American Chopper Reality TV Show. It’s Over On February 11th.

americanchoppershowThe “dysfunctional” Teutul family had a fabulous TV series run. And now it’s over. The Learning Channel just announced that it has canceled the show with the season finale started last Thursday and the last episode airing February 11 at 9pm (8pm central).

What appears to some as an abrupt decision was expected by many due to several factors.

1- Overall Lassitude 2- A legal battle between Paul Teutul Senior and Junior in which TLC may not want to be involved (who owns the “American Chopper” business?) 3-  A show losing its substance (with Paul Jr. & Mickey gone) and its “family value” destroyed (viewers don’t seem to approve Paul Senior spending time on camera constantly attacking his 2 sons).

While many will argue about the reasons of the show cancellation (TLC will not officially say), what I wonder about is what going to happen to the OCC business. It seems to me that the business infrastructure and logistics ((building, equipment, employees) could only be supported by the TV show. And now? Expect a very long lawsuit, tons of lawyer fees and whatever the settlement of trial judgment, I bet that the OCC biz is going to implode before a conclusion is reached. Are the Teutuls financially set for life? They should, but who knows, except themselves.

68 Responses to “American Chopper Reality TV Show. It’s Over On February 11th.”


  1. 1 Little Joe Feb 8th, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    Where do we send the flowers?

  2. 2 Jeff Nicklus Feb 8th, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    GOOD RIDDANCE! Should have happened years ago!

    Over & Out,

    Jeff

  3. 3 gabehcuoD Feb 8th, 2010 at 1:31 pm

    LOL………. THANK GOD ! There “World headquarters” will be empty and for sale within two years. Will see an auction house selling all there crap… Im sure you will see the announcement on CYRIL blog first !

    …………………./´¯/)
    ………………..,/¯../
    ………………./…./
    …………./´¯/’…’/´¯¯`·¸
    ………./’/…/…./……./¨¯\
    ……..(‘(…´…´…. ¯~/’…’)
    ………\……………..’…../
    ……….”…\………. _.·´
    …………\…………..(
    …………..\………….\……………………… O.C.C.

  4. 4 Shifter Feb 8th, 2010 at 1:45 pm

    If they are not setup for life they are very stupid.

  5. 5 Randy Pierce Feb 8th, 2010 at 1:46 pm

    Amen…

  6. 6 Brett Simpson Feb 8th, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    It’s a long time that they have been rejected by the motorcycle industry (end of season 1). They will never be accepted again. Hope for them they can retire.

  7. 7 Jerry Feb 8th, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    Good story to follow via Cyril in the next months. The saga will continue with headquarters foreclosure and then OCC bankruptcy. Place your bets.

  8. 8 Mr. Galore Feb 8th, 2010 at 1:58 pm

    more 300’s for the rest of us d’oh!

  9. 9 Chief Waldo Feb 8th, 2010 at 2:02 pm

    Just watch, Mikey is going to end up with his own sitcom on Fox…

  10. 10 raycwheeler Feb 8th, 2010 at 2:08 pm

    Another greedy one bites the dust!

    raycwheeler usa

  11. 11 J Feb 8th, 2010 at 2:11 pm

    Is Sr set for life?

    Ever see a pimp with a 401K?

  12. 12 busfreak Feb 8th, 2010 at 2:22 pm

    I don’t care for the show much. But the guy, is giving some good old Americans a job. Plus he is still producing something in the USA.
    If we were all so lucky, I know I would of jumped on that train if I got a chance at it.

  13. 13 Blue Feb 8th, 2010 at 2:43 pm

    I don’t care for the programme, the Teutuls or their assembled bikes. But the series HAS brought custom motorcycles to a lot of people who might not necessarily have got involved with bikes, and that includes a hell of a lot of youngsters. In the publishing game, we spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to encourage young people onto motorcycles (and, in the UK, kids have to jump through hoops to ride a bike with two part tests, restrictions, etc) when it’s a lot easier for them to drive mum or dad’s car. None of us are getting any younger, and the custom whole scene will stagnate without new blood and ideas, and if American Chopper introduced kids into looking more closely at custom bikes, then it wasn’t a waste of time.

  14. 14 Fluke Feb 8th, 2010 at 2:56 pm

    Can we start a sweepstakes for the date OCC and the ” world headquarters” goes up for auction in bankruptcy proceedings? I will put my money on 20 months.

  15. 15 Mikey Feb 8th, 2010 at 2:59 pm

    I HOPE THEY SAVED SOME MONEY………..

  16. 16 Troy Feb 8th, 2010 at 3:54 pm

    I feel that the American Chopper Reality TV Show has helped the motorcycle industry. The show was on for years because it made money for the network because viewers were watching it. The actors made money & purchased cars, scooters, tools, & real estate. Viewers purchased bikes, t-shirts, toys, & parts from OCC & from the rest of us vendors. The show also purchased frames, engines, forward controls, paint, transmissions, wheels, tires, belt drives, front ends, tires & the list goes on and on, from all of us. Like it or not, in one way or another, I feel the show helped us all.

  17. 17 Christopher McMinn Feb 8th, 2010 at 4:56 pm

    They definetly had an impact on the custom scene . However , I see them devouring themselves with that lawsuit , and the show was stupid at this point .

  18. 18 Axel Feb 8th, 2010 at 5:06 pm

    Was there ever a “Mickey” on the show?
    It’s amazing to me that the two sons never could bring themselves to work hard to make the business into something more than just a TV show.

  19. 19 Woody Feb 8th, 2010 at 5:08 pm

    Would’ve been a great one-season show. Looks like the meltdown could be more reality than the show was. Haven’t watched the show since the 2nd or 3rd season, but you can’t deny they helped the whole industry so I’m glad it all happened.

  20. 20 nicker Feb 8th, 2010 at 5:29 pm

    Hmmmmmmmmmm…..
    At the risk of, once again pissing in the proverbial Punch Bowl, le-me say this about
    “…The Learning Channel just [announcing] that it has canceled the show …”

    Exactly what was there to be “learned” watching OCC…….???

    Moreover, the notion that “… the show helped us all…” is a bit of a stretch. The value of notoriety depends largely on public reaction to it.

    Sure, lots of people watched OCC on TV. But then, even more watch Jerry Springer… and judge Judy………etc.

    The real question is, how realistic is the expectation that people who related to the OCC TV-moronics would actually be driven to the industry to buy $30K scooters? I mean, would they be doing this because they wanted to be like or associate with morons?

    (and, no i can’t explain why/how Jay Lenno would get involved)

    Putting aside the corporate customers who were looking to leverage tax deductible TV advertising $$$s, what part to the OCC business case was made on production-units as opposed to T-shirts?
    The after-sale value of a T-shirt is nothing (unless your selling soap).

    Le-me suggest it would seems way more reasonable to expect that shows like Biker Build Off, local bike events, and such did/do far more to drive high-valued hardware-purchasing customers to the industry.

    -IMHO- “The OCC Effect” is way over estimated.

    -nicker-

  21. 21 Jeff Nicklus Feb 8th, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    Troy,

    Sorry dude, I totally disagree with you. The only thing OCC did for us in the industry who truly do build bikes was to make us all ook like a much on morons who couldn’t hit our ass with both hands. Just one of the tastefully done Biker Build Offs (as some of the build offs were total bullshit) did more to help this industry than every episode of the American Chopper combined.

    I, for one, will not lose a minutes sleep now that these T-Shirt Salesmen are FINALLY going down the road.

    Over & Out,

    Jeff

  22. 22 Spike Feb 8th, 2010 at 6:51 pm

    OCC is a case of unjust enrichment. I agree that in less than 2 years everything OCC owns will be auctioned, even the trash can than Mickey threw at Senior.

  23. 23 fuji Feb 8th, 2010 at 8:21 pm

    I’m not a bike builder and never will be but I do know how to use a crescent wrench properly [ there is a right and wrong way ] and I know enough that if one doesn’t want a bike that is worth more money than God ever intended a motorcycle to be you don’t use a crescent wrench on it.

    Paul seniors favorite tool other than Junior.
    So he miss used both of them.

  24. 24 Jim Watson Feb 8th, 2010 at 9:15 pm

    I will miss the show — I remember the first time I saw it on a rainy night in a hotel room in Indy waiting for the first USF1 race. . . I was stoked to see metal fabrication on TV, and I think it was good for the welding industry, even though I was not impressed with their lack of safety gear etc. . .

    Too bad it had to end this way — but thanks for opening the market up to thousands of new fabricators!

    Jim Watson

  25. 25 Texican Feb 8th, 2010 at 10:02 pm

    Having worked with these guys for years I will tell you there was real talent and sincerity in what they do. Paul and Paul, Work it out, biz is not worth it. Family and friends are all we have at the end of the day. Take it from someone who knows. Tim Hanlon

  26. 26 Curt! Feb 8th, 2010 at 10:33 pm

    Good Riddance!!!! Sorry to have to say that, But I think the show did more to damage to motorcycling’s image than a whole passel of 1%ers could do. The whole idea that you could buy into being a biker just because you had a bankroll was pitched by this show week after week. It degraded the idea that you had to love motorcycling, to want to ride enough that you would give up something to ride, to have passion to ride. All you had to do to be a biker was to plunk down enough cash, buy a full set of leathers, a few t-shirts, and you were in, Baby! These people lied to their viewers , that you had to pay your dues, make your way up through the ranks, and gained respect along the way. The message with OCC was “Screw that, cough up enough cash and we’ll put you up at the front of the line.” So, Screw you Paul and Pauley, Reality finally came around. I hope they don’t have a dollar between them when this is done. I missed the Cincy show this year, but it would have been worth going just to see how they were received. Anybody there to write a report?

  27. 27 nicker Feb 8th, 2010 at 10:49 pm

    Anyone care to (or legally able to) comment on the OCC – Lenno connection……???

    A rather unlikely (one might even say unnatural) association ……
    (-IMHO- anyway).

    -nicker-

  28. 28 Dave Blevins Feb 9th, 2010 at 1:12 am

    Nicker,
    A likely reason for Leno and OCC colaborating is the network(s) NBC, TLC, Discovery, etc, are all part of one major corporation.
    I doubt that Leno had any real urge to own an OCC bike.

  29. 29 J Feb 9th, 2010 at 3:21 am

    Didn’t Leno sue OCC for the faulty wiring on the bike they built him a few years back?

    Leno is a company man, plus he has his own shop- if he’s collaborating with anyone, it’s because of an NBC angle…..

  30. 30 Boss Hawg Feb 9th, 2010 at 6:41 am

    Texican…you must be a smoking that Mexican green laced heavily with hallucinogenics in great quantities to make such a statement.

    Stick with producing your frontends and crossing over the border to boys town for the donkey show.

    Boss Hawg

  31. 31 max Feb 9th, 2010 at 7:00 am

    Several years past I remember a customer that had stood in a long line w/ his “challenged (slow)” son to get a T-Shirt and when he got to the front of the line and bought the shirt Paul Sr. refused to sign it. REFUSED!
    Paul Sr. is a parasite on the biz and the shiteous quality of his bikes brings down the industry in general. A$$hole

  32. 32 Texican Feb 9th, 2010 at 7:44 am

    Ah yes Boss Hawg, articulate as ever. For the record I expected to get shit for that statement, and the donkey shows in Mexico are an urban legend.

  33. 33 heavy metal Feb 9th, 2010 at 8:06 am

    I’m going to miss watching parts made to fit with a uni-bit and other ham fisted workmanship.

  34. 34 Night Train of Florida Full Throttle Mag Feb 9th, 2010 at 8:50 am

    Like the guys or not, it always is a sad thing to see an American business close down. Not only for the folks who run it but for all of us who love everything about motorcycles. Big Dog, American Iron Horse, Buell … This is NOT good for any of us. I wish them well.

  35. 35 Jim C Feb 9th, 2010 at 9:17 am

    Curt,are you for real? And for the record,Tim Hanlon is involved in the industry. He is one of those who was and is directly affected by what happens with shows and events like American Chopper. To me it sounds like a lot of sour grapes from a bunch of guys who are jealous of the fame and fortune that OCC has gotten. There were a lot of shops that opened after seeing American Chopper. They thought that they could build a bike as good as OCC. I own an OCC bike. After riding many of the long bikes out there I found that the OCC limited production bike was one of the best riding ,handling,engineered bikes out there. Quality parts are used throughout and they include Mean Street,Baker,S&S,Metzler,HHI,Danny Gray,Accutronix,ect. There are also a great deal of parts that have been made in that shop. Because of OCC and the money generated from the show,there are many vendors that are able to do some R&D that they may not have been able to afford otherwise. Overall OCC and American Chopper has been good for the main stream industry. It seems to be the ones on the edge of the industry who seem to be the ones who are more jealous and sometimes bitter towards OCC.
    I hope that father and sons work it out. I feel part of the problem is that the father works hard and expected his sons do the same. It’s a damn shame. I am sorry to see it gone. The recent shows were going more and more into newer types of power,ect. I actually watched some of the older shows last night on the military channel where they were building some bikes aimed toward the military. Some of you seem to forget where they built bikes that helped various charities. Oh,and btw,Jay Leno has 2 bikes built by OCC.Imagine that!

  36. 36 bikerspaceman Feb 9th, 2010 at 10:02 am

    Does that mean that the jerks won’t be offering their autographs for $10+ anymore? Farewell posers!

  37. 37 m switzer Feb 9th, 2010 at 10:08 am

    At least OCC can be contacted. Not like Harley-just tried to connect on the HD museum site, doesn’t work Every company in the world has an 800 number,ever company in the world has a way to contact them through their web site EXCEPT Harley. When I was in Milwaukee for the 100th (the Elton John show, which HD doesn’t say anything about) the local shops and factory sites were well marked with people directing you in -NOTHING for direction how to get out, I drove through someones drivceway to get out. At Summerfest they had buses hauling you ,in walk back at the end. Harley impression is “give us your money now get out” OCC was in it for the money but HD is as bad if not worse, talk about OCC t-shirts we all have bought overpriced HD shop shirts I just came back from FL most shops were $28-32 for a chinnese made t-shirt one shop was $38

  38. 38 BIG SEAN Feb 9th, 2010 at 10:34 am

    FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK ME, it’s about time

  39. 39 Slantartist Feb 9th, 2010 at 11:01 am

    This may be the first step in reclaiming our dignity in this industry.
    Let’s hope the next “male” oriented soap opera has nothing to do with bikes.

  40. 40 Greg Hoeve Feb 9th, 2010 at 12:17 pm

    Texican Tim, I heard that Boss Howg was STARING in a Mexican donkey show. Any word on that?

  41. 41 J Feb 9th, 2010 at 12:18 pm

    Heheheh- good call on the Uni-Bit….. I just chuckle when someone uses the words “OCC” and “engineering’ in the same sentence……

  42. 42 BB Feb 9th, 2010 at 12:19 pm

    How unfortunate. im sure this has more to due with cutbacks than it does lack of substance. the network just found them an easy target due to their current situation. i actually just started watching OCC again this season and enjoy it more now that the two brats are gone. i was digging the alternate sources of motors and fuels they were experimenting with. i felt they were attempting to adapt to a changing market and it held my interest, entertaing anyways. i hate to see any bike show go away and now there is just one less…

  43. 43 Brett Feb 9th, 2010 at 12:36 pm

    I say it’s about time. The fact this show lasted this long is very very sad. The fact that these buffoons made millions & built some ridiculous museum to themselves is pure inflated ego.

    Their bikes were absolute garbage. If you ever saw one in person you can see they are far from some of the better builders in the industry. I doubt very much anyone was buying their production bikes.

    Finally we can quit seeing people wearing their lame t-shirts & hats.

    & let’s quit trying to compare OCC to Harley. Harley is a company like Ford or GE or Microsoft.

    Orange Cou8nty Choppers was 2 guys who had an iron railing business for homes that decided to build bikes & try to catch the wave of the TV bike fad started by Jesse James & West Coast Choppers with Motorcyclemania.

    Every penny OCC has made was due to their TV show, not what they actually built. If they weren’t on TV, no company would have WASTED money to have them build one of their bad theme bikes.

    Man, 1st Jon & Kate, now OCC & even the Duggars in in tabloids…..Oh I hope the Roloffs aren’t next……..

  44. 44 johnny Feb 9th, 2010 at 1:13 pm

    fxxk those assholes …………………

  45. 45 just my opinion Feb 9th, 2010 at 1:51 pm

    max
    Feb 9th, 2010 at 7:00 am
    Several years past I remember a customer that had stood in a long line w/ his “challenged (slow)” son to get a T-Shirt and when he got to the front of the line and bought the shirt Paul Sr. refused to sign it. REFUSED!
    Paul Sr. is a parasite on the biz and the shiteous quality of his bikes brings down the industry in general. A$$hole

    Max I am not sure who you are or if your story is true but I have seen just the opposite at the Black Hills HD the dealer in rapid city [ sturgis ] I am a vendor and no I don’t think OCC is so great but I did see this with my own eyes and was impressed because they did not have to do it.
    What I saw was all the OCC crew was leaving for the day and were already in their trucks when a man wheeled his kid up to their booth. Paul Sr. got out and ordered his crew out told them to get in the trailer and get some shirts out and Sr. and Jr. and Mikey signed those shirts that they gave to that kid. Sr. may be an asshole at times but he too does some good things every now and then. It makes for a good time to bash OCC but some of what people claim is total Bull Shit. Like it or not these guys have had an impact on this market, more so than most of the bashers ever will.

  46. 46 Olive Oil Feb 9th, 2010 at 2:19 pm

    I’m a bit worried about Nub or was it Nob. What will happen to him????

  47. 47 H.D. Rider Feb 9th, 2010 at 2:23 pm

    I enjoyed the show back when the built most of the parts from scratch. sadley the only winners will be the Lawyers.

  48. 48 ian Feb 9th, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    47 comments so far……well that cant be bad!

    Like my fellow Brit Blue above, In some ways its a shame – I used to really enjoy it in the early days – but i never really loved the bikes. Apart from Biker Build off and Build or Bust, both of which are a rarity on UK TV, this signals the end of mainstream TV’s flirtation with the custom bike scene, and that is sad – I have often had to use OCC as a common reference point with non-biking people to describe my interest……”its like American Chopper but my bikes are different”…….LOL

  49. 49 Texican Feb 9th, 2010 at 3:06 pm

    Greg hello, very clever trying to prod me into some verbal jousting with Mr Boss Hawg. The deal is I refuse to enter into a battle of wits with an unarmed man. He has the right to his opinion no matter how ignorant and inappropriate.

  50. 50 Lyle Feb 9th, 2010 at 3:07 pm

    I liked the direction the show took since the kids quit. I thought there was too much drama with them included and couldn’t help but wonder how a business owner could put up with staff coming to work late, taking off early, not showing up, and not even interested in their core product. I’m sure some of what I saw on the show was over dramatized and it certainly gave the show ratings. But now the show is more about a serious business, ratings have fallen. I wish them luck. Something tells me Paul Sr. is more of a savvy businessman than the show lets on to and they will weather the storm.

  51. 51 Larry Evans Feb 9th, 2010 at 3:36 pm

    No matter what you think of these guys you have to appreciate what they have done for the industry. The press and marketing surrounding this show has helped us all. Yes, I was in MB several years ago and saw the kinds of amazing treatment these guys gave their fans, but I am grateful that there show helped boost our industry. Even if it was for a little while.

    LE

  52. 52 nicker Feb 9th, 2010 at 3:47 pm

    RE:
    “…’m going to miss watching parts made to fit with a uni-bit and other ham fisted workmanship…”

    Good catch……….. !!
    (i missed that one)

    So, apparently there were things to be “learned”… ……. 🙂
    (by watching the “Learning Channel”)

    Got-a remember that…. now where’s my hammer???).
    -nicker-

  53. 53 ODee Feb 9th, 2010 at 4:02 pm

    I too cringe any time i see an innocent kid in O.C.C. gear, but it’s a start. Way better than them wearing another Spiderman or Pokemon shirt. At least OCC’s exposure got them leaning in the right direction! Once you have their attention, then you can properly educate them. Whatever the motivation. OCC did do a lot of charity bikes, and they also exposed a lot of people to the bike industry. While I found the B.B.Off’s, and W.C.C. shows to have more substance, not everyone is as hard-core as some of you! I personally hate R.U.B.s, but I know someone appreciates the money these posers bring to the industry, and the more bikes, parts, appearal, etc. that these idiots buy, the cheaper it is for the rest of us!

  54. 54 Boss Hawg Feb 9th, 2010 at 7:17 pm

    Tim…quite well aware of your actions as you have told me many many times, however, we will not broadcast them here. Clear your head Brother….think back a couple years and you will remember. All the best and I hope you and Mike are doing very well.

    As for Egotripp Gregg…keep on toking and smoking that shit that makes you think those wheels are hot stuff.

    Boss Hawg

  55. 55 HDMIKO Feb 9th, 2010 at 7:41 pm

    Say what you will but the guys from OCC were good for the industry. There are some very jealous people who post here, some of which claim to be custom bike builders who really just bolt on parts to a Daytec or Rolling Thunder frame. In the last few years OCC built their own frames and many of the parts that they needed to complete a build. I sold my HD dealership in 06 after 30 years of service in the V-Twin industry and when OCC first aired in 2003, there was a serge in business. I remember the mid 70s and Earley 80s, and you felt lucky to have a customers walk threw the door. How many of you can say that? So stop the relentless bashing and go contribute something to this industry that you supposedly care so much for.

  56. 56 Curt! Feb 9th, 2010 at 11:48 pm

    Jim C.
    I don’t recall mentioning Tim Hanlon in my post, but you find it necessary to defend him as if I have attacked him. For the record, I don’t know him, and have nothing against him. What i do have is 35 years in the industry, and I know what I like and don’t like, Sort of like assholes, everyone has one. I do like Arlen Ness’ builds, I don’t like anything WCC ever put out. I do like Kustom Kulture bikes, not a fan of anything OCC has ever done. I like the work Zero Engineering does, but not a fan of American Choppers. You get my drift, here? I like people who build quality bikes. I’ve seen examples of all of these builder’s machines, so I have an opinion about them. I personally saw the OCC Miller Welder bike. The welds on the bike looked like stuff I turned out in high school. For Christ’s sake they had CRIMP CONNECTORS on the wiring. The oil tank fittings leaked. You could see sanding marks in the paint. There was a raw steel wheel spacer. No chrome, or even rattle can aluminum. There were lots of other flaws that I can’t recall right now. I felt really bad that anyone had spent money on such a piece of crap. So trash me if you like, Jim C. ,your just lumping yourself in with them.

  57. 57 John Riley Feb 10th, 2010 at 7:41 am

    Everyone agrees. The show was like Nascar. An advertising ploy. The race is what they do after they cash the checks. It wasn’t about how well you could build a bike. Just about how much air time you could get for the advertiser. Great concept. Ran it’s coarse. Now it’s over. The Pauls will continue to profit from this for years to come. It’s called syndication.

  58. 58 Dylan Feb 10th, 2010 at 10:12 am

    Wow. Haters on and all. Those who can do. Those who can’t bitch about it on a blog.

  59. 59 The Producer Feb 10th, 2010 at 3:21 pm

    I didn’t watch it other than two episodes I caught while recovering in the hospital after beaking my foot a couple years ago. But I can say they did a lot to bring awareness to the Custom Bike building world.

    When I tell non riders that I produce a weekly radio show covering the world of motorcycling and biker lifestyle and we interview Custom Bike Builders the first words out their mouth is: Oh like OCC or West Coast choppers?

    I always respond with yes and then quickly add the builders we bring on have been arround longer and are better known in the biking world and go on to introduce them to the many non TV types.

    So in the end OCC has done a lot to introduce non riders and past riders to the world of custom bike building and that my freinds was a very good thing.

  60. 60 1 DWB Feb 11th, 2010 at 5:21 am

    I YHOUGHT THE SHOW HAD TO MUCH DRAMA ANYWAY ie TO PHONEY SEEEEEE YA

  61. 61 Jim C Feb 11th, 2010 at 8:54 am

    I am happy to see so many people speak up for OCC and American Chopper. It is sad to see people bashing and hating and all of the negativity that brings to the industry as a whole. American Chopper brought motorcycle into the mainstream and that is something that has been needed for a long time.
    OCC as a company also has done and continues to do a lot of charity work. They have contributed millions of dollars for many,many different charities,which is more than I can say for a lot of the bashers.
    Curt,do you even read what you write?
    “But I think the show did more to damage to motorcycling’s image than a whole passel of 1%ers could do. The whole idea that you could buy into being a biker just because you had a bankroll was pitched by this show week after week. It degraded the idea that you had to love motorcycling, to want to ride enough that you would give up something to ride, to have passion to ride. All you had to do to be a biker was to plunk down enough cash, buy a full set of leathers, a few t-shirts, and you were in, Baby! These people lied to their viewers , that you had to pay your dues, make your way up through the ranks, and gained respect along the way.”
    You make it sound as if someone must earn the right to ride and if you haven’t paid your dues by being in the dirt for decades then you have no business being on a bike. I can appreciate you taking pride in what you may have gone through over the years but come on. And as far as how the bikes are built,there was a time where a certain frame company was furnishing frames to OCC and from what I saw and heard,the welds and straightness of the frames were a continual problem until they started making their own frames or the ones they get from Rolling Thunder are very good as well.I have not seen the problems that you speak of when talking about the Limited Edition production bikes that they are currently selling retail. As far as some of the TV bikes-have you ever considered the time frame that they were forced to build them in? I mean they would take a couple of weeks to build something that a lot of you haters would have to spend 6 mos to a year to do. Unfortunately there are certain things that will not be perfect and there is always someone who is going to point out those small things whereas the rest of the bike is pretty good. I have looked at new Harleys that had imperfections in them.
    Anyway,there are those who know the difference and understand what has happened and there are those who have no clue. I am not happy to see it canceled and i hope that a channel like Speed would pick it up. I too,enjoy watching the imagination and thinking outside the box.

  62. 62 Curt! Feb 13th, 2010 at 12:19 am

    JimC,
    Am I talking to senior, or junior? I just love the way you refer to the “Haters” out there trying to tear down the world of custom motorcycle building. Since when is this a country of one, single, opinion? I guess I don’t know what country you are posting from, but I’m assuming you are an ‘mercan. I have opinions on what I like, what I know, and my opinion. If you don’t like me having the freedom to voice “MY OPINION” on a blog, go the fuck somewhere else.
    Just my .02

  63. 63 Jim C Feb 13th, 2010 at 11:35 am

    Curt-Neither and LOL,I can appreciate the fact that everyone has a right to their opinion including me. It is just that I have more facts than opinion about this subject so I try to bring the facts out rather than some of the other stuff I have seen stated as if they were facts. Not just from you but where ever I have seen them. I am not a Paul,just someone who WORKS for a living and know a thing or two about OCC and the Limited Edition Production bikes and the parts side of the business.

  64. 64 CD Feb 15th, 2010 at 4:11 am

    Wow, I read through all of the posts above and found myself considering the following: It is strikingly interesting that the comments posted by those who “dislike” OCC are crudely expressed, and with utterly poor skills, too.

    These folks seem to be practically illiterate individuals who advance thoughts with no grounds to base their “opinion” or speculation; they demonstrate no aptitude to substantiate a qualified or reasonable judgment.

    However, what’s shown is a conspicuous limitation and lack of depth in understanding and appreciating the impact OCC and the series American Chopper had and will, hopefully, continue to have on American culture.

    There were many thoughtful, positive remarks expressed with profound insight. But, the insular comments clearly stem from ugly jealousy.

  65. 65 hellraiser Feb 15th, 2010 at 11:42 am

    anybody that is saying that occ is good for the industry needs to get the f*ck off this site and start following your local hog chapter site . Anybody that is in the industry knows they fu*ked up our industry , whored it out and made it uncool and lame . Thanks alot you stroid monkeys

  66. 66 American-V magazine Feb 16th, 2010 at 8:13 am

    Should have quit while they were ahead: it had a sell-by date that expired long ago, and its departure from the schedules would have made space for something else to continue the evolution of interest in custom motorcycling in a much more positive vein.

    Lesson for the future: don’t milk something just because it’s successful, leave them wanting more.

  67. 67 T.C Feb 16th, 2010 at 7:10 pm

    Sorry Guy’s, better luck next time around if they let you have another time around.

  68. 68 just another person Jan 25th, 2011 at 4:02 pm

    At first the show was interesting. Then the people involved got too full of theirselves. I’m glad it’s over. This was too much drama, even for a man’s version of a soap opera. Need a kleenex? Not me. Jr. sucks and is too full of himself. man get a life

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Cyril Huze