These are strange times in the custom chopper industry. The chopper, the minimalist motorcycle with the iconic extension of the front wheel, has hit something equivalent to a patch of gravel in the marketplace. Sales, like these ill-handling bikes often do, are skidding.

Reasons most often given for the decline include too many people trying to get into the business of making them (including schlock artists), a silly season on pricing and a lousy U.S. economy. Jesse James, the noted chopper designer, has even been quoted as saying the custom chopper industry is "dead."

So is this the time for a new manufacturer to enter the market?

Harley-Davidson thinks so. The venerable Milwaukee-based motor company has added the new Rocker, a single-seater, and the Rocker C, a dual-seat variation, to its lineup for 2008. Although Harley-Davidson doesn't break out sales figures for individual models, dealers have given the company feedback that "the Rocker is hot." It is certainly one of the most talked about new models for 2008.

Isn't it somewhat comical to think of Harley-Davidson as a rookie in the chopper market? After all, the inspiration for many, if not most, choppers has been Harley-Davidsons.

Choppers often start as Harleys or Harley clones, reimagined by intrepid backyard mechanics armed with hammers, cutting torches and grinders. The results are often crude, as might be expected from a cottage industry of mostly rank amateurs armed with do-it-yourself part catalogs and little practical knowledge. They usually look cool, though.

The most common rap against choppers is that they are beasts to control. The extended front forks and often-awkward handlebar layouts are prime reasons they won't turn. An equally egregious part of the equation is often an oversized rear tire. Choppers go down the road OK, as long as they are in a straight line.

Harley-Davidson has taken some time and engineering effort to figure out these issues. The result is a seeming contradiction in terms: a chopper that handles.

The Rocker is a member of the company's popular family of "softail" bikes that includes top sellers such as the Fat Boy and Heritage Classic. The Rocker, technically a FXCW in Harley jargon, features a wheelbase that, due to its extended 37.5-degree front fork angle, has been pushed out about 5 inches over either of those bikes. But the overall length of the Rocker is only 1 inch more than either of its stablemates - a clever optical illusion from a bike that looks much longer.

In more sleight of hand, the rear fender has been attached to the rear wheel assembly and suspension, giving the Rocker the appearance of a free-floating back wheel. Still, 3.5 inches of suspension travel have been built into it. The Rocker also has a fat, 240 mm-width rear tire, compared with 150 mm for the Heritage Classic. The front tire is a 90 mm width, and is mounted on a 19-inch wheel.

The Rocker also features a lowered seat, forward-mounted controls that give a "fist-forward" riding position and a clean design in which many wires and cables are hidden inside assemblies such as the handlebars. The Rocker has matching powder-coating on the frame and many mechanical components, while the Rocker C has chrome in most of the same areas.

With a suggested retail price of $17,295 for the Rocker and $19,495 for the Rocker C, Harley-Davidson will soon find out whether it has seized an opportunity in a down-market or arrived to the genre years too late.

Somehow, Harley-Davidson engineers have balanced the weight between front and rear, and achieved a light-steering, precise, responsive chopper that rocks, no matter which way it's pointed.

Jerry Garrett is a freelance automotive writer.

Visit Copley News Service at www.copleynews.com.

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CNS SPECS BOX

2008 Harley-Davidson FXCW (and FXCW-C) Softail Rocker

Engine: V-Twin Cam 96B (1,584cc) w/EFI (electronic fuel injection)

Horsepower: 66, estimated

Torque: 88 foot-pounds at 2,750 rpm

Transmission: Six-speed

Fuel capacity: 5 gallons

Fuel economy: 35 city/54 highway

Dry weight: 660 pounds

Length/wheelbase: 95/69.2 inches

Seat height: 24.5 inches

Tires and wheels: 90/90x19 front, 19x2.15; 240/40R18 rear, 18x8

Suspension: 49 mm telescoping forks, front; swingarm with coil-over shocks rear

MSRP: $17,295 Rocker, $19,495 Rocker C

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By Jerry Garrett

Copley News Service