Chopper rake?

[Cotmullion]

I've been building a minichopper over half term. It has a scratch built frame from one inch square section (mainly) and a Briggs 3hp for the engine. it has a 10t clutch, and a 16 inch rear wheel, which is pretty wide (chopper style). The front wheel is going to be a bike wheel, maybe 20 inch. The gear ratio is going to be 6:1 (60 tooth on the axle) and the forks are made from 1.5 inch steel tubing. The chopper is so far 7.5 feet long, and that's without wheels, so when finished it should be over 8 feet!
My question is: Is 35* too extreme for the rake? It seems OK and dosen't look daftly long; what's the angle on your chopper(s). Also, what size front bike wheel? I'm aware that the bigger the wheel, the shorter the forks and the less leverage and strain on the neck. I want it to be as big as possible without it looking unchopper-ish. Give me some suggestions.....

 

[sayre315]

well 35 isnt too bad atall
and as for the front wheel im putting a 14" wheel on mine and it looks great!

 

[newrider3]

Keep in mind that the head angle of your typical mountain bike is 69 degrees, and the head angle of a BMX bike is usually 74.5 degrees. As for the front wheel, a 20" bike wheel would probably look the best, and function pretty well.

 

[Cotmullion]

Keep in mind that the head angle of your typical mountain bike is 69 degrees, and the head angle of a BMX bike is usually 74.5 degrees. As for the front wheel, a 20" bike wheel would probably look the best, and function pretty well.

Thanks for the advice. The front wheel size is going to be partly dependent on the strength of the neck.