TV is back at featuring custom bike builders at work. After #BikerLive the new TV reality show from Discovery to premiere this coming Monday, May 12 at 10ET/9C, the History Channel is also announcing a new reality show named “Biker Battleground Phoenix” to debut Tuesday, July 1 at 10 pm ET/PT. The series follow 5 builders in Phoenix competing in a biker build-off to build the most outrageous Bagger. The 5 builders are; Paul Yaffe (Baggers Nation), John Shope (Dirty Birds Concepts), Len Edmonson who moved from Canada to Phoenix to be in the show (Azzkikr Customs), Kody McNew (Voodoo Customs)and Brian Jenkins (Hatred Customs)
Expect ultra-radical baggers with the latest in giant front wheels, spectacular metal fabrication, flashy paint jobs and plenty of digital infotainment. And if you like drama and a fully scripted TV “reality” show with a lot of bragging from all builders, bad boy attitude and made-for-tv insults between competitors, I promise you are going to enjoy… At least some of you. Below a few highlights of the way the History Channel is introducing “Biker Battleground Phoenix”
About Phoenix: “A place where shop owners compete day and night for customers who are willing to pay upwards of $150,000 for a fully personalized Bagger motorcycle. Choppers and Cruisers are out and Baggers are in. In this dog-eat-dog world, design ideas are money…”
“Viewers will witness how the competitive rivalry between these shops are sometimes fueled by respect – and sometimes not –proving that skills and hard work doesn’t always pay off.”
About Paul Yaffe: “While his critics might claim that he is past his prime and no longer lives up to his hype, his business has continued to flourish. A former mentor to John Shope, Yaffe brags that he taught Shope everything he knows.”
About John Shope: “Shope says Yaffe is the Michael Bolton and he is the Motley Crue of the biker world.”
About Len Edmonson: “Len’s deep pockets pose a threat to all of builders who cannot afford to compete. He has never made an American build bike until now and he’s determined to bring his mountain of cash to bury the competition.”
About Brian Jenkins “Jenkins is unique among his rival builders because he can brag that he is the only one who hand-craft every single part of his bike – literally from scratch.”
“Biker Battleground Phoenix” is produced by Adjacent Productions for HISTORY. Bryn Freedman is executive producer. Julian P. Hobbs and Elaine Frontain Bryant serve as the executive producers for HISTORY. Phil Lott, Travis Shakespeare and Jane Tranter serve as executive producers for Adjacent Productions.
OMG. Made for tv insults to create drama and increase viewership!
I can hardly wait!
And when I think that the result will be more cartoon baggers on the road, I get depressed.
For braggers they made the right choice among all builders.
Knowing it’ll be laden with faux angst and tail-dragging big wheels, I’m finding it impossible to show any interest. (hey! you kids get off my lawn!)
Blah, blah, blah. Let the trash talking and trash building commence. Glad guys like Matt Hotch and Jim Nasi are not affiliated with this show or some of these wanna-be “builders”
I suggest to rename the show “Bagger Trash”. More interested viewers.
Indian Larry (R.I.P.) was my favorite builder. His bikes had the old school look with modern brakes and other upgrades. Larry’s bikes looked great and were rideable. Today’s builders are largely big ego tools who believe in form over function. These modern day baggers(I refer to them as Faggers) are totally ridiculous looking and appear to be unroadworthy. Larry would roll over if he saw these cartoon caricatures.
Knowing most of these builders I can say they all are pretty cool in there own rite. I think the show could be very interesting and I’ll be watching.
no different than every other “reality” show on the box, but with goofy looking cartoon motorcycles. Every now and then it will surprise with real mechanical knowledge.
The builders of back in the day would be puking. the best thing they knew was when to say no and when enough was enough. Why don’t they call it Poser Nation and get it over with?
I’m very much looking forward to this. Some of my favorite builders are involved, and I expect to see some killer rides.
I know a few of the builders and they’re good guys and know their stuff, Congrats to Jim Nasi (Mr. No Drama) for sitting this one out.
I would rather watch the new show about the real guys building bike in there small shops , and show real heart , soul and raw talent at its best , not a bunch of hot air still trying to be on top.
Bravo to you Jim Nasi for having the balls to NOT accept any contract that has a “Required Drama” clause!
Over & Out,
Jeff
I find it so funny that the first ones to come out criticizing this bikes are the real haters. That first have never ever ridden one of this custom bikes. And second the reason why is because they couldn’t afford one. Get your facts together before you just open your mouth to criticize another man’s bike. There’s new and innovative engineering put into this bikes, that makes them ride great. But of course the ignorant and the haters are too narrow minded to comprehend that. Enough said.
So,Hugo, this is for big bucks RUB’s?
motorcycles on tv is good.
Bragging? A natural for Paul Yaffe.
Yes there are good builders, but these bikes are for narcissistic egocentric members of the look at me
look at me crowd.
Better go look for a different coloured pill………..ick
Oh brother
Even Jesse James and Teutuls antics don’t work anymore on TV. This fake drama show is going to be a failure. But I think that #Bikerlive may work with a large audience of both non-riders and of bikers because these guys are country/blue collar boys and it will look authentic to viewers.
These builders build baggers dressed like whores. Whores have customers.
Best comment is just above mine.
I’ll watch just to see what they are up to. I still enjoy Michael Bolton too. I can only take so much of Shope’s tough guy bs.
Geez….
Superfluous Bull Shit…
Trumped Up Reality.
Git Real
History Channel must have run out of gator hunters. I’m not into gaggers but I’m a huge sucker when it comes to everything else about bikes so why do I have zip interest in this show? It sounds phony. I guess I’m not impressed by a ‘builder’ with mountains of cash (obviously if he can move a business from Canada to AZ to be on TV). Think I’ll sit this one out.
Everyone seems to forget that it’s entertainment . The day to day grind is not going to get an audience . I’ll watch and then make my decision if I want to watch the whole series. So many on here love to bag on everything before they actually have the facts. Let it play out and see what happens. Would you rather watch the Kardashians ?
Paul Yaffe? Don’t remember hearing of him, but that cold be old age creeping up. So I Googled him. Now I know why I wouldn’t remember him if he ran me over in the street, Id never say his bikes suck, but I’d never been seen on any of them either.
One thing I did notice though –
For the Easyriders Sweepstakes Bike sponsored by Dennis Kirk (does that mean paid for?)
Parts were provided by:
S&S – Renegade Wheels – Rolling Thunder – HHI – Jims Machine
B Cool Products – AJ’s Custom Paint Shop – PPG Paint
I think even I could come up with something worthy of a carnival if I had that much help
Televisions are made for watching and motorcycles(the rideable ones,anyway) are made for riding. Simple enough?
Ditto Jeff, on Nasi not competing………Jimmy is too classy a guy for this BS
Shope reminds me of Mark Whalberg on juice with lots of ink 🙂
There all fun and good guys, should be fun watching them bash each other !!
Gotta give the guys in AZ credit for this whole Bagger “penny-farthing” look, so Brian J bring on a 40-50 inch front wheel ASAP
You must respect the History people for making a perfect casting for their new show “BS In The Valley”. I met 3 of these builders. Loud and obnoxious. It may work on TV, not in real life.
Have you heard that Yaffe claims that he created the Bagger trend. Yep, like Al Gore created the internet.
Did you say Yaffe “Bragger Nation”?
I bet these huge wheel “baggers” are huge in places like Fresno, Modesto, and Stockton. Problem is no one in those places can afford one!
RE:
“…drama and a fully scripted TV “reality” show with a lot of bragging from all builders, bad boy attitude and made-for-tv insults between competitors, I promise you are going to enjoy… …”
“…contract that has a “Required Drama” clause!….”
“… should be fun watching them bash each other !! …”
Groan……….. more crap for the unwashed masses…… just what this country needs.
More pretend reality.
-nicker-
…. but I bet all you haters will be watching!
I’m on the show .there is “made for TV” drama no doubt but there is no drama clause in the contract,that’s not a fact.
HK. Of course there is no “drama clause” in the contract because it could not be legally defined. But there is drama to which you are willing to actively participate because you and you fellow builders want so much to be on TV, at any “price”
Pulse .you are wrong about that not all of us take part in the “drama”.I think your forgetting that some of us worker bees are still just doing our daily grind.Until you are part of something like this you have no idea what goes on .
Baggers are what the original bike builders stripped and built custom motorcycles from.
What did they call them ??? “Garbage Wagons”
Still true today really, but we have aged and the touring motorcycle group holiday is here.
I think it is a great way to see a country and I could not ride what I rode 30 years ago all day, it would cripple me.
This Fad seems to have sprung from that but like the Fat Arse bikes it too will die.
I don’t think it is just these bike programmes, people over 40 are generally sick of reality TV full stop.
Can the big TV Corporates not be bothered to hire script writers, decent producers and proper actors any more.
These programmes will be cheap to produce compared to a decent TV series and the Media companies are dumbing it down and making big bucks.
Turn off your TV ! ratings are the only way to stop these people treating us like idiots
All the builders should be required to ride their creations for (a true) 400 miles to the awards ceremony.
I don’t have cable TV.
Jim nasi will always be the guy who builds baggers. Although I would have loved to see John Covington of surgical steeds come out from behind the camera for a shot at this one. We all forget his past creations he did
Covingtons creations were built by other fabricators around Phoenix. He and Paul just like to say look at what I built. How about a show with all of the so called master builders doing ALL the work themselves. Start to finish no BS, everything has to be built in front of the cameras. Let the whole world see who can actually weld and fab.
Just saw this! Really? Some guy is moving from Canada just to get his face in front of a camera?…..pathetic. Desperate to be able to say “look mom, I’m on TV!” Hope this reality show isn’t kinda like a Honey boo boo on two wheels.
The builder from Canada is going to want to move back to Canada when July rolls around.
Ohhh, a show about a bunch of guys trying to “out spend” each other…Lame.
I did just see the first episode of Bikerlive….was not bad, low drama, cool rides and unknown shops..way more of a cool concept…
Phoenix land of the eternal sun and full year riding season unless you don’t like riding in 120 degrees.
Been to some these guys shops and had one of them on the show in the past. All will do well as it is FREE TV exposure which will help each builder sell a truck load or two of there bikes and products.
And yes they do sell to high rollers in their neighborhood and abroad. So do all major named builders its what keeps the doors open. Builders are no different than custom boat builders or private jet makers. There will always be people with cash to burn on expensive toys. I just wish I was one of them!
WOW, way to bash the Boys, boys.
Show some respect for the creation and talent of these Gentleman.
And come on, you have to admit, if there is going to be a reality TV show, which that is what is hot right now, this is a hell of a lot better than the crap that is getting ratings and making money now.
Have you seen “For the Love of Harry” on prime time yet? for Christ sakes!
WHAT A BUNCH OF HATERS..CHECH OUT DIRTYBIRD CONCEPTS JUST TO NAME ONE..AND TRY TO BUILD BIKES LIKE JOHN SHOPE DOES..LOL..YOU WILL FAIL..LIKE THE OTHERS THAT HAVE TRIED..AND HE BUILDS BIKES TO RIDE..THEY LOOK GOOD AND HANDLE BETTER..AND THE SHOW IS THE REAL DEAL NOT SCRIPTED CRAP,WHAT REALLY GOES ON AT THE SHOP,GOOD TIMES BAD TIMES MAD TIMES ETC..BEFORE YOU JUDGE WATCH THE SHOW AND THEN TALK SHIT…I’LL SAY THIS AS A FACT…THE SHOW IS NON SCRIPTED IN YOUR FACE REAL DEAL REAL LIFE SHIT AND CRAZY JOHN SHOP WILL ENTERTAIN YOU WITH HIS BALLS TO THE WALL ATTITUDE…FULL THROTTLE EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY MENTALITY..WHEN THE PRODUCERS SAY”YOUR TOO CRAZY WE ARE NOT GOING TO FILM YOUR INSANE SHIT ANYMORE”.YOU KNOW YOUR A BADDASS…THATS JUST THE WAY HE LIVES EVERY DAY..GET READY TO BE ENTERTAINED AND SEE SOME AWESOME BIKES…THIS SHOW IS GOING TO ROCK…
I like to watch just about anything that has to do with motorcycles, except for orange county choppers, and I ride a bagger. However I cant stand those large front wheels that are now the trend. when they first started putting the 21″ wheels on front I thought it looked pretty nice but as usual they kept increasing the size and so now you see the guys with the ridiculous 30″ + wheels. Sounds Like this show is going to be just that, however, I’ll still watch it I’m sure. The best bike show on TV was Russell Mitchells (excile cycle) BUILD or BUST, that was a good show.
I was on Let it ride TV show it was real.And the Ness family the nicest people I ever met ! My bike love it. I met Paul Yalfe years ago very nice guy !and a great builder !! Ill watch the show I love allthe bike shows. good luck
I have a big wheel bagger built by all n all out of Columbus Ohio rides better then did from factory was just in urban bagger any of you haters don’t watch the show but for me iI ride my bagger and get props from all ages of people so can’t wait to watch the show.
Lot of “hardcore bikers” here criticizing a tv biker show…..must be raining:)
Instead of expensive baggers, pick up the Cafe Racer TV show, and show how you can build inexpensive bikes that are cool, and rideable. REX
seen the first show. they act like the the kim kardashians of the motorcycle
world, what a load of crap. shit i’m glad i’m not american i’d be embarrassed .
Kody is such a fake taking credit for others work and not giving props to one of the best in the custom paint world hope ratings go in the toilet for history channel putting this fake crap out to the public
Voodoo. I just seen this week’s episode. Your a joke take credit for stuff you didn’t do.. first you were all he’s not gonna like it no pin up girls …..then you take credit for Cory putting the eyes on there saying I told him to .lier…
Nothing vulgar or hateful, but the producers just don’t get it. i have been in the motorcycle business for over 20 years. And riding since 1957. At my shop we repair motorcycles (all brands) and don’t claim to be bike builders, however we do on occasion build roadworthy, comfortable bikes that don’t have to be taken on a trailer. We don’t need to see these builders and their staffs acting like spoiled brats and babies throwing stuff around the shop and office. The technical expertise and designs are awsome and speak for themselfs and the builders without the drama. A real bike shop doesn’t work like this, they know it and we know it. Just get on with building the bikes. All these bike shows start off OK, then everyone decides to become a movie star. Take off the freakn’ sun glasses in the shop and do what you really want to be famous for ” BUILD THE BIKES WITHOUT THE DRAMA” Stop with the unrealistic time limits and low ball budgets. I quit watching OCC because of this crap.
Cody is a total mouth piece, if the show returns for a second season please dump that clown! Wait bring him back so someone can punch his lights out! Love the show but VooDoo needs to go ByeBye!