Classic Bikes Custom Bikes Individual Racing Bikes AJP AJS Aprilia Ariel Avinton / Wakan Bajaj Benelli Beta Bimota BMW Brough Superior BRP Cam-Am BSA Buell / EBR Bultaco Cagiva Campagna CCM CF Moto Combat Motors Derbi Deus Ducati Excelsior GASGAS Ghezzi Brian Gilera GIMA Harley Davidson Hero Highland Honda Horex Husaberg Husqvarna Hyosung Indian Jawa Kawasaki KTM KYMCO Laverda Lazareth Magni Maico Mash Matchless Mondial Moto Guzzi Moto Morini MV Agusta MZ / MuZ NCR Norton NSU Paton Peugeot Piaggio Revival Cycles Roland Sands Royal Enfield Sachs Sherco Sunbeam Suzuki SWM SYM Triumph TVS Ural Velocette Vespa Victory Vincent VOR Voxan Vyrus Walt Siegl Walz Wrenchmonkees Wunderlich XTR / Radical Yamaha Zero Video Technical
Complete Manufacturer List

Big Bear Choppers Bear Bones

One of the big detractors of factory-custom motorcycles has been its price range. Sure, they don’t cost as much as a one-off custom, but asking prices of $30-40 grand put them out of reach of most. Enter Big Bear Choppers' newest offering, the 2010 Bear Bones, a no-nonsense chopper chock full of high end components and Big Bear Chopper styling for less than $20K.

The Bear Bones is full of Big Bear DNA. It starts with a thick-tubed BBC frame with a mid-section stretch to accommodate a 100-inch S&S Smooth Low Vibration Engine. Other proprietary parts besides the frame include the fenders, swingarm, primary drive, bars, tank, controls, and triple trees. The stretched-out, low-riding look reminiscent of most Big Bear Choppers continues in the Bear Bones via a big 21-inch front PM wheel sitting at the end of a chromed fork jutting out at a modest 34-degree rake (modest for Big Bear, that is).

To make the big bike more manageable, BBC dropped the seat height to a super-low 23 inches, brought in the foot controls in comparison to other BBC offerings, and shrunk its wheelbase. A Progressive softail suspension is tucked
"A chicken in every pot, a chopper in every driveway." So says Big Bear with the release of its new motorcycles. Even at a few hundred dollars below $20K, you can't buy the Bear Bones for just chicken scratch, but it is one of the most affordable factory custom bikes I've come across. neatly on the back end and works in conjunction with the trademark Venom arched swingarm to improve ride quality. Four-piston caliper PM brakes front and back provide stopping power.

“This Bike is built around the drop seat configuration for a low center of gravity adding stability at high speeds. This bike is comfortable, reliable and built for the customer who doesn’t want to worry about chrome or paint. It’s hardcore, it’s the real deal, just maintain and ride,” said Big Bear Choppers head honcho, Kevin Alsop.

A 6-speed Right-Side Drive Baker transmission will set the billet 250mm Performance Machine wheel in motion. If I know Kevin, you can bet that there’s a sweet exhaust note emitting from the burly 2-into-1 pipe that streaks down the Bear Bone’s right side.

The flash and pizzazz of other Big Bear Choppers has been replaced by basic black styling. This extends to the 3.5-gallon BBC tank, frame, steel fenders and bars. The Bear Bones reminds us of Kevin’s personal Big Bear rat ride, sans the 124 cubic-inch engine he runs in it. When we last talked to him, Kevin said that this bike is something he has been wanting to do for the last three years.

Source motorcycle-usa.com