# Raleigh Chopper



## jam225 (Jun 24, 2003)

Just a quick note to say that I put a deposit down on a new MK3 chopper today.

It was one of those bikes that I always wanted as a kid but never got :'(

Got back to the office at lunchtime and told a few of my workmates what I had ordered, and 3 of them went out immediately and placed deposits for the same ;D

Roll on the first week in April ;D ;D ;D


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## Sim (Mar 7, 2003)

I saw they are bringing them back ;D How much do they cost?


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## scott28tt (Jul 30, 2002)

I read something about this on the web last week, meant to post a link to it here 

It's a limited edition run apparently.

Great for destroying your testicles :-/


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## racer (Feb 3, 2003)

It should be good for a laugh.  
To be honest if I saw a 'full size' grown up on one I'd be wetting myself with laughter. Please post a picture of you riding it. Make sure you are wearing the obligatory 1970's flares. ;D


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## Andyman (May 6, 2002)

The new version doesn't have the gear-stick style gear change though does it? I think its on the handle bars now, something about safety. 

Only 2000 being made though I heard.


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## jam225 (Jun 24, 2003)

Â£199.99 all in

There are already people trying to sell them on e-bay for more :'(

Check out www.rcoc.co.uk for more info


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## racer (Feb 3, 2003)

When are they relaunching the Grifter? This had to be the world's heaviest bike!  I used to have a red metallic grifter and I had a hand-me-down blue chopper from my next door neighbour. Well cool! [smiley=dude.gif]


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## jam225 (Jun 24, 2003)

Racer

You've only got one life so your as well enjoying it. To hell with what everyone else thinks Â ;D ;D ;D

Andy

You're right it is now a grip shift gearchange on the handlebar and it also has a 2 piece seat instead of the single piece, bet it wont be long until single piece seat converions become available


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## jam225 (Jun 24, 2003)

Had the metallic red Grifter as well ;D

Did you used to bend the mudflaps back to get the motorbike sound from the tyres ??? ;D


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## Sim (Mar 7, 2003)

I had the red grifter too Â ;D

Bent the folks going over ramps with my BMX friends and destroyed alot of ramps too. The thing was so heavy it crushed anything in its path Â


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## jonah (Aug 17, 2002)

I've got an origanal Raleigh Chopper in my mums garage, been meaning to do it up for over 27yrs but never got round to it. I've had to stop her a few times from sending it to the tip.
How much are origanal ones worth?
Jonah


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## NickP (May 6, 2002)

> I had the red grifter too Â ;D


Me too!

Upgraded from a Yellow Boxer to a Red Grifter 

Do you remember the Strikers...terrible things with peddle back rear brake?
A mate had one in Met. Green ......

Oh Happy days


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## jam225 (Jun 24, 2003)

Jonah

The crappiest condition Choppers sell for nothing less than around Â£100 to Â£150 on E-Bay, sometimes a lot more.

Minters go for anything between Â£500 to Â£800 depending on collectability etc

Theres money lying rusting away in Dads sheds all over the UK ;D


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## Sim (Mar 7, 2003)

> Oh Happy days


They were that! In those days a mod was a tag (or two) from a loaf of bread ;D


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## Dotti (Mar 9, 2003)

Excellent news JAM225...I used to have a Tomahawk as a child Â


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## Justhe1 (Jul 2, 2002)

I upgraded from a Tomahawk to a purple Chopper in my younger days...

My Dad had to weld the rear luggage rack back on from where I used to give me mates a "backie" facing the wrong way round, oh and he got the hump because he had to keep straightening out the pedal arms - they bent in whenever I tried a jump and fell off ;D

Ah, whatever happened to "cotter pins" :-/  ;D


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## ag (Sep 12, 2002)

You'll be needing one of these as well. 

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/detail?sectionID=50681&documentID=190277


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## Dotti (Mar 9, 2003)

I used to love my friends orange chopper. She had three gears in the middle 8). Wicked ;D.


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## NickP (May 6, 2002)

> You'll be needing one of these as well. Â
> 
> http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/detail?sectionID=50681&documentID=190277


Half a pack of Top Trumps and some of me Ma's pegs used to do the job for me ;D


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)




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## Dotti (Mar 9, 2003)

You taken up riding bikes now Nutts and given up women? ;D


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)




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## Dotti (Mar 9, 2003)

Do you only do choppers?


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## r14n (Jan 10, 2003)

> I upgraded from a Tomahawk to a purple Chopper in my younger days...
> 
> Ah, whatever happened to "cotter pins" :-/  ;D


Me too.

Went from a red Tomahawk to a Purple ( NOw GET THIS ) 5 Speed Chopper.

I destroyed both of them, doing my best Evil Kneivel stunts at the local hangout ( Devils ****, yes its a real place )

My old fella spent more on welding rods fixing my bikes thean he ever did on cars.

And this included welding up the cotter pins

Q How far could you Wheelie a chopper ?

And before you ask, yes I could, A long way.


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

Never my darling 8)

It's just that you always get a good ride from a Chopper... but it's an art finding a woman that gives a GREAT ride!  Lucky I don't have to look further than my Wednesday and Friday ladies : 



> You taken up riding bikes now Nutts and given up women? Â ;D


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

*No ;D*












> Do you only do choppers? Â  Â


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## Dotti (Mar 9, 2003)

I up graded from my Tomahawk to a proper girly bike which when I slammed on the brakes I had to peddle backwards Â :-/. Â Then I met my husband Â :-X  and got rid of the bikes altogether ;D


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

I had a yellow Tomahawk (new), followed by a swopped Chopper in black and later a red Grifter (also swopped) ;D ;D ;D



> Me too.
> 
> Went from a red Tomahawk to a Purple ( NOw GET THIS ) 5 Speed Chopper.
> 
> ...


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

and then had one of the Burner BMX's ;D


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

Never had one of these though


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## davidg (Sep 14, 2002)

Bad memories , had a blue one ,i fell off ,went straight through the handle bars and bite the kerb with my teeth ,smashed teeth,stiches in the chin, now have two crowns/caps on my front teeth Â ;D ;D, will not be buying another Â


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

I got a Silver Chopper for Christmas 1975 - was still riding about on it in the early 80s - mainly 'cos when I got it at 5yrs old it was way too big for me.


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## pgm (May 7, 2002)

Those were the days. The only rubbers you had to worry about were your brake blocks! Jumpers for goals posts, oh yes, mmmmm...


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## Dont I Recognise You (Oct 10, 2003)

OMG the memories! 

Red Tomahawk - recollections of the fake springs under the seat / feeling jealous of the big kids with gears / getting grief from dad when I broke it giving my mates backeys..... ahhhhh

Then a Grifter. The only bike known to man to be heavier than the person riding it.
Went over the bars countless times in the process of trying to prove that a 5mm sheet of ply and three bricks *would* make a good ramp..... ;D

Memories of swaping brake blocks around to get the last 2mm of rubber to touch the wheel...
Adjusting the cable slack so that you had loads of play - slamming the back brake was then nothing or wheel locking 
Becoming the street's local mechanic - I could whip out a cotter pin / fix brakes / adjust those crappy 3 speed cable things......

And finally progressed to a skate board. 

Well. a lump of wood and a roller skate, anyway 

Anyone want to see the scars?


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## whirlypig (Feb 20, 2003)

I started off with a blue Chipper although most friends had Tomahawks which were more like mini-Choppers. Progressed to a red Chopper although I had my heart set on a grifter.



> I destroyed both of them, doing my best Evil Kneivel stunts at the local hangout ( Devils ****, yes its a real place )


I'm guessing this is the Devils **** in Brighton, used to drive past there and looks pretty hairy. We used to have a spot called Devils **** near Addington which was popular with bikes. Big long dip and jump which wasn't ideally suited to Choppers, forever twisting the handlebars back into line with the front wheel


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2004)

> it's an art finding a woman that gives a GREAT ride!


Especially if you're all NuTTs and No Chopper Â :-* ;D


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

Started off with a Chipper (not Raleigh IIRC) then had a light blue Boxer - like a small Grifter, but with flat forks.

Moved onto a a stiker with the pedal back brake. Never had a Chopper, but 'the family' did. We had a yellow one (second Hand), but got rid of it because the bars kept slipping forwards.

Last one I had was a Grifter. Red originally. But my Dad stripped it down, resprayed it, got rid of the Sturmey Archer gears (dangerous as hell anyway - when you knocked into neutral by mistake) and made it into a BMX - complete with Mag wheels.

Totally unique, but then that was because we couldn't afford to buy new bikes. All the ones I mention above were either second hand or hand-me-downs.

Eventually got a Raleigh After Burner. Gold and Black.


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## r14n (Jan 10, 2003)

Whirlypig, 
The REAL devils **** is near Gatley, south Manchester. A good 100 ft ( well it looked that big back then ) Steep down hill and straight back up with a ridge half way up, which if you got it right you landed back on the flat at the top, wrong and you flipped over backwards and the bike would always catch you up on the way down.

Kell, Also had an After Burner ( Gold ) but put Yellow Mags on it 
( memory ones, if you buckled them, you put them in a chest freezer )

Who bought new bikes, all of mine were 2nd hand.

The closest I got was an EX Demo Moto-one BMX.

Ian.


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## Dont I Recognise You (Oct 10, 2003)

my first new bike was some cheap eastern thing.

Racer styley, 12 gears ;D

Felt like I was king of the world. 8)

Killed it within 6 months :'(

Repeated wheelies and stoppies - cracked the frame underneath where the pedals went through.

Oooops :-[


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## t7 (Nov 2, 2002)

My folks could never afford new bikes - remember the Christmas I was 10 (1977) I'd really wanted a chopper and guessed I was getting a bike for Christmas.... opened all my other presents and was led eyes closed into the garage to be presented with a ladies shopping bike with suspension (Moulton?) which my parents had hand painted bubblegum pink and stuck little pink rose transfers on...gulp :-[

still thrashed it all around Burstead Woods though and the suspension probably saved me from a few _bruises_  ;D

the experience probably turned me into the materialistic (don't care about the depreciation still have to buy a new TT) person I am today.


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

I Zee.

Zo ze reason you like zese new carz iz becauze your parentz vouldn't let you haff a chopper?

Very interezting.

Now tell me. Vere you breazt fed az a child?


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## DXN (May 18, 2002)

You could fold the rear of the mudgaurd under the tyre to give an engine noise on the grifter too!

I went from this a to a BMX, infact I loved it so much that my mates bought me a BMX for my 30th birthday. Endo's in a hilton hotel reception after beer was hilarious.

PS When you get the chopper can I have a Baccky ;D


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## uppTTnorth (Jul 5, 2003)

Ohhhhh i so wanted a chopper as a child , and a Yamaha FS1E , as a spotty youth , and didnt get either, but then i do have a damn fine TT now ;D


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

Ah - good old "fizzy" had one of those for a while circa 1986 along with a Honda 250 "Super Dream", A Suzi TS50er


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## t7 (Nov 2, 2002)

> Ohhhhh i so wanted a chopper as Â a child , and a Yamaha FS1E , as a spotty youth , and didnt get either, but then i do have a damn fine TT now Â ;D


ahhh now I did have a FS1E when I was 16 : dropped handlebars, racing seat and noisy exhaust ;D


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## Dont I Recognise You (Oct 10, 2003)

wanted a fizzie!

got a Honda Wynd (with pedals :-[)
unrestircted tho! ;D

Wanted an RD350
got a Fiesta :-[

years roll on.....

Wanted a 916
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Oh the joys of being old enough to spend the banks money!


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## Sim (Mar 7, 2003)

I remember going from my grifter to an Amaco (sp?) Freestyle Ace - all white, with white mags, mushroom grips, pegs and mx finger brakes (I think that is what you call them). I wish I still had it, best bike I ever had. Sold it to the school bully for Â£25.


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## Justhe1 (Jul 2, 2002)

I progressed from the Chopper to a racer (complete with "Cowhorn" handlebars (I could just about reach across and hold both grips at once! ;D

That lived a very short life and then into the world of BMX'S 

1st I had was an itialan import thing with drum brakes - I think it was called a "Saltafloss" or something equally as bizarre, then came (over the next few years) an Ammoco freestyler, mongoose racer, dp freestyler, Skyway freesyler and finally 3 Vincent Freestylers that I built up myself 

Bought the frames from a lttle shop in Hitchen called "Custom Riders" I think the guy that owned it was called Mason Smith and was on BMX beat once!!

Anywho - they foolishly gave a lifetimes warranty with the frame - until I snapped the third one and asked for a replacement!!!

God I've just read that back - I really was a "BMX Bandit"! 

Still am at heart I guess - Only got a mountain bike now cos I'm too big for one!!


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

A friend of mine down the lane had one of those motobecane (sp?) bikes that had double suspension before mountain bikes were even called mountain bikes.

It weighed as much as a house though.


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## PaulS (Jun 15, 2002)

I had a chopper too, but for a long time during school days I had a 'Carlton Cobra' 10 speed road/racing bike. Instead of using the tube to get to school, I could save 20p a day and use the bike 

But then came mopeds Â [smiley=devil.gif] [smiley=devil.gif]



> ahhh now I did have a FS1E when I was 16 Â : dropped handlebars, racing seat and noisy exhaust Â ;D


[smiley=dude.gif] Now you're talking!

I had a fizzy too - SNO 279R - an 1977 'unrestricted' model Â   : Â Most of them seemed to be purple.

Those were the days. Expansion chambers, the smell of 2 stroke, oil on your best jeans, racing Suzuki AP50's, the sound - baaaaaa ..... baaaaaaaa..... baaaaaaa........baaaaaa..........baaaaaaa.........mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......


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## was (Mar 24, 2003)

> Do you remember the Strikers...terrible things with peddle back rear brake?
> A mate had one in Met. Green ......
> Oh Happy days Â


oh the good ole days  I spent most of the time on my arse after braking by mistake :-/

Best bike on the planet for skids though [smiley=dude.gif]


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## uppTTnorth (Jul 5, 2003)

the smell of two stroke , ahhhhh , i did do the 250 Suzki GT , then 350 Yamaha and then onto a 750 Honda , but a fizzy at 16 would have been bliss.


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