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I like the show, it reality TV that I can actually watch, sure it may be upped a notch for TV but who cares, its a bike show, something I'm interested in.

American Hot Rod is worse by far, all they do is fire people . Alot more dirty bickering and half-assery on that show than american chopper I think.

The whole deadline think stems from trying to make a series. Just imagine if each bike took months to build, there would only be a new episode like every two months, hard to make a series that way so I think the deadline is just to be able to put out a new show at least every week.

rapidblue wrote: American Hot Rod is worse by far, all they do is fire people . Alot more dirty bickering and half-assery on that show than american chopper I think.

No kidding! Did you see when Blue Bear cracked that aluminum frame spar? Good thing aluminum is so cheap! (sic)

The show I really get into is "A Bike is Born" with that British bloak. He really knows what he is doing and does fantastic work. I'd love to have a job like that!

cb360 wrote: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.

its gotta suck for those two guys im sure they arent making the cash like the teutels are. likely they are making good money but man the paul's are making a Fortune off those bikes and arent really doing the work.

i like the show build or bust, where they take someone who thinks they can build a bike in 30 days or whatever. most of them blow it big time, noones seemd to really do a good job and get the bike ready and done before the deadline, its always either they bail early or manage to rig it up the last day just enough to beat the dead line.

If I'm not mistaken, everyone who has a speaking part on a TV show has to be a member of the SAG union. Even if those guys are only getting scale, which I doubt, they'll still get residuals for the rest of their lives on reruns. I doubt they make enough to move to Beverly Hills, but something tells me that old Rick and Vinnie are making some serious bank over and above their mechanic's wages these days. The Teutels are some grumpy mfs, but they don't strike me as overly selfish - I'm sure they make sure that everyone gets taken care of.

ye i like build or bust!!

i think because its not pro's doing it!

ans also i can find the cannel easy!

Mikey is funny.

Loved the Jet Bike, the First Web Bike, the Gillette Bike, and the POW BIke.

Hated the Catepillar Bike, the Po-lice Bike, the Christmas Bike, and the Lawnmower Bike.

Indifferent on the Comanche bike, the Fire Bike, Lincoln Bike and Miller Bike.

I'm still entertained by the show, but I agree that while the formula may have started as being a moderatly amplified version of reality, the formula has been further intensified and is obvious each episode: Pauls conflict, Vin tries to stay neutral, Mikey's stoned, the bike has a deadline, Look at my size 12s, yada yada yada.

IN addition, I'm kind of getting sick of seeing corporate bikes. I more prefer thier thematic efforts outside of the corporate realm.

Also, while I like to be entertained by the Tuttles, I more respect the work done by guys like Jesse James, the late Indian Larry, etc.; who tend to do more of the fabrication themselves. Having said that, I don't like to watch Jesse James because I find him rather boring to watch, and quite a jerk, actually.

I read in an article a couple of years ago that the OCC boys made 10 million in that year just in merchandising alone. Damn.

However, American Chopper could be worse. It could be American Hot Rod. That show just annoys me; and Boyd looks like a walking zombie. And I hate his shirts.

I'm wondering if anyone caught the single episode of 'Southern Chopper', produced by the same company yet again, which did the same formula, yet again, with Milwaukee Iron? That was two hours of boredom, for me; and while the OCC dudes are at least competent in maintaining at least a small degree of subtelty when it comes to their 'reality' formula; the Milwaukee Iron boys were not. Conflicts were quite obvious, and they weren't dynamic enough to interest me.

i thought Southern Chopper was still going? or is it another one im thining of... texas hardtails maybe? which ever it was has gone all out reality tv and less of actual bikes being built, i saw parts of one episode it was all about some guy that died and wanted his ashes in their bar... i guess the bar is part of the bike shop? no idea what was going on in that show, another one of those 'reality' shows where they need a few retakes to get the show actually filmed.

didn't they go backrupt

Quite a few valid points there for sure!

But aren't they fabricating most things themselves now they have moved into thier huge new Showroom/Shop?

Like the wheels for Eg. etc.

I really like some of the bikes they have built, Paul Jnr is amazing. I think Snr need to take a Vacation!