit?

@greasesgarage 6 ай бұрын

I traded my stock 5 speed trans to friend for his stock 4 speed from his Shovelhead. That said. Baker makes 6 speeds that are built like 4 speeds and they’re amazing, very expensive though, more than my whole budget. I would look for a used cow pie trans on eBay or a swap meet or offer your 5 speed in trade

@14era48 3 ай бұрын

I enjoy coming back to this video for reference/inspo! Curious what your take is on having only a drum rear brake? I have have a front and rear drum on my bike and am tempted to run no front brake for that clean look but do you think I’d be better off switching to a disc in the rear if I did so? Thanks!

@greasesgarage 3 ай бұрын

This is a great question, I think I’ll do a whole video on this topic because a lot of people ask about this. Keep an eye out for that, but short answer would be that it depends greatly on how effective that drum brake is. I tried it on my xs650 and it was not feasible at all but some people have better luck with drum brakes than me

@BGouthierPhoto 7 ай бұрын

Just another heads up from my experience.... A LOT of after market parts are cheap crap. I built my first bike with a lot of parts from Big Twin, ebay and the like. I finally stopped picking them off the road when they fell off. And, I hit at least 2 riding buddies with this crap. Rigid bikes vibrate, Plan accordingly. And HD is High Dollar for a reason. Pick up used, high quality parts online, swap meets and from friends. It is worth the extra time and trouble and you generally pay the same or less and have less problems.

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

Can you give a few examples of parts you had bad experiences with? I’ve had a very different experience so I’m curious

@doubleeequipment7618 6 ай бұрын

Maybe missed it but, what weld on hardtail do you use...I'm starting a 97 soon.

@greasesgarage 6 ай бұрын

Road 6 customs

@SaddleTrampTV 6 ай бұрын

Correct me if I missed it, but what about the 4 speed cowpie tranny? Being the motor is a top crank breather engine, and those came into being in 1992 and before that they already had 5 speed transmissions by then.

@greasesgarage 6 ай бұрын

That’s correct, I traded my five speed for someone else’s four speed. I left that cost out since I think most people aren’t interested in doing that swap or might be building a different bike that comes with the trans they intend to use

@SaddleTrampTV 6 ай бұрын

Gotcha@@greasesgarage

@ecuz3 7 ай бұрын

Shoutout to Tones for that seat upholstery work

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

He crushed it 👏🏼

@SEEKANDDESTROY717 6 ай бұрын

Man hit some swap meets... buying everything new online takes half the fun out of building a chop

@greasesgarage 6 ай бұрын

There’s some thing I’ll get at a swap and some things I won’t. You see a few front ends and wheels break and it changes the way you look at it

@letscheckitout1985 6 ай бұрын

Not everyone likes meat the same stupid hipsters I think they are the shit because they don’t bathe or change their clothes

@vidvidbiker 7 ай бұрын

What about the cost of the coil? - presumably you went to a 5 ohm one to go with points kit.

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

$50

@DewayneDegaton-tc2ru 2 ай бұрын

what’s the most you would spend on a sportster for a first build?

@greasesgarage 2 ай бұрын

Just for the bike or for the whole build?

@DewayneDegaton-tc2ru 2 ай бұрын

The Owner bike with the title

@DewayneDegaton-tc2ru 2 ай бұрын

domer

@Tumble96 7 ай бұрын

What if you went with a springer front end

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

Springer front ends have a very wide range of prices but the lower end ones are around $600, mid range around $1,000 and higher end ones are $2,000. Hope this helps!

@wickedgamer1721 6 ай бұрын

Cost me more to make mine into a club style/stunt bike nice work

@greasesgarage 6 ай бұрын

I can believe it those parts can get pricey but that’s awesome man, how long did the build take? Curious about those style bikes

@wickedgamer1721 6 ай бұрын

@greasesgarage added parts as I could afford it was about 4/5k in parts and now she wheelies no problem and drifts r fun but dangerous lol

@user-ll9zd2dh6h 5 ай бұрын

You ever notice that when someone says they got a great deal on a bike they never tell you the actual price of this supposed great deal?If it was such a great deal you would think they would be telling the whole world what they paid.

@greasesgarage 5 ай бұрын

My thoughts exactly! Don’t have to hide it if you really got a deal.

@leowhite9873 3 ай бұрын

When did ryan gosling start building bikes

@raysechyder1348 7 ай бұрын

🤘😵💰

@bluebullock3143 7 ай бұрын

What about exhaust

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

I didn’t change mine but if you wanted to change yours just add in the cost of the pipes you like

@user-ll9zd2dh6h 5 ай бұрын

$50 for a set of points and condenser?How much you pay for plugs?About a $100 a piece?

@greasesgarage 5 ай бұрын

Sounds like you misheard what was $50 lol

@kalebdeyoung6936 7 ай бұрын

Build a bike out of swap meet parts my ironhead chopper cost 1800$ all said and done

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

That’s great

@rehman2017 7 ай бұрын

I will give you eye catching thumbnail in cheap price

@bluebullock3143 7 ай бұрын

Trailer fenders are same thing way cheaper

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

Got a link for the people?

@ironmaster8749 6 ай бұрын

Look up trailer fender .

@greasesgarage 6 ай бұрын

No link? You used one right?

@Pccart1121 7 ай бұрын

Pipes?

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

I didn’t end up changing my pipes when I built it but if you plan to change yours I would ballpark $300-600 for most sets on the market these days

@Pccart1121 7 ай бұрын

Thanks. Love the channel.

@rehman2017 7 ай бұрын

*iam professional thumbnail designer on fiver i can design your thumbnails eye catching*

@hemidart7 7 ай бұрын

More than it's worth

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

Anybody who thinks they’re getting back what they spent on choppers is in the wrong place. You better love it if you’re gonna build it

@pastorbobncc365 7 ай бұрын

I recently bought an original 1974 Ironhead at an estate sale for $1800, Bike had been sitting in a garage sense 1999 appx; 24 years, I absolutely love it when a bike comes with a folder and all kinds of paperwork as it establishes the history of the bike. This bike was in excellent condition but look what it took to get it safely back on the road. 1974 HD Sportster 15K Miles Total Restoration Cost $3546 Note; Tank is mint AMF decal perfect, I will be painting the finders this winter appx; $600 bringing the total to $4146 when I was looking at it the day I bought it I was thinking $800 in parts max? $1800 Purchase Price $289 DMV Title $1337 Total parts $200 Seat $24 Seat bracket rear $11 Seat bracket Front $44 Front Fender $115 Battery $342 Tires, tubes, mount and balance $22 Drive chain $8 Hub seal $32 Front sprocket $20 oil seal, retainer, gasket Brake Pads Front Recent add on Complete front forks rebuild kit $60 $48 Front brake line $64 Front brake rotor $31 Front brake piston $7 Front caliper seal kit $25 Front brake pads $12 Master cylinder front rebuild kit $3 Master cylinder cover gasket $13 Brass 3/8 24 adapter $1 Point cover gasket $23 Points and condenser $9 Flasher $10 Control stickers $20 Front Turn Signals Yankee Swap meet $1 Main shaft lock tab $10 Magnetic drain plug $2 O rings primary inspection $68 Carb rebuild kit $28 Air cleaner $13 intake O ring kit $6 Primary Cover gasket $5 Oil filter $6 Spark plugs $9 oil filter $4 shaft seal kit $24 Clutch cable $75 Auto zone misc. nuts and bolts, oil, grease,

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

What a great history to have on a bike! Makes me want to keep better and more detailed records

@pastorbobncc365 7 ай бұрын

@@greasesgarageI build a folder for every bike, bill of sale, all receipts, registration, etc. I spent 20 in the military and learned to document everything, although Hunter Biden screwed up doing that??

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

@pastorbobncc365 I’m gonna have to copy your approach on that, I’ll start a folder for this bike. And lmao can’t go leaving your laptops laying around like that

@davidson2004fatboy 6 ай бұрын

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

@borelius 7 ай бұрын

On this side of the pond we need to pay a lot more for the parts. Transportation, customs duties and value added taxes really make a difference. 😁 I usually buy a piece of crap bike and drop 10k on it. 🥲

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

I can imagine! That’s gotta be tough man but it’s cool to hear you’re still getting it done 🤘🏼 how are the cops out there for inspection violations?

@borelius 7 ай бұрын

@@greasesgarage If you ride a hazardous bike you will be fined and they might take your plates away. That being said I think we have it good here in Finland. We have this Modified Motorcycle Association that works in co-operation with the lawmakers. They have come up with these "Chopper Laws". It is in everyone´s best interest that the bikes handle well and have sufficient brakes. After you build and modify the bike you only have to get it inspected once. The laws don´t restrict that much. Especially if you building an older bike. A long fork shovelhead is a common site! 😁

@greasesgarage 7 ай бұрын

@borelius that’s so cool they made that carve out for choppers! Good stuff Finland 🇫🇮 👏🏼👏🏼