What is your thoughts about custom choppers ?

I agree one hundred percent with UK. They look cool, but handling is something you would never associate with a chopper. A few years ago a local Big Dog dealer was trying to sell his last remaining choppers. Almost giving them away, and even then I think he just kept a couple, only because it made sense financially.

Everyone should try a hardtail at one time, it's the only way you'll understand the beating your body takes because of it. If you have a front end that is kicked out your turning circle will increase exponentially. At that point the only thing you'll need are ape hangers about a foot above your head and you'll be good to go.

I'm not telling you not to buy one but, they can be a handful. As for riding naked, it's the only way I ride my Sportster. But it has suspension, eh somewhat, and I like how it handles. For a Harley it's a lightweight.

Old skool choppers were silly in a lot of ways but nowadays we have an even worse trend, Big Wheel Baggers.

The formula is simple, take a great riding bagger (Harley street glide or Victory Cross County or Vision usually) that was designed to handle well and cruise across a continent, and do everything possible to make that impossible...extend the rear bags, lower the suspension and add air ride so the bike can sit on the frame ( But can't corner without grinding on the ground) , and then put on a 30+ inch GIANT front wheel and poorly designed rake kit to totally kill the handling. Take off the windshield and replace it with a 3" high painted black blade screen, and make sure to add a set of 18" apes too to make it even worse to handle and put your hands up above the fairing.
Then take the engine and throw a bunch of random performance parts that make it totally the wrong powerplant for a touring bike, if your really want to be rad you can go twin turbo and or add a stupidcharger. These mechanical mods are usually complimented by the loudest exhaust system physically possible, and of course a 300 HP nitrous system. Add a few practical touches like flame thrower exhaust and a 50,000 watt sound system with 4 batteries filling up the bags to power it and you have the quintessential "Big Wheel Bagger"

Building one of these people spend 50-100K on top of the price of the bike, they post pictures, tell how they ride so well, handle 'almost' the same as they did before the mods, when questioned they post videos of them riding in a straight line to prove how well they corner and then 6 months later you see them for sale for 1/3 of what they cost with no buyers even interested.

I know that the origin of "Choppers" were regular motorcycles that the owners "chopped" off parts that were non-essential, including the front brake (back in the days when many riders would not use a front brake, considering it suicidal) to reduce weight and improve speed. But today they appear to be bikes that some want as a means of garnering personal attention, just like loud pipes and "ape hanger" handlebars. And some "choppers" have all of the above. Maybe I'm crazy, but I always thought motorcycles were for riding, not for compensating for shortfalls in your life so that you would be noticed by others. But each to their own. If having a bike that can barely make a turn, has no storage capability, a tiny seat and probably little or no rear suspension, is what gets you excited, go for it. Maybe some of those that ride choppers are doing a form of "dress up", like kids putting on costumes. They can ride around looked bad-ass in their own mind and then go back to their normal lives. If that makes them happy, then its all good, man.