Chopper 73, Part 2

The closer we get to completion, the more this wild thing starts to take shape, the more giddy I get just thinking about it. If you missed Part 1 of the build, Super73 has given me a Z1—a very cool ebike that looks sort of BMXish, sort of scramblerish, but bore enough resemblance to an old Schwinn bicycle to make me want to customize it as such. So to start, I headed out to see my buddy Jake Keough at Highwayman Garage, where we’d kick-off the choppin’ and disassembly.

What began as a very rideable, very sensible Super73–Z1 has now been chopped up and reworked to become this ridiculous stretched-out ’70s-style chopper bike. When we left off with the first installment, the frame had gone to powdercoat and the front end was being mocked up. Now the front end is done, the seat is still out getting upholstered, and we’re working with the team at Super73 on some serious brake line and electrical cable extenders. We purchased a set of Emgo handlebars from JP Cycles that matched the Schwinn style well, then built-up a tall twisted stock sissy to fit the bicycle vibe. The frame will soon be yellow, and we’re trying something new for me—powdercoating the raw steel sissy bar and fork to look chrome. This build is inspired by old Schwinn bikes, but there will be no doubt about how custom and unique this little chopper is.

The seat is currently being upholstered in sparkly white vinyl, and we will soon be making a small backpad to match, which will be installed halfway up the sissy bar. Matching sparkly grips and tassels are on order, and we’re still playing around with some options for the foot pedals. But here’s a hint: We’re thinking sparkly white.

So you caught me—we had some delays on the powdercoat after the first post, and the bike just got over there a few days ago. But the good news is there’s still a little suspense for the final unveiling! We can’t give it all up at once, can we? Part 3 will be the bike all put together and painted with fancy photos, so stay tuned to see this build come to fruition! We know we’re champing at the bit to finally see how this thing rides!