Orange County Choppers bikes
Photograph by Velo Steveon Flickr.
The Comanche Bike was debuted at an event to which the Teutuls flew in on a Bell 206 Orange County Choppers bikes helicopter, an entrance which required major set-up, leaving Vinnie DiMartino, the engine s original builder, Joe, and others to fix massive problems with the engine. welded the piece, which resembles a large rivet with the end opposite the head very jagged, onto a bracket made from diamond plate which was Orange County Choppers bikes then attached to a cavity on top of the gas tank.
When the bike comes back from the paint shop, they discover a major problem with the motor just hours before it has to be shipped to Las Vegas. Although not as serious of a technical episode as Orange County Choppers bikes some are, the Christmas Bike episode ended on a nice note with Paul Sr.
The bike currently resides in the U.S. Despite the bike being presented to Cody at the end of the episode, it was later returned to OCC where it remains on display at the OCC retail store Season 1, Episodes 9,10&11 Original Airdates 06/30/03 07/14/03 Designed and fabricated by Paul Teutul Jr.
This meant that to make the bike work, the team would have to come up with an inventive solution. was the major fabricator on the project, and focused heavily on mimicking key design features of the truck in the bike, as they were building the bike solely as a sales device for the truck.
It was the New York City Fire Department that arrived to help and took special care in recovering the bike which was later repaired. Season 1, Episodes 8&9 Original Airdates 06/16/03 06/30/03 Based around a Harley Davidson replica frame, the Old School Chopper has an 88ci (cubic inch) pan head motor that delivers 40 horsepower (30 kW) through a chain drive to the back wheel. Although the customers typically give OCC creative freedom to do what they will, some clients have a specific idea in mind and expect OCC to reproduce their mental picture literally.
Finally, the Teutuls presented the bike in a red carpet affair for the premiere of I, Robot. The Black Widow Bike was the bike central to the first two episodes of American Chopper.
Lance has come back to do a commercial for future seasons of American Chopper. King, Robert Johnson, Taj Mahal, Tom Waits and Gatemouth Brown. Season 1, Holiday Episode Original Airdates 12/22/03 The Christmas Bike bike had a special rarely seen father/son build team of Mikey and Paul Sr.
A fake oil tank was made in the shape of a miniature toolbox (the real oil tank was hidden on the bottom of the frame). Additionally, they have produced on-air a Rat Bike, Police Bike, Lucy Bike, Military Bikes, Talladega Bike, Spider-Man Bike, Clown Bike, Flash Bike, True Blue Bike, Eragon Bike, Rick s Dream Bike, the PureFit Nutrition Bar Bike for founder and CEO, Robb Dorf. Built for PureFit Nutrition Bars, the PureFit Bike has been said to be a very difficult build for OCC.
and visited the Vietnam Memorial Wall, Rick Petko even taking a rubbing of a relative whose name was on the wall. The kicker was they were given a few choice artifacts from the statue itself to incorporate into the bike (a cable that lit the torch became the shifter, for example), and the entire bike was plated in copper from the actual statue itself.
OCC has returned to that business while incorporating some of the designs that made them famous. The custom paint job features the number 343 on the rear fender, representing the number of firefighters who died while saving civilians that day.
An idea brewed in Paul s mind for several months before deciding to make a the POW/MIA Bike centered around the POW/MIAs of the Vietnam War. The unusual swing arm required a drastic adjustment to its transmission offset.
Customer bikes are built for and generally to the specifications of a particular customer. In a first for OCC, Vinnie opted for a V series engine modified to 103 ci with 110 horsepower (82 kW).
One crucial modification which put the whole project in jeopardy involved the backbone, which was too small for the motor picked for this bike. (A small gas tank was built into the oil tank in front of the rear wheel.) Vinny DiMartino constructed the headlight, Junior made the rear fender and the ghost tank, where Rick Petko created the oil tank and the scoop at the front. For the pilot episode, OCC produced a jet plane-themed bike, known as the Jet Bike.
The Football Bike is unique in how uneventful its build was. Modelling the gas tank after the LT s distinctive grill, using a color combination of paint and seat leather that is available in the truck production model, patterning the handlebars after the truck s steering wheel, essentially every feature was in some way connected to the truck. Additionally, OCC has produced bikes on-air for Davis Love III, Sam s Club, the New York Yankees, NASA, David Mann,Wendy s, Sunoco, Bill Murray, Eragon, Go Daddy, Flowjet, Hewlett-Packard, GoFast, Peavey, Russell Crowe, the Kansas City Royals, Case Cutlery, Caterpillar Inc., and the Iowa Farm Bureau. OCC also works on theme projects which are not featured on the television show. The popularity of American Chopper led the United States Air Force to commission a $150,000 Air Force Bike , first put on public display in March 2005.
Following the allen wrench theme, Paul Jr. The Web production bike is inspired by the Black Widow theme bike and other bikes which have incorporated spider webs into the design.
The entire bike was sprayed with Snap-on s official red paint. took charge of the project, as opposed to his son, as Senior felt a closer tie to the veterans from his generation.
Stocks, of Gold Leaf Corporation a company that performed restoration work on the Statue of Liberty and maintains artifacts from it. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL Season 1, Episodes 26&27 Original Airdate 05/03/04 05/10/04 The lawn mower company Dixie Chopper (which bills itself as manufacturing the world s fastest lawn mower) hired OCC to build the Dixie Chopper Bike as a promo for their own line of lawnmowers, thinking the humor of the word chopper (which is both a well-known slang term for motorcycle, as well as related to its lawn mowers – which, of course, chop up grass) would be humorous enough to move product and promote company recognition.
It also features, as the very last part attached to the bike, a piece of steel that was recovered from Ground Zero. It was, as Paul Teutul Sr.
Paul Jr. It also features a springer front end, sportster style tank, old style ape hanger handlebars and foot clutch/suicide shift.
They removed the existing backbone and replaced it with a piece of 1/4 inch steel tube. Built for racing designer Carroll Shelby it has a sleek and cobra-like gas tank and Shelby cobra emblem sets. and named after the RAH-66 Comanche Helicopter.
Most of the fabrication on this bike was done by OCC s former student intern, Cody Connolly, as a joint project with Paul Sr. As a result, Mikey and Vinnie were given free rein to create the Mikey/Vinnie Bike.
and Mikey entertaining some kids with their new creation. B.
This was done when the bike was presented to the firemen at one of the New York fire stations at the end of the episode. During the New York Jets Bike episode, the Fire Bike was damaged during a highway accident. In the commercial he races back to his hotel room, hears the whirring of buzzing metalwork behind the door, and finds the Teutuls (Mikey, Junior, and Senior) with his newly Chopper ed bike (featuring sharp spokes, a fuel tank-like protrusion for some reason, etc). I, Robot star Will Smith visited Orange County Choppers to share his view of how the bike should look.
A mural of Mikey giving Vinnie a bear hug complements the rear fender. After a visit to Nike headquarters, the American Chopper crew sets out to build a bike honoring seven-time winner of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong, and his Lance Armstrong Foundation. A T-Rex Softail and a T-Rex Rigid were also available in the production series in the past. Paul Senior s love of the style led him to create a number of Old School style choppers including 10-Up old School, Greeny, Maroon and Gold, Orange Bobber, The Blue Bomber, Little Red, Old School Vette, Orange Knucklehead, Pitchfork, Triumph Flames and Sunshine.
Detailing includes a deep maroon paint job and gold-leaf accenting. This change was necessary as the bike could not be ridden without the frame being altered.
put it, not just an Orange County Chopper, it s a New York City Chopper. This bike follows Orange County Choppers around to most of their shows and is consistently a big hit. The chopper was built as a tribute to the firefighters who died in the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001. Theme bikes are motorcycles in which the concept of the motorcycle takes priority over everything else, influencing the frame dimensions, paint scheme, and overall feel of the motorcycle.
That idea was replaced with something that would solve the frame issues and allow them to have a gas tank with the legal amount of fuel in it. The main members of the build were Sr., Mikey, Rick Petko, and Mike Campo.
The bike was the last bike to receive fabrication in the old shop, and the first to be put together in the new. Air Force recruiters commissioned it as a public outreach tool. Other theme customers include Solidworks, the United States Army, the United States Air Force, Pez Candy, the Big Gulp Bike for 7-Eleven stores, Cherokee Nation, Learjet, Airgas, Criss Angel Mindfreak, Speedco, Riptide, a flower Bike, Reeve, SLR , Werner Trucking, a Hemi bike for Chrysler, Miami Heat, SealMaster, Eaton, Bass Pro Shops and University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)Rebels. .
Winners include Jeff Clegg s Corporal Punishment, Susan Morisset s Female Snake Bike, Joseph McClendon s Custom Hog, and Bryan King s Vertebrae Trike. Season 1, Episodes 1&2 Original Airdates 03/31/03 04/07/03 Paul Teutul Jr. met two Vietnam War veterans.
They forge ahead, and the bike is completed just in time for the SEMA bike show. Commissioned to promote the Mark LT. who came together in this Season 2 episode of American Chopper to build Santa Claus s sleigh as a chopper. In this build the father and son team focused more on superficial factors like the antlers, paint job, and sleigh look as opposed to the power of the engine or electronics.
In a rare turn of events, Paul Sr. The bike is covered front to back with cold rolled round bar webbing, each section of the bike has an individually tailored piece of webbing.
Customers use the bikes for promotional purposes at tradeshows or auction them off as a charity fundraiser. OCC was in the business of building custom motorcycles for individuals before it gained fame building themed projects or was featured on television. The motorcycle is ten feet long and is modeled after the F-22 Raptor, complete with Air Force symbol rims, riveted gas tank, Raptor exhausts and rear-view mirrors in the shape of jets.
Orange County Choppers (OCC) is best known for the bikes featured on American Chopper where bikes are built around a theme or, for specific corporate or celebrity customers. The fuel tank follows the lines of Lance s riding helmet, and its paint scheme is the yellow and black of the Livestrong Foundation.
New York Governor George Pataki visits the crew at their new headquarters during the episode. The entire American Chopper gang made a trip to Washington D.C.
The bike uses one of Dixie Chopper s 1000cc 32 horsepower (24 kW) Generac lawn mower engines which, after modification, provides enough power to be suitable for a motorcycle engine. Built for NAPA auto parts, the frame is a basic 7up rigid custom, which was heavily modified. The function of motorcycle usually takes a backseat to the presentation of the theme, and these motorcycles attract attention solely on the premise of the theme itself.
The frame was created using solid hex shaped metal bars (inspired by allen wrenches) instead of the more typical round tubing. In addition, all along the bike are painted images representative of various famous bluesmen such as B.
Vinnie s first idea called for the notching of the frame to make room for the motor. The metal bars were hollowed out and bent by Racing Innovations resulting in a heavier than normal frame.
The Greeny model is available for purchase from the production series. In recognition of the shows growing fanbase, a contest was held to select fans which would receive custom built bikes. In the last seconds (quite literally), the crew got the bike started up, and released it to the public with great success. Season 1, Episodes 12&13 Original Airdates 08/11/03 08/18/03 Mike Teutul made his entrance into the world of custom bike building with this blues-themed chopper Mikey s Bike .
The bike is notable for having a ghost tank in place of a gas tank, using webbing built in the shape of a gas tank. This was rejected as the notching would compromise the frame s integrity.
Paul Jr. Richard asked OCC to build a bike dedicated to the statue and freedom.
As a hidden detail, an authentic ratchet was modified and used as kickstand. Season 1, Episodes 16 Original Airdate 02/02/04 Built at the request of the New York Jets, and commissioned to for unveiling on opening day at Giants Stadium. Winners were visited by the designers and asked to describe their dream bike.
Orange County Choppers used exclusive development artwork and sketches of the robots provided by the film s producers to lay out a sleek, futuristic, robotic looking bike. was the primary designer and fabricator on this bike.
Senior took Mike Teutul, Rick Petko, and Mike Campo into the crew for the bike. The bike s most revolutionary innovation is its one sided soft tail frame.
The wheels were spoked with gold spokes and their inside edges muraled with musical notes. They even bought a custom Jeri Springer front end with POW/MIA memorabilia embedded in the metal. On September 22, 2008, The Teutuls and Mikey had presented a POW/MIA chopper to Senator John McCain at a rally in Media, PA. Season 2, Episode 28 and 29, original airdates 06/07/2004 06/14/2004 Because of scheduling conflicts, Paul Sr and Paul Jr were called away on other business just as production on the new season was set to begin.
All would regroup for the Santa s Sleigh the following year. Season 1, Episodes 17,18,&19 Original Airdates 01/12/04 01/19/04 01/26/04 During a bike show at the Javits Center Paul Sr. It is not particularly complex, with no extreme fabrication, paint work, or cutting close to deadlines. Season 1, Episodes 24&25 Original Airdate 04/12/04 04/19/04 The Liberty Bike was commissioned by CEO Richard W.
This bike also makes an appearance in the American Chopper 2: Full Throttle video game, though is referred to as the Future Bike . It is the third in a series of web-themed bikes conceived and designed by Paul Teutul, Jr. This bike was the first sign to fans of American Chopper of Paul Jr. s obsession with spiders and spider webs. Season 1, Episodes 5,6,&7, Original Airdates 04/28/03 06/02/03 06/09/03 The Fire Bike was created by everyone at OCC, the project holding more emotional weight with its ties to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
bent sheets of 16 gauge cold rolled steel to create hex shaped exhaust covers. Numerous custom parts were fabricated, including a prominent cover plate with 5 stars to symbolize Lance s 5 victories, which had to be altered when he won his 6th.
The bike featured massive custom fabrication on nearly every piece, the crew incorporating the phrase POW/MIA and the POW/MIA logo wherever they could.
