2008 Big Dog Choppers Ridgeback

Speaking of the 330 rear tire, the short rear fender really lets onlookers get an eyeful of rubber as you blast past them. Although the ultra low profile sidewall of the tire lets the 17x12-inch rear wheel gleam in all its massive glory, it still took some effort to keep the bike hooked into the turns.

The 4-piston PM calipers and 2-piece floating rotors did a decent job of slowing the rigid chopper down, even with all that rotating mass hanging in the rear. We were able to dip the bike into tight turns and lightly scrape the footpegs; however, it was usually at greatly reduced speeds, and a workout if we hit several switchbacks in a row.

Overall, the bike handled pretty well for being such an extreme chopper, and the detailed fit and finish was exactly what we've come to admire about BDM. If you've got a healthy back and aren't intimidated by the dimensions, you can have some fun on this bike. While it's not the most agile of bikes and it might not be the first to reach the top of a twisty mountain ride, it'll definitely be the center of attention when it gets there. You'd be hard-pressed to find or build a ground-up custom chopper that exudes this much attitude. It has a base price of just under $30,000, and is backed by a 2-year factory warranty.