The Fantic Chopper is a moped that Fantic built in the early 1970s, copying the stance of the American choppers made popular by the film Easy Rider. With its forward front fork and a seat fitted with a backrest, it was the only model of the kind in Italian showrooms, and it sold well both at home and in Britain.
Fantic Chopper at a glance
| Maker | Fantic Motor, Barzago, Italy |
|---|---|
| Type | moped, chopper styling |
| Layout | advanced front fork and seat with backrest |
| Inspiration | American choppers, as seen in Easy Rider |
| Engine | 49 cc two-stroke, also built in 125 cc form |
| In Italy | the only chopper-style machine on sale |
| British imports | from 1972 by Barron Eurotrade Ltd of Hornchurch, Essex |
| Top speed | 130 km/h (81 mph) for the 125 cc model in a factory test |
| Publicity | a 125 cc Chopper was given to the comedian Dick Emery |
| Production run | short: the moped boom lasted only a handful of years |
No Wikipedia article is devoted to the Chopper; the model is described in the history sections of the Italian and English articles on Fantic Motor.
History of the Fantic Chopper
Born from the Caballero
When the Caballero became a best-seller, Fantic put another moped on sale on the back of its success: the Chopper. It copied the typical stance of the American motorcycles made famous by the film Easy Rider, with the front fork pushed far forward and a seat fitted with a backrest. Since it was the only example of this kind available in Italy, the model achieved good sales results too.
Export to Britain
Fantic began exporting to the United Kingdom in 1972, in the wave of manufacturers taking advantage of the “sixteener laws”, which stopped sixteen-year-old riders from using motorcycles up to 250 cc. The British importer was Barron Eurotrade Ltd, based at 51 High Street, Hornchurch in Essex, and the idea of forming the company came from one of its founders seeing the 50 cc Chopper publicised in an American motorcycle magazine sent by his brother-in-law from the United States. The 125 cc Chopper could reach 80 mph, and a test rider from the importer saw 130 km/h (81 mph) when the model was first demonstrated to him at the Fantic factory in Barzago. Part of the marketing was a 125 cc Chopper given to the comedian Dick Emery, and the official studio photograph of the model was taken in London.
The end of the boom
The market for this kind of moped lasted only a handful of years. Fantic also made larger-engined versions of the Chopper and Caballero for licensed sixteen-year-olds, but those did not repeat the success of the small machines, and the 1982 Strada 125 fared better than they did.
Design and features
- Chopper stance: the advanced front fork and the backrest behind the seat were the whole point of the model.
- Two sizes: a 49 cc moped for fourteen-year-olds and a 125 cc version for older riders.
- British success: the Chopper was the model that brought the importer Barron Eurotrade and Fantic together.
- Celebrity publicity: a 125 cc example was given to the comedian Dick Emery.
- A short life: sales lasted only while the moped boom did, and the model was not continued into the 1980s.
Fantic Chopper versions
- Chopper 50: the 49 cc moped, the model that started British imports.
- Chopper 125: the larger version, capable of 130 km/h in a factory test.
- Larger-engined versions: built for licensed sixteen-year-olds, without the success of the small models.
The Chopper was created on the wave of the Caballero, and the road model of the same catalogue was the 50 GT. More machines are in the Fantic collection.
Sources
- Fantic Motor, Italian Wikipedia: origin of the Chopper, Easy Rider inspiration, Italian sales
- Fantic Motor, English Wikipedia: British import, importer, top speed, Dick Emery, end of the moped market
