He looks surprisingly comfortable on a bike

If your only tool is a straightedge, I guess that's what your designs look like.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: To me Sr has too much of an ego and that makes him a dick. He's alienated most if his family and makes no effort to resolve issues. All I can give him is he knows how to run a business. Jr to me seems like a cool guy to me, mainly because he's a lot like my friends. He really cares about his family too. He also figured out how to run his own business which has been successful. He also is very imaginative and artistic.

And I guess that's the difference in perspective. Now granted I don't watch the shows religiously so I'm sure I've missed a lot of the drama, but what I see is Sr who knows how hard it is to build a business and run it right and his kids who live off it. So when he wants things done his way because its right for the business and they don't agree then they split. Without what he built they would be nothing because to the 2nd point, I don't think JR is all that imaginative or artistic at all (see bike in OP, imaginative, I suppose, artistic hell no) In fact JR initially intended to go into a non bike design business and that ended real quick when no one liked anything else he was designing, but he could put wheels on a pile of poo and people will buy it because of the reputation and nothing more. Without the fame from the show I doubt his business would be successful at all. And no doubt the producers are sending work his way because it adds to the drama.

And the fab skills belong to pretty much everyone else, his designs, like them or not (I'm with the NOT) couldn't be built without a lot of people with skills he doesn't have and usually those with the skills tweak the designs along the way and make a better product than his initial try

Wally wrote: I guess as comfortable as anyone who looks like they are sitting inches from a bear trap. Why does it lokk like every bike he builds has some part that will cause serious harm if you stop short

Mayor Bloomberg said: "As I know you've all heard me say a million times before, There's nothing like strapping on your brain bucket, kickstarting your chopper, gripping your ape hangers and riding high and tight with your bros. Back in 1969, when Easy Rider came out, there wasn't a guy my age who didn't consider chasing freedom on the open road! Still today, all kidding aside, the bike remains a symbol of the freedom we cherish as Americans and nobody makes bikes like the American Chopper family."

"If you start this thing I will E36 M3 my diaper and does this guy know his fly is open?

Wally wrote: I guess as comfortable as anyone who looks like they are sitting inches from a bear trap. Why does it look like every bike he builds has some part that will cause serious harm if you stop short

I think the design was heavily influenced by a marlin skeleton.

I always thought the OCC guys were assemblers rather than designers, especially in the early years. When the show turned more drama than build, I stopped watching.

Personally, I would rather have the rope jumping Buick in the other thread.

In reply to JThw8:

I am one who religiously watches the show. To be honest, OCC would have gone nowhere without Jr. Or at least as big as it is now.

As for Sr's children feeding off the business, sometimes you have to boot the chick out of the nest. That's what happened to Jr. But he learned enough to open his business. He could not build bikes due to a no compete clause that he had to abide to for I think 2 years so that's why he was doing lame design stuff. He does seem to know how to fabricate.

Mikey went through some really had times and became an alcoholic. He went through rehab and Sr did nothing to help him out being a previous alcoholic himself.

I just don't have a liking for Sr anymore.

i saw an old episode yesterday- i think it was from '06 or so.. its the one where Rick got to design and build a bike. it was pretty damn impressive how much work they put into it. . but it was weird seeing them in a small crappy shop and everyone getting along and seeing Rick not looking like he's been taking supplements and bench pressing 500 pounds..

i think all the drama that goes on with them is real- they are a real dysfunctional family and it all played out on the Discovery Channel. the newest episode i saw was from this summer some time- Jr got bought out by his dad and got the Black Widow bike in the deal- did they kiss and make up yet?

Nope

That's probably what the final episode will be here in the next couple weeks.

Remember, there is very little reality in a reality show. I bet Junior and Senior are fine. They made even more money acting like there's a big feud going on so I think SyntheticBlinkerFluid is correct about the final episode. However, I don't think the feud was that big a deal or even really occurring.

The show took a family making an OK living doing something they liked to do and made them rich. At that point, people start telling them what to say and they go along with it because they keep the gravy train going. How many years did they get out of this show? Everybody made money and they'll continue to make more with merchandising, reruns and a built-in market for their bikes.

I've defended the "idea" of this show to friends. They said, "Oh this is BS. It can't be real. No one fights that much." I said that you've never worked for family, or in particular, my family. If they did a show centered around our construction company, you'd see the same thing, with hammers instead of bikes.

Why would anyone actually want one of those bikes after seeing the show? I have only watched like 5 episodes or so but every time they seem to screw something up or bodge it in some embarassing way.

yeah, they use the BFH more on one bike than i've ever used in my life.

fasted58 wrote: Mainly watched the show to pick up fab tips.. which there were tons. Much like any PowerBlock, Gearz etc. TV shows have become. Geezus, they're so far over the top anymore I ain't never gonna afford that level build.

Gearz has turned into a big infomercial and the Powerblock seems to be getting there. Search and Restore is a bit commercial for Wyotech.

...and least Courtney Hanson still looks good.

ditchdigger wrote: Why would anyone actually want one of those bikes after seeing the show? I have only watched like 5 episodes or so but every time they seem to screw something up or bodge it in some embarassing way.

the bikes on the show are nothing more than paid advertisements- they don't have to be good bikes as long as they look cool and get a lot of air time.. the companies pay them a ton of money so they can have their name mentioned a few dozen times during a 40 minute show- or twice as much to spread it out over 2 episodes like they do on the "tough" builds where they can't just flip open a catalog and order a frame or gas tank.

but i think the family stuff is all real. i know families like that, and they'd implode if they had cameras following them around.

I'm sure the family dynamic is real - to a point. There's a lot of screaming and yelling, hurt feelings and alcoholism. I just think a lot of the splitting up parts and the other stuff are baloney. Now the sponsors get two different bikes in some weeks.

The last episode I saw was about Sr. downsizing from the massive new super high dollar new facility he built and was apparently financed to the hilt. I could not work for the man.

OCC built one bike that I really did like and that was the one for Mercedes Benz. To me, riding a blinged out chopper would be the same as driving a supercar convertible with the top down and a huge F and R bumpper sticker saying "Look at Me".

gamby wrote:

fasted58 wrote: Mainly watched the show to pick up fab tips.. which there were tons. Much like any PowerBlock, Gearz etc. TV shows have become. Geezus, they're so far over the top anymore I ain't never gonna afford that level build.

Gearz has turned into a big infomercial and the Powerblock seems to be getting there. Search and Restore is a bit commercial for Wyotech. ...and least Courtney Hanson still looks good.

And sounds like an 80 year old chain smoker....

Sr. and Carol Shelby are in a race to see who can sue more people.