Got the Hog out for summer.

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

brucemillar

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
8,661
Location
Next Door to Alice - 25 'kin years now
Car
C55 AMG Wagon - W124 300te 4matic Wagon - BMW 4.8is X5 E53 - SWB Pajero 3.5 V6 24v
My fully restored original 1973 MKII Raleigh Chopper. Rides as badly as it did in 1973 but a great conversation starter. This is a true 70's design icon. I have an earlier MKI (1970) which I am restoring. I have all the original bits. It is just about to go for paint and some re-chrome work. Please let me now if you have one of these or any bits?
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I don't own one sadly but I did have one as a kid and it brings back good memories.
 
Great memories, except when I fell off mine trying to ride one handed and fractured my wrist....
 
Was the MK1 the one with non t shifter and wider bars?...if so thats the one i had?

Tony
 
Mk1 was a bit dangerous because of the rear axle location. Meant they could tip over backwards very easily.

Corrected in the Mk2 by the cranked bar down to the axle. The saddle sitting forward of the pivot point rather than behind it!!:wallbash:
 
Last edited:
I had a bike that was the same as the Chopper called the Panther can you remember making your own go carts to with the push chair wheels?
 
Mk1 was a bit dangerous because of the rear axle location. Meant they could tip over backwards very easily.

Corrected in the Mk2 by the cranked bar down to the axle. The saddle sitting forward of the pivot point rather than behind it!!:wallbash:

Must have been the MK1 i had then wheelie machine!:rock:

Tony.
 
They may have been a design icon but they were poorly made.

Both mine and my brother's needed their frames brazing in several places where the tubular sections fractured. I think on mine the stem also had to be brazed back on to the rest of the handlebars and the plate between the rear forks where the brakes were mounted came off on one side.
 
Yes nice bike, but where's the phone box door?
 
They would permanently wheelie if you got a pal to sit on the rear parcel shelf.

I'm still missing half of my two front teeth due to the infamous Chopper speed wobble.
 
The MKI had a gear Knob, the MKII had a T-Shift.

As said, the MKI had straight down-tubes for the rear forks. This did make them prone to tipping backwards. Also very prone to snapping the tubes especially when people tried to carry passengers ;ˆ)

The design of the seat made them a prime target for kids to try and cram pillion passengers on-board. The frames simply were not designed for that loading. As mentioned many were snapped or buckled but usually repaired by braising new tubes in.

The mudguards borrowed a leaf out of Mercedes book. They rusted like hell so there is a thriving industry in modern copies. These are also sniffed at by the purists.

There were many variants including a ten gear/speed model. Also a "girlie" (yes they called it that) version with no cross bar.

The MKIII attempted to recreate the MKI & II but with modern day health & safety laws this made it a rather strange looking compromise.

There is a very large worldwide interest in them with regular meetings. You see all sorts of customized ones showing up. But the die-hards want originality and will pay for it.

The MKII in the pictures is completely original apart from the colour (Lotus Blue). When I was restoring it, I had the frame soda blasted and primer dipped. My neighbour at the time was a specialist/high end car painter. He was just finishing off a Lotus when I met him to discuss painting it. I fell in love with the colour and had to do it.

My MKI is the original pale blue with white lettering. That will be (should be) repainted in these colours by my current paint guy (Samir Arebi in Hastings). He has painted all my cars including a full bare metal re-spray on my 124 Estate. I am tempted to paint the Chopper in Willow Green to match the 124 but must resist.

FYI: I met Samir when I did a Forum Courier run for Lee (SPX) who bought a set of huge Range Rover wheels from Samir on ebay. I went to pick them up for Lee where I discovered that Samir ran a body shop. I liked him on meeting him and we became friends with him agreeing to repair and paint my C55. Paint is addictive stuff. Good painters are even more addictive. He soon had painted all of my cars and some other bits.

Mine sits in my living room most of the time. I do ride it and my two Huskies do rather like to pull me on it. Unfortunately they do not have brakes and once up to speed (two dogs will pull up to 25-30mph) they don't like stopping. This can lead to me having to bale out. So not recommended as spectator sport.
 
Last edited:
That is incredibly cool and worth hundreds now.

I had the one with the T lever in the central tube - I thought that was cooler than cool when I was kid.

I remember the rivalry between us Chopper boys and the Grifter lads.

I too had an epic faceplant from trying to corner too quickly in one.
 
Yes nice bike, but where's the phone box door?

Aha. Another restoration project. I have the door. But I need to buy the complete glazing kit (still available). It has the original brass door closer ( you can still hear that squeak). It no longer smells of wee, I make up for that.

It is a 1936 box weighing at nearly 1.5 tons. I bought it years ago. Then had to demolish and rebuild the sellers garden fence to get it out.
We used a 2 ton Hi-ab, which wanted to tip over even with its feet down.

It then had to have 70 years of red lead paint shot blasted off before being re-primed and painted. I don't have the internals. But it does have the original working light, brass hinges, wooden door etc.
 
Never had a Chopper (pushbike) but had its wee brother , the Tomohawk.

Natural progression should have been a Chopper but i moved on to a Grifter.

Kenny
 
I had my bike out this weekend too...Check tyre pressures wash and put back in to storage! 2013 Trek fuel EX6 covered around 15 mile's since new (don't want to over use it!):D
Did even consider selling it but what would i do for exercise (its quite strenuous pumping tyres up);)

Tony.
 

Attachments

  • Trek fuel 6.jpg
    Trek fuel 6.jpg
    240.9 KB · Views: 11
KennyN said:
Never had a Chopper (pushbike) but had its wee brother , the Tomohawk. Natural progression should have been a Chopper but i moved on to a Grifter. Kenny

Back-pedalled rear wheel skids - oh the Grifter memories
 
Never had a Chopper (pushbike) but had its wee brother , the Tomohawk.

Natural progression should have been a Chopper but i moved on to a Grifter.

Kenny

I recall there being a Chipper which was a smaller Chopper.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom