Interesting tidbit from a Chopper Guy...

[Revlis]

I do kinda feel for the "Old School" Cruiser/Big Twin fans out there. I mean at least with sportbikes there has allways been an element fuggin it up for the rest of us, it's not something new.

This guy makes a lot of sense and sums up my feelings towards OCC just about perfectly... They are not builders, they are assemblers, they are not Artists they are hacks... (My Words)... And they don't build bikes, they build Images...

Good article here... http://garagechoppers.com/archives/000533.shtml

 

[VaBusa]

Good article...and I agree with a lot of what he said...

I watch American Chopper fairly regularly, but I often say to my husband that they're getting way too much money for these bikes when all they do is part out the special pieces, then put the parts together...

I do think that Jr. has some talent when he's designing something, but until I see him banging away on making the part, he's just a designer...

On the flip side, if I'd fallen prey to the type of American media hype that this company has been "blessed" with, selling bikes at $150,000 a pop, having companies from all over the country asking for a bike to go along with their particular business, selling t-shirts and doing the PR tours, I'd be rich too!  They've filled a niche, whatever that might be...proof of yet another "American dream" fulfilled...

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[MET]

I agree with what is said mostly, however they are selling and making money. "Only in America"  They (OCC) are very good business people.  Most places are bulding off the shelf choppers these days, and sellig for bike bucks. Wh not?  I go back far enough in the 60's and 70's when we all did our own choppers trading services, but we did not make a killing on them. If we were smart it would be MCC on the TV.



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[justintime2]

His article makes sense and I agree with it, however his editorial does not. Good luck ya blow hard on getting anyone to sign your rediculous "wont sell" contract. He is so full of poop it isn't even funny. When it comes time for him to sell a bike to fund another build or something else in life, he will be waiting along time and loosing many sales before someone retarded enough will sign his "contract". Which is the point, he wouldn't wait, no one would including him. Not to mention his contract is a worthless document. Once you own the said property, contract or not, you may do with it what you please.

 

[Ride_or_Fish]

I can't blame OCC for their success though I'm tired of hearing about them and the other "custom" builders. There may be some overall benefit to the motorcycle industry, but I just see lots of leathered folks riding pretty choppers that probably don't get much use other than to get from beer to beer.

I'd personally rather see a show entitled "Busa City", "Busa Blues", or "Southern Sportbikes" with more helpful and pertinent content rather than watching some monkey whack a chromed out primary drive with a hammer. Just my .02.

 

[ThunderPants]

I agree with some of the stuff he said but OCC has changed from building personal bikes to building corporate bikes and getting paid a ton for it. Who wouldn't take the opportunity to do that. The prices they charge for the bikes are outrageous but they are nice. Also why would they want to work any harder than they have to, I am sure they had their struggles and lots of late nights. So they might as well just build the bikes for the show and take the rest of the time off?

I am not a chopper fan but it is a lot of fun to watch Paul Sr yell at his kids the whole time.

 

[VaBusa]

My husband met Mikey and talked to him in Sturgis last summer...he said he was pretty much like he is on the show, and that Sr. and Jr. seemed very down to earth, even with their riches...

Ahhh, to each his own, but I can see why some hard-core chopper fans are irritated...hell, even the best of the best are sort of selling out nowadays...and for the record, I have yet to see a single bike that Indian Larry built that looks good...just my opinion, and we all have them...

 

[grabntwist]

Great article Rev, I'm pretty sure I can just order parts out of a catalog and just put together a chopper too. That doesent make me a bike builder. It's funny watching someone go into Indian Larry's shop, Billy lane, or Paul Yaffe. The first thing to happen is they measure your inseam/reach and begin to CUSTOM TAILOR a cycle for you.

Occ is about 30 miles from my brothers house. They don't even let people in the place. I think they have a open house thing where you can preview bikes before buying.

 

[03busaman]

I agree with NE they keep the the american people working not that i would ride one of those slabs of metal even if i had no ride i would walk first and i hate walking!!

 

[BA BUSA]

Don't believe the hype it's a TV show. The producers put on what they think is entertaining and we keep buying it.



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[unIVgvn]

I WENT THROUGH MY HARLEY/CHOPPER PHASE IN THE 60'S AND 70'S.WHILE I ADMIRE A NICE ONE .I HAVE RIDDEN MANY MILES ON ONE AND WOULD NOT GO BACK TO IT.THE
CHOPPER SHOWS HIT A NOTE WITH ME BUT WE NEVER HAD
ENOUGH MONEY TO ACTUALLY PART ONE OUT AND WOUND UP FABRICATING PARTS OUT OF ANYTHING TO GET BACK ON THE ROAD.THEY WERE USUALLY OUR MAIN TRANSPORTATION SO WE COULDNT WAIT ON SOMETHING TO COME IN THE MAIL.
IF THEY GET PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT BIKES AND WATCH OUT FOR BIKERS WHILE DRIVING THEN I SAY GREAT.
I JUST HOPE VIEWERS UNDERSTAND THESE BIKES ARE LIKE CARICATURES OF MOTORCYCLES WITH CERTAIN PARTS AND LOOKS EXAGGERATED AND WHILE ANYTHING WITH TWO WHEELS AND MOTOR CAN BE CALLED A MOTORCYCLE.SOME INHERIT FUNCTIONALITY IS REQUIRED . CHOPPERS SHOULD BE CLOSER TO ART OF SOME KIND THAN TRANSPORTATION.
IT IS JUST ANNOYING THAT SO MANY PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE SHOWS IN ADMIRATION THAT REALLY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT BIKES.

 

[pure_ego]

hha.. I actually had a co-worker the other day inform me that "now that all these custom motorcycles have taken off people are starting to customize bikes like yours... They have chrome wheels and stuff now.

amazin' ain't it.

Now it's cool for sportbikers to customize their poop too!

WOW!

for the record.. i think OCC does just about as much "building" as probably 95% of all other "custom" bike shops..

take it outta the bubble wrap, and bolt it on.

biker build off was intersting though...

VABUSA.. i agree Indian Larry's stuff didn't do much for me.

How that 60's reject bike beat Yaffe's is beyond me...

course you gotta look at who was doin' the judgin I guess.

 

[diesel]

I think OCC rocks! Everyone I know is planning on building a custom bike in their garage now,because "anyone can piece it together like OCC." It's harder than it looks.So they don't make the whole thing from a single sheet of metal, so what?They make some cool bikes. Obviously the show must have some entertaining value or everyone wouldn't be watching it. Oh, if a company dumped a hundred grand on you to make a toilet chopper...you wouldn't do it? As for the Harley....If I made custom sportbikes with 5' swingarms, 2'high handlebars, ladders coming off the back and antlers on the nose fairing....I would be excited to get a hayabusa as a gift to actually RIDE.