Sportster: A Chopper Profile

The Sportster chopper has allowed people to think twice when they hear Mitchell, South Dakota. That's because Mitchell had really been known for its Corn Palace. But now that Klock Werks has set up shop, it is also known as being the "Sportster Capital" of the United States.

Chopper Image Gallery

Klock Werks primarily customizes Harley-Davidson Sportsters; a rare specialty, as most Harley customs start life as one of the company's larger Big Twins. For the Sportster, Klock Werks modified a 1998 Sportster, smoothing the welds in the frame and molding curves into the tubing joints.

A new swingarm on the Sportster allowed use of a wide 180-mm rear tire and a fender from the Jesse James catalog, which also supplied the front fender. The fuel tank was stretched, and revised triple trees gave the forks an extra five degrees of rake. All this resulted in a bike that looks longer and lower than a stock Sportster.

Further touches on the Sportster include a set of Performance Machine wheels, a digital gauge cluster, and "chopper style" headlight and taillight. Topping it all off is a metallic blue paint job highlighted with tribal flames hiding ghosted skulls.

Klock Werks' Sportsters are well-known in South Dakota and are always a sight to behold. As an attraction in Mitchell, it appears the Corn Palace has some new competition.

Go to the next page for more photos and details of this Harley-Davidson-powered chopper, the Sportster.

For more information on custom choppers and motorcycles, see: