Jesse James’s West Coast Choppers is known for building impressive one-off rolling art pieces—like this 2004 beauty recently for sale on eBay.
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Jesse James established West Coast Choppers in Long Beach, Calif., in 1992. The legendary builder, racer, and reality TV star is also the great-great grandson of the notorious outlaw of the same name. After gaining notoriety for his brand, he went on to star in Discovery Channel’s Monster Garage.
James’s creations commonly sell for around $150,000. Even at that price, James is building bikes at a loss. A long list of high-profile actors and sports stars count themselves as owners of an original West Coast Choppers machine. The one for sale on eBay has a Buy-It-Now price of $49,999—a fraction of the cost when the bike was new.
All About the Look
Choppers steer clear of many considerations taken when buying a more conventional motorcycle. Aspects like top speed, comfort, and handling pale in significance compared to having the look and sound of an outrageous hand-made machine. It’s all about making a style statement.
Jesse James doesn’t just create a custom frame with loud pipes. As the scene developed across the US, each region known for superstar custom chopper builders developed a distinct approach to style and engineering—cues that set them apart from competitors.
In this case, the rear axle plate is capped by the infamous West Coast Choppers Maltese Cross emblem. The motorcycle has a low ride height. At the front end, the downtube (furthest forward frame tube) was stretched by about two inches.
Add a front fork rake angle of 38 degrees, and you have the essential ingredients that distinguish Jesse James’s bikes from other legendary builders like Florida master Billy Lane, who uses an extreme look of setting his forks at 45 degrees.
The rear fender on this bike deserves attention for its elegance. James has always been a fender specialist, illustrated by competitors (like Lane) who proudly use a Jesse James fender on their own high-dollar builds. Although the Long Beach resident tends to add a visible strut to support the rear fender, here, James hides the bracing inside the fender. That cleans up the rear look while allowing the fender to hug the rear tire.
Built Right—With The Right Parts
Indian Larry, the fabled New York legend who died in 2004, liked the response of more upright forks (usually at 30 degrees rake). But he tended not to run a front brake to keep the look clean. All West Coast Choppers bikes have high-quality front brakes, usually supplied by Brembo or California’s Performance Machine. These appear to be from the latter.
The 121-cubic-inch TP Engineering V-twin motor is part of their Pro series. It provides a torquey 100 horsepower. But its power is secondary to its sensible size, which looks just right in the frame.
The details on this chopper are extraordinary. Feast your eyes on the exquisite paintwork and the seat. And see if you can spot where a pair of gun barrels were tastefully incorporated into the build.
Kit or Factory?
West Coast Choppers understood that not everyone could afford one of their factory-finished machines. Until the factory closed in 2010, the company offered parts like motorcycle frames and fenders for enthusiasts to buy and build their own bikes.
Meanwhile, the bike for sale on eBay purports to be a factory-built chopper, coming out of Long Beach six years before the factory shut down. It’s hard to know how many bikes West Coast Choppers built, but a reasonable guess is around 10 to 12 per year. That low volume makes the chopper for sale on eBay a rare opportunity.
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