But is it a chopper?

Our April cover featured a photo of clothing designer Quinn Thompson astride his motorcycle, which he described as a "Harley chopper." We've since heard from several motorcycle enthusiasts among our readers, who insist that Thompson's bike is neither a Harley nor a chopper. (Thompson's bike features a motor made by S&S and a Harley-Davidson wishbone frame.) "It's not even near the size needed to be considered a chopper," says reader William Xavier. "Someone there obviously doesn't know motorcycles." Intrigued, we checked with experts at the American Motorcyclist Association (amadirectlink.com), the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum (motorcyclemuseum.org), and custom-bike manufacturer Orange County Choppers (orangecountychoppers.com) in Montgomery, N.Y. All agreed that any customized motorcycle of the cruiser style will be called a chopper by some. "It's really a matter of opinion there's no official standard," says the AMA's Lance Oliver. "There will always be those who argue that a 'true' chopper has to meet a list of additional criteria. These are the kinds of things that we motorcycle nuts can debate endlessly among ourselves over the campfire."