The reason is they even as rich and famous know their bikes are not harleys and they want to be part of the HARLEY scene, as a former owner of a custom built chopper I can tell you when you show up to a rally on one you get ZERO respect. Its just a fact and if you notice most buyers of these bikes is yuppie wanna be bikers, seldom do you see real riders buying these bikes. I bought mine on a deal from one of those guys and sold it two days after coming home from daytona biketoberfest. Nothing like a real harley period.

 

I watch the show to be entertained...nothing more, nothing less! I like some of the bikes they make, others I do not.But I don't like all Harley-Davidsons or Hondas, either! As far as the personalities of the characters on the show...well, it's just who they are! They got a good gig...made a ton of money, and are laughing all the way to the bank! Good for them!

Steve

 

I liked the show when it first aired.Then it seemed every show was the same as the last,Pauley would come in late,Sr. would blow up and they argued.It was the same week after week.It got to where it seemed staged.I got to meet them at Talladega a couple of years ago and they were very nice and enjoyed talking with them but I don't watch the show.

 

I don't really watch the show anymore for a couple reasons, most of which have already be stated...
1. grew tired of the "manufactured" drama and Sr.'s yelling all the time.
2. over time and observation, I realized a lot of their work is just bolt on stuff with lots of round stock welded on
3. majority of their bikes I didn't even like the finish product.

I think people will always criticize those that become famous. Jealousy? Maybe a little. When you look at the fame they have achieved, and know they really are not doing anything special, it can rub ya the wrong way. Hell, I personally know of at least one poser that has a huge *** OCC sticker across the back of his pickup window, and the guy doesn't even own a motorcycle. ... go figure?


I liked the Welder bike (U.S. Welding?). I also liked the CAT bike. Just so happens I got to see the CAT bike up close and personal, and it was very cool. Some very cool detail was put into this thing, and it was very minimalist at the same time. Caterpillar tractors took the bike on tour to their various dealer locations. For our local dealer, they designed a mini "run" around it that was a charity fund raiser for our local Big Brother Big Sister organization. I knew about it becasue I am a mentor for BBBS, and actually took my Little Brother on the ride to see the chopper.
Pictrue below is of the chopper. My Little Brother was the only "Little" to show up, so he got to do something special... They actually fired it up and let him twist the throttle a few times. Standing behind him is me and the president of the SW Washington chapter of BBBS.


edit: oh yeah, these bikes are not for riding. I suppose their choppers that are sold (the ones we don't see on the program) are for riding, but I can't comment on that. As noted about the Billy Joel bike, the floorboards on this thing were so low to the ground there is no way you could ride it around town.
The guys I talked to on the day of the picture told me the bikes they build on the show are actually property of Discovery Channel. CAT had to pay around $250 thousand to buy out the rights to their bike, so they could actually use it as a marketing tool. If Billy had his bike built on the show, he must have done the same thing... and it shouldn't be a big surprise to any of us that he has rideability problems - duh, they are show pieces and marketing tools.

 

You said tool.

 

Well put.....

I DVR the show each week and then watch it whenever. If the show starts to drag, I hit the delete button.

 

I used to like Jesse James. I thought his stuff was the bomb, when he first started to become famous. Before monster garage and all that. Don't get me wrong, I still have respect for the man's talent. But when WCC gear started showing up everywhere (Walmart) I knew that he had sold out. That's when I lost respect for him as a person. His motto ought to be 'anything for a buck'.

It is a 2 edged sword. On one hand I like the charitable activities these guys (WCC, OCC) do. In Particular I liked the work that OCC did with Kyle Petty. On the other hand, these guys are blatent sellouts. I mean pez dispensers, come on. Nothin like keepin it real.

I just pray to god there is never such a thing as Kendall Johnson pez dispenser.

 

Orange County Choppers show is why bobbers and choppers became popular. Heck, i even bought a chopper. (its for sale now if anyone wants it!) The show opened up our lifestyle to many more people who before didnt think twice about it. The show helped keep many custom bike builders in business, many aftermarket companies, and many harley owners who ran out and put on wide tire kits, etc. i saw a chart somewhere showing a steady growth of motorcycle sales almost every year...but in the recent Chopper years, a spike in sales for bikes and aftermarket stuff.

 

Don't forget to mention the 3-year extended deal they signed last year with the Discovery Channel, the 70,000, yes 70,000 SF building they're currently building in Newburgh as their World Headquarters, complete with production studio. Great bikes, I personally don't think so. Sellouts? Mugs on Pez dispensers, clothing, lunchboxes, toothbrushes (yes those too) and anything else that you can print their logo or faces on. Does that make them a sellout? Let's see, HD lunchboxes, trucks, caps, clothing, "commemorative" knives, and on and on, it's all a matter of opinion.

Laughing all the way to the bank? You bet.

 

To be honest I don't watch the show much anymore. When I do, I still get a laugh.

I meet Vinny one year while working for a client of ours at the NADA show. He was a good guy, we hung out and drank a few beers and shot the $hit later that night.

A lot of when you see as far as drama on the show is just that, drama/entertainment.

Here is a pic of me and Vinny in the Snap-on booth.