American Chopper Re-visited

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CentralOzzy · Tue Aug 30, 2005 12:47 am

A while back now here at TMW....someone wrote about Orange County Choppers.

At that time our cable TV didn't have the episodes. So I didn't have a clue about the show.

Now we do have 'American Chopper' here in Australia, although we are still a season behind (or 2).

I remember some people knocking OCC for various reasons, one was that they don't do all their own fabrication etc. but now they do....

SO....what do people think of the OCC Crew & the amazing bikes they are building now?

Mintbread · Tue Aug 30, 2005 12:57 am

Rough as the proverbial guts.

If I based it purely on aesthetics I would say they are making some nice bikes, but if someone offered me one of their bikes at even a tenth of what they charge for them, I would say no.

iwannadie · #3 Unread post by **iwannadie** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 1:23 am

they are nice to look at but dont think theres been one they made thatd id actually want to ride, let alone pay their asking prices for. just too much money for what it is especially after you see the show and see what they actually do while building them.

Nibblet99 · #4 Unread post by **Nibblet99** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 1:55 am

It's nice to see all the fabrication, but the only bike I'd ride was the iRobot one (unusual for me, as I'm normally a chromophobe) I'd probably want to add some micro indicators though

http://www.orangecountychoppers.com/all ... bot_ex.htm

stock28 · #5 Unread post by **stock28** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 3:03 am

I like the show and appreciate the bikes they build, but there is a lot of work that they have done for them. Some of the other builders seem to do almost everything themselves.

#6 Unread post by **cb360** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 4:16 am

Custom bike building has only been on my radar for a couple years so I'm certainly not an expert but I really enjoy the show. I think those guys take too much heat for their success - it's a tv show fer chrissakes - they get the best ratings in the history of the channel and I think a lot of the carping about them is based on jealousy and resentment. Discovery picked a shop they thought would make good TV - and they were obviously right. They didn't set out to identify the premier bike builder or the shop that did the most fabrication. And their bikes aren't bad either - I wouldn't ride one, but someone is buying that stuff. I doubt I'll ever own a custom bike outside of making a few small mods myself, but I look forward to the show coming on.

#7 Unread post by **ZooTech** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 4:25 am

Despite all the melodrama, I still love watching the show. I am a bit disappointed that the show took the direction it did because, as some of you may recall, the first couple of episodes were shot documentary style, with a narrator and everything. Now I think the show producers ask them to play to the camera too much, and argue every episode. There's no doubt Paul Jr. is the bread-and-butter of that show, so there's no way Paul Sr. could breathe down his neck all the time like that and expect him to stick around and take it - unless they were all asked to do it to make the show more appealing to the lowest common denominator. I also take issue with the fake deadlines they're always under. Nobody decides to build a one-off custom ten days before a show unless they're mentally challenged, but I see Paulie installing fenders that are barely dry to the touch, and the paint gets damaged because of it. All I can say to that is, "Yuck!"

But I'll still watch!

Incidentally, the builders I really like are Jesse James and Chip Foose. Watching American Hotrod makes me ill.

bennettoid · Tue Aug 30, 2005 4:27 am

I enjoy the show, but the bikes are just show pieces -- not really meant to be ridden every day, therefore I couldn't own one, unless I hit the lottery.

iwannadie · #9 Unread post by **iwannadie** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 4:29 am

ZooTech wrote:Despite all the melodrama, I still love watching the show. I am a bit disappointed that the show took the direction it did because, as some of you may recall, the first couple of episodes were shot documentary style, with a narrator and everything. Now I think the show producers ask them to play to the camera too much, and argue every episode. There's no doubt Paul Jr. is the bread-and-butter of that show, so there's no way Paul Sr. could breathe down his neck all the time like that and expect him to stick around and take it - unless they were all asked to do it to make the show more appealing to the lowest common denominator. I also take issue with the fake deadlines they're always under. Nobody decides to build a one-off custom ten days before a show unless they're mentally challenged, but I see Paulie installing fenders that are barely dry to the touch, and the paint gets damaged because of it. All I can say to that is, "Yuck!"

But I'll still watch!

Incidentally, the builders I really like are Jesse James and Chip Foose. Watching American Hotrod makes me ill.

i never got the deadline thing either, i mean your buying an Expensive bike from someone youd think youd want to give thema s much time as possible to make it perfect not 10 days or whatever. its all for tv they need to keep them moving new bikes in for new episodes. and the whole drama of 'will they finish it' kicks in i guess. i like when they are working the night before and something major doesnt fit right. one time the back fender wasnt linning up so they were pulling on it trying to bend it and eventually gave up cause of the 'deadline'.

#10 Unread post by **cb360** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 4:43 am

Yeah, the deadlines are all about making exciting TV. I think some of them are real, a corporate outing or a football game or something, but a lot of them are just 'we need to get that bike ready if we want to make it to this rally' kind of things. I guess Paul and Paul Jr. (and Mikey to some extent) make the show. But I really enjoy watching Vinnie and Rick. The Teutel's run things but it's the other two guys who do most of the work. They seem to really know what they are doing when it comes to motors and wiring, etc.