That looks like the same chopper from a poor 2 part restoration I just watched, you have done a great job on that, I'd love one in that condition in my spare room would be an amazing focal point.
£35 mine was in summer of 73 for my birthday. Dad bought it on HP, took a about a year or so to pay it off to Halfords. A small fortune in those days. First thing I did was remove the fixed forward handlebars and replace with proper adjustable wide pig bars just like the mark 1. I also had : mirrors, front back lights with tyre generator, speedo (Choppers were slow but managed 40mph downhill) front/rear mudflaps, a air pump, a water bottle, a mini tool kit hidden under the seat, stretch bendy holders so you could carry shopping on the rear rack, a axle fabric cleaner on rear/front axles so no build up of dirty oil, the rear light fitted perfectly between the rear reflector and the rear mudguard just like the new motorbikes of the day, a horn, custom handgrips, streamers from the bars, a flag on the back, the tyres blacked..always, a few select transfers. You could get your girlfriend on the seat. As Rolls would say "nothing must compromise the ride" it was uniquely smooth on a flat road. Sometimes, you would want to 'over speed' 30mph and you could imagine the bike saying "Are you sure Sir?" No, it was heavy and built for it's looks like a Harley without the engine. Sold mine "regretfully" in 78 got £12,50 for it and put it towards a ten speed racer (just a bike really, nothing special) which more or less sat in the garage till my first car came along. Five happy years of childhood with that Raleigh Chopper. One new tyre, a few brake blocks and rear bearings replaced.. that's it. It was washed and polished every week and dried down if it had been out in the rain. It was sold as good as new, a few scratches here and there, in fact, I sold it too cheaply. Life was never the same again, end of an era.
Beautiful. I still have my purple Mk11 from when i was a kid and hope to restore it in the next couple of years. Mind you i still ride it down to the shop to buy milk or a pie in Hamilton NZ. Mike.
Magnifique restauration !😍 Et j'ai eu exactement le même Raleigh chopper MK2 avec la même couleur que celui-ci.😍 Il me reste une photo de moi sur ce vélo, seul souvenir qu'il me reste de lui.😕 Mais toutes mes bonnes balades restent de merveilleux souvenirs avec lui. Je fais partie des rares Français qui ont eu ce privilège de l'avoir eu, à l'époque nous étions au Nigeria il fut acheté là-bas. Puis au retour on l'a ramené en France. Ç'est toute mon enfance qui remonte et j'aimerais bien en retrouver un en état roulant. Enfin reste les souvenirs en tout cas, merci pour ce partage. Et bravo pour la restauration.
Speaking of effort, can anybody share a tip on how to release the sissy bar/seatpost that seems to have seized in position, also where can I get the tool that removes the kickstand???
OMG that is really awesome and brought back some vivid childhood memories, mine cost around £37 in 1973, if you do not mind me asking please how much did the refurb cost?
Thank you. Cost approximately £750. I did lose money on it when I sold it, although I was doing it more for the restoration project than the cost. My aim was to get it as good as poss. Cheers
@@whippetRalph wow, that is a very reasonable price. I have had quotes just to do the rechroming at 1000-1100 quid. Apart from the wheels, it is cheaper to resort to 3rd party new parts, such as the ape hanger...
@@whippetRalph I have seen restored Chopper bikes online and they range from about £1500 to £2000 to buy restored. Just out of interest how do get those new looking tyes and are they specially made or original tyres from another bike.
@@whippetRalph Rubber tyes perish overtime and so they can't be original tyes because the rubber would have perished and split by now and they must be new tyres.
Hi I am restoring exactly the same bike and year. Nearly finished but when I assemble the rear brake caliper the brake shoes are too close to the rear frame side bars. I can't figure out if I missing a spacer or something. Would it be possible to show me how your rear caliper bolt and spacers are configured please? I also can't work out why the spacer that should end up touching the frame has a cut out in it. Thanks very much, great restoration. Jeremy
Hi Jeremy. I sold the bike a couple of years ago now. The rear brake from what I remember was bit of a minefield. It does sound like a spacer issue, maybe in incorrect position. The only advice I can give is either try google imaging one, make sure the caliper you are fitting is for the rear (sure they were different although could be wrong). Also, nothing to do with issue but remember to put your caliper frame stops on (90 degree brackets) to prevent caliper twisting when you apply the brake. Sorry this probably doesn’t help but good luck anyway.
@@whippetRalph Really nice of you to take the time to reply....will follow your advice..Jeremy in Sydney Australia where these bikes are super rare. As a South African kid in the late 60's I owned a Mk1 in Johannesburg...
Hi! What a Beauty bicicle, and what an amazing restauration! Where did found the pieces mate? I got a Chopper MK1 but can't work un it, because i don't found the pieces. Congrats and Grettings from México.
Thank you Abner. The parts were sourced off eBay, they are much cheaper to get ready finished. Most of the parts on this project were beyond repair and or to costly and time consuming. 👍
Hi Chris. Thanks. I had to buy rechromed parts unfortunately, the parts on this one were beyond chroming, especially the wheels . Some other parts I could have had done, but when you add up the cost and waiting time it wasn’t worth it. And the frame and forks are painted by a good friend who owns a body shop. Regards, Dave.
That looks like the same chopper from a poor 2 part restoration I just watched, you have done a great job on that, I'd love one in that condition in my spare room would be an amazing focal point.
Mine was orange, the Rolls Royce of bikes. Love to see an electric assisted one made.
£35 mine was in summer of 73 for my birthday. Dad bought it on HP, took a about a year or so to pay it off to Halfords. A small fortune in those days. First thing I did was remove the fixed forward handlebars and replace with proper adjustable wide pig bars just like the mark 1. I also had : mirrors, front back lights with tyre generator, speedo (Choppers were slow but managed 40mph downhill) front/rear mudflaps, a air pump, a water bottle, a mini tool kit hidden under the seat, stretch bendy holders so you could carry shopping on the rear rack, a axle fabric cleaner on rear/front axles so no build up of dirty oil, the rear light fitted perfectly between the rear reflector and the rear mudguard just like the new motorbikes of the day, a horn, custom handgrips, streamers from the bars, a flag on the back, the tyres blacked..always, a few select transfers. You could get your girlfriend on the seat. As Rolls would say "nothing must compromise the ride" it was uniquely smooth on a flat road. Sometimes, you would want to 'over speed' 30mph and you could imagine the bike saying "Are you sure Sir?" No, it was heavy and built for it's looks like a Harley without the engine. Sold mine "regretfully" in 78 got £12,50 for it and put it towards a ten speed racer (just a bike really, nothing special) which more or less sat in the garage till my first car came along. Five happy years of childhood with that Raleigh Chopper. One new tyre, a few brake blocks and rear bearings replaced.. that's it. It was washed and polished every week and dried down if it had been out in the rain. It was sold as good as new, a few scratches here and there, in fact, I sold it too cheaply. Life was never the same again, end of an era.
Beautiful work..
Thanks
Beautiful.
I still have my purple Mk11 from when i was a kid and hope to restore it in the next couple of years. Mind you i still ride it down to the shop to buy milk or a pie in Hamilton NZ. Mike.
any chance of selling? im from South Africa
Magnifique restauration !😍
Et j'ai eu exactement le même Raleigh chopper MK2 avec la même couleur que celui-ci.😍
Il me reste une photo de moi sur ce vélo, seul souvenir qu'il me reste de lui.😕
Mais toutes mes bonnes balades restent de merveilleux souvenirs avec lui.
Je fais partie des rares Français qui ont eu ce privilège de l'avoir eu, à l'époque nous étions au Nigeria il fut acheté là-bas.
Puis au retour on l'a ramené en France.
Ç'est toute mon enfance qui remonte et j'aimerais bien en retrouver un en état roulant.
Enfin reste les souvenirs en tout cas, merci pour ce partage.
Et bravo pour la restauration.
Very nice and clean looking! Top work
Welldone Sir. I did it also 10-15 years ago all my 7 Raleigh chopper. Unfortunately I didn't made a video like yours. Just take photos.
Doesn’t matter, as long as you can still look back at your achievement. 👍
looks beautiful,, im working on one as well MK2 orange bk
Thank you. Good luck with your project.
Wow what fantastic restoration job.That would sell for a lot on ebay.
Looks fantastic , just brought a 1977 mk2 last week.
Hope to restore it to your standard .
Great work.
Thank you and good luck. 👍
great job , well worth the effort .
Speaking of effort, can anybody share a tip on how to release the sissy bar/seatpost that seems to have seized in position, also where can I get the tool that removes the kickstand???
I have a Mk 1 1970 in red love to show it off to folk who like me just love them
having a laugh not painting that red mate, beautifully done though!
Wow just fabulous bud great job can u paint my lambretta 4 me please
Mantep boos kuuu,,,.
Perfect job. Now can you do a voice over explaining details, time frame. Would be good.
lovely.
Thank you
If you go on adverts.ie they have nice choppers
GREAT JOB! I´ve buyied the same MK2 in violet for 400,- Euros ready for Restauration :-)
Looks like a Mk 3 to me
The mark 3 was a copy of the original Chopper bikes and the mark 3 doesn't have the gear lever on the frame where the mark 2 has the gear lever.
I HAVE THE SAME CROCK POT HAHA
OMG that is really awesome and brought back some vivid childhood memories, mine cost around £37 in 1973, if you do not mind me asking please how much did the refurb cost?
Thank you. Cost approximately £750. I did lose money on it when I sold it, although I was doing it more for the restoration project than the cost. My aim was to get it as good as poss. Cheers
@@whippetRalph wow, that is a very reasonable price. I have had quotes just to do the rechroming at 1000-1100 quid. Apart from the wheels, it is cheaper to resort to 3rd party new parts, such as the ape hanger...
@@whippetRalph I have seen restored Chopper bikes online and they range from about £1500 to £2000 to buy restored. Just out of interest how do get those new looking tyes and are they specially made or original tyres from another bike.
Hi. At the time I restored it, I managed to find some brand new ones on eBay. Think they may still make them, although don’t quote me on that. 👍
@@whippetRalph Rubber tyes perish overtime and so they can't be original tyes because the rubber would have perished and split by now and they must be new tyres.
Hi I am restoring exactly the same bike and year. Nearly finished but when I assemble the rear brake caliper the brake shoes are too close to the rear frame side bars. I can't figure out if I missing a spacer or something. Would it be possible to show me how your rear caliper bolt and spacers are configured please? I also can't work out why the spacer that should end up touching the frame has a cut out in it. Thanks very much, great restoration. Jeremy
Hi Jeremy. I sold the bike a couple of years ago now. The rear brake from what I remember was bit of a minefield. It does sound like a spacer issue, maybe in incorrect position. The only advice I can give is either try google imaging one, make sure the caliper you are fitting is for the rear (sure they were different although could be wrong). Also, nothing to do with issue but remember to put your caliper frame stops on (90 degree brackets) to prevent caliper twisting when you apply the brake. Sorry this probably doesn’t help but good luck anyway.
@@whippetRalph Really nice of you to take the time to reply....will follow your advice..Jeremy in Sydney Australia where these bikes are super rare. As a South African kid in the late 60's I owned a Mk1 in Johannesburg...
Difficult to find these Choppers here in Durban or Johannesburg.
Jeremy, If you are still having problems with the back brake. Try this th-cam.com/video/FFSpf54fuLk/w-d-xo.html Go to 20:29 In the Video, Good Luck.
Hi! What a Beauty bicicle, and what an amazing restauration! Where did found the pieces mate? I got a Chopper MK1 but can't work un it, because i don't found the pieces. Congrats and Grettings from México.
Thank you Abner. The parts were sourced off eBay, they are much cheaper to get ready finished. Most of the parts on this project were beyond repair and or to costly and time consuming. 👍
Thank you so much! 😊
Hi mate great job. Did you have all original chromeRechromed or buy some other parts. Is that painted or powder coated .looks amazing. Chris
Hi Chris. Thanks. I had to buy rechromed parts unfortunately, the parts on this one were beyond chroming, especially the wheels . Some other parts I could have had done, but when you add up the cost and waiting time it wasn’t worth it. And the frame and forks are painted by a good friend who owns a body shop.
Regards, Dave.
Hi there, how do u remove the front Raleigh logo and how to refurbished it?
Hi. Drill out badge rivets, new replacements can be bought. Use paint stripper for the badge and repaint using fine brush. 👍
I have a Mk1 blue.... I cannot find a full assembly diagram for it
Did you restore the weeks?how did you get the chrome re done? Thanks!
Had to buy already re chromed wheels. Original wheels were scrap including spokes and hubs.
Donde puedo encontrar una bicicleta de estas
la sugerencia más sencilla es ebay. la mayoría de ellos creo que están aquí en el Reino Unido.
Hi where did you get the paint from
Hi. It was from a local automotive paint supplier who matched it as best as possible with the chain guard. Think it was a Morris marina kinda colour.
What spray colour name/number is the purple on the framework
Can’t remember the exact name/colour number but colour I used was somewhere close to a Morris marina colour.