Motorbike Custom Choppers on a Budget

Most every motorcycle enthusiast dreams of owning their very own Harley Davidson. However, for most of us this remains just that -- a dream. Indeed, the custom cruiser or chopper motorbike market includes many of the most expensive bikes around and many choose to avoid this market for that very reason. Since a number of Asian manufacturers have entered the custom cruiser market however, the possibility of owning a great quality chopper bike is within everyone`s reach -- whatever their budget.

In fact, there are a number of reasonably priced cruiser-style motorbikes on the market at present that have been manufactured in Asia; all of which are more than a match for their infinitely more expensive Japanese, American or German counterparts. Manufacturers from countries such as China, Korea and Taiwan have all introduced one or two budget-priced cruiser bikes into their range that have gone on to receive positive reviews from motorcycle enthusiasts and experts from around the globe.

One manufacturer that has had a huge impact on the market has been AJS. While AJS were of course originally an exclusively British company, in recent years they have teamed up with manufacturers from China to produce a number of relatively cheap bikes. The Regal Raptor, for example, has won a huge number of fans worldwide. Available in either a 125 or 250 version the Regal Raptor is regarded by many as the best looking small cruiser bike on the market.

For certain, the 125 version is no power rocket and with a BHP of a mere 11 is mainly suitable for short trips into town. However, the look of the bike more than makes up for its lack of power. Sporting an impressive amount of traditional chrome, the Regal Raptor is also designed to look infinitely bigger than your average 125. The recent addition of a new spoke-style front wheel, which has many mistaking it for a real Harley, has also added a few more admirers to its list.

Many however, claim the AJS range cannot come close to the cruiser model that has been produced by the Taiwanese based Hyosung company -- the excellent GV250 Aquilla. Again sporting a traditional cruiser style reminiscent of the Harley range, the GV250 makes the perfect alternative should you be shopping on a budget. Packing an impressive 28BHP, the GV 250 is no slouch either, in fact, in one recent head to head the Aquilla beat it`s Yamaha rival hands down both in terms of power and handling.

Nonetheless, for many -- the current reviewer included -- the pick of the lot in the budget cruiser market is the glorious Korean-built Kymco Venox. A one-off design, the Venox is unfortunately only available in a 250 version, while for looks alone there is really no other model that comes anywhere close. A surprise addition to the Kymco range (Kymco have been making great quality budget scooters for many years) the Venox has a design and quality of construction that wins top marks from every cruiser connoisseur. www.bikes.org.uk loves it as do a number of other top speciality sites. Furthermore, having been manufactured in Korea the Venox can be picked up at a fraction of the price of its, comparatively dull, Japanese rivals.