I drive by Orange County Choppers twice a week on my way to visit the Karaoke Queen. Every time I drive by, I swear that I’m going to check the place out. Finally, I did it!
Like just about everybody in America, I was charmed by the TV series that started on Discovery and moved over to The Learning Channel. The soap opera part, featuring super macho Old Man, Paul and Mikey, was what I enjoyed. After a decade of gay worship in the media, I was ready for a large dose of old fashioned blue collar guys building things.
I haven’t watched the show in a couple of years, because every episode is the same. Old Man growls and throws things. Paul is the sensitive, but still macho designer. Mikey runs around in shorts and breaks things.
OCC’s bread is buttered by the celebrity status of the three stars, so the shop is really a sort of Disney World paraphernalia shop. I wasn’t at all surprised to find displays of the stars stacked up in various locations. Selling t-shirts, toy bikes and dolls must bring in a fortune. On an weekday afternoon in the middle of the off-season, the shop was full of tourists snapping pictures. I’m not complaining. I wish that I had a stake in the business.
I’ve never cared for OCC’s bikes. A couple of years ago, I looked at a few during a motorcycle show. First, I can’t afford the damned things. Starting at $32,000 for the few stock models OCC produces, these bikes are very expensive toys. I prefer my stock Harley. The spider bike, above, is cute, but I can’t see riding it every day. It doesn’t look comfortable, and I wonder about mechanical reliability. Unless I hit the lottery, I’m unlikely to ever find out what riding one of these choppers is like. Also, I just don’t like the styling. OCC’s bikes are way over the top and theatrical.
I was surprised to discover that the shop also sells these Schwinn mopeds. This seems like a shrewd business move. So many people who really have no interest in motorcycles walk into OCC, drawn by the TV show. They might bite on one of these scooters. You can buy one for about $6,000.
Orange County Choppers is obviously a money machine. Congratulations to the family for finding the right formula for success. I hope that the family is as happy and rowdy as they are portrayed on TV.
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