Cheap chopper kits like the Ultima Products Fat Bastard 250 completed above offer the novice builder an easy way to get exactly what they want without nearly as many snags and problems as a "build from the ground up" projects.
Of course, even the cheap chopper kits are not quite a low priced as the ground up build, but the price difference can be really worth the difference.
Did you ever build a model airplane when you were a kid? Well, you can do basically the same type of project, but end up with a full-size, cheap chopper kit bike.
No one except you will know that the chopper came as a kit once it is up and running. These kit choppers look, ride, and perform just like a chopper off the custom motorcycle builder's showroom floor.
Granted, the tools you need are larger, and the footprint for working on the project is a lot larger than a model airplane, but the concept of everything you need coming in a single box is just the same.
You can choose a rolling chassis chopper kit bike package that covers everything you need for the chassis as well as tires and wheels. Then, you build the chassis and add your own drive train.
This is a great way for someone to turn an existing stock motorcycle into a gorgeous chopper both easily and cheaply. But what if you do not have a motor and transmission already?
Then you want to buy a complete chopper kit bike which has everything you need to get from the shipping box onto the highway -- well, almost.
You still have to get a road-worthy inspection, registration, tag, title and insurance before you go on the road, but that process is simple since you can title a kit bike much more easily than you could ever hope to build a chopper from scratch and get a builder's title.
Of course, what you select for your cheap chopper kit bike depends on what you call cheap. You can spend quite a bit on some chopper kits. West Coast chopper style kits are can in excess of $20,000 quite easily, but considering that you end up with a look that could cost in excess of $100,000 when Jesse James does the work for you, that is still pretty darn cheap.
If you are on a shoe string budget, you can get quite a lot of chopper in a kit bike for around $5,000 or a bit more. If you haven't built three or four choppers in the past, just the savings in time due to the extensive instructions will just about pay for the kit!
After all, we all know about the time and money involved when you believe your basket case will come together easily, only to learn that you have to invest more and more money, time, energy, and even expenses for professional help to solve major problems.
So, if you dream of owning a custom chopper, you really do have that dream come true. Look into your choices for cheap chopper kit bikes and you'll be shocked at the quality and choices you'll find.