Motorcycle design is like what happens in the fashion industry. What’s en vogue today is blasé tomorrow. Not long ago, super-sized motorcycles with monster engines and huge backsides, like this 2006 Bourget Python chopper recently offered on eBay, were all the rage. No longer.
Fueled by the success of custom bike shows like Biker Build-Off and Orange County Choppers, monster motorcycles boomed in popularity in the early 2000s. Boutique manufacturers like Big Dog Motorcycles, Big Bear Choppers, and American IronHorse could barely build them fast enough. But then, almost as quickly as these big bikes boomed, the fad waned, and the market for them went belly-up.
Bourget Choppers Led The Big Tire Trend
Even though Bourget Bike Works’ heyday has passed, the outfit is an outlier. What began in Roger Bourget’s three-car garage in 1991 grew into a 76,000-square-foot complex in Phoenix, Ariz. At its height, Bourget had a 40-dealer network in 25 states.
Bourget was a true innovator. By 1993, he was well-known for his drop seat on big custom motorcycles with long front ends. In addition, he was the first to start building custom bikes with a 170-17 rear tire, and to push the envelope of the big tire movement to 330mm wide, as seen on this Python chopper.
His crowning achievements were his patented designs, including an oil-in-frame/drop-seat chassis. Using oversized steel tubing, he built the frame to serve as a four-quart oil tank. The oil is filled via a small opening between the downtubes, while a series of oil lines and welded frame segments allow fluid to travel through the frame to the engine.
Bourget also received a patent for his jackshaft between the rear tire and the primary drive. The two-inch diameter shaft takes power from the transmission and relays it to the two-inch pulley on the rear wheel. This design accomodates ultra-wide tires while keeping the driveline centered in the chassis. The 2006 Bourget Python on eBay features both of Bourget’s patented designs.
Custom Power (Including Bottles of Nitrous)
Bourget also allowed patrons to tailor custom motorcycles like fine Italian suits. Customers could choose from various engine sizes; this one is equipped with a polished 113ci S&S V-twin. This Bourget chopper also has bottles of nitrous mounted on the downtubes, as adding NOS was another option.
A beautiful Eddie Trotta velocity stack air cleaner ensures this fire-breather inhales plenty of the good stuff, while dual shorty exhaust pipes are responsible for its roar. Regarding cruiser and custom motorcycles, Baker drivetrains are the best in the business. The bike’s former owner wisely chose a Baker six-speed transmission to handle the 1851cc of power this bad boy puts out.
Shiny Chrome, Candy Apple, and Massive Tires
The Bourget Bike Works chrome front end is punched at a 47-degree angle, and its oversized steel tube frame was seriously stretched. The wheels, rear pulley, and brake disc are from Bourget’s Blade collection.
While the front Avon tire is a modest 21 inches tall and 3.5 inches wide, the rear tire is a massive 330mm (almost 13 inches) wide. From the fork to the engine, wheels, and controls, this Bourget chopper has plenty of shiny polished chrome to complement the custom Candy Apple Red Pearl paint job and Vivid Black Tribal Blade graphics. Deano, a long-time fixture in the Tempe, Ariz., custom motorcycle scene, laid down the paint. The color scheme adds to the bike’s cool factor.
Even though prime time has passed for these monstrous motorcycles, you still see Bourget choppers cruising down Main Streets at rallies like Daytona Beach Bike Week. Fashion trends come and go, but this chopper’s striking style and prodigious power live on.
