Topic: went & seen the OCC bikes

[Buffo]

The wife and I went to the Texas State Fair this past weekend. Had a great time. OCC had sent about 6 of their bikes to be put on display. I have to say that I was a little disapointed with a few of their bikes.

the bikes that were there are as follows:
1. Blues Bike...Goofy...In my opinion it was one of 2 RIDABLE new school(?) choppers there.

2. Jet Bike...just plain strange. NO tail lights of any kind. I am 6' and I dont think I could have rode the bike...the strech from the bars to the pegs was way to long. I really  disliked the fake bullets and fake missles. Too fake for me. It looked like a kid "added on" things to make it "look" like a jet. Like you asked a first or second grader to make a motorcycle look like a fighter jet...not insightful.

3. Black Widow...It looked better on TV. NO tail lights of any kind. And same as the Jet Bike It looked un ridable...way too much of a strech to reach the bars...The green was the wrong green...maybe it was painted to look good on TV but in real life the color was just wrong.

4 & 5. 2 Old School shoppers from Paul Sr. ...the Mann bike and another...besides the goofy paintings on the Mann bike, that guys style, they were nicest, most ridable bikes there. They looked to be well painted and thought out...not just bolt on fancy parts to make a "theme" work. I would ride ether of them with pride if I created them...just plain fine bikes. Not just a flash in the pan.

6.Gillette Bike...Very nice lookning but absolutly UNRIDABLE! There is no way on earth anyone who is under 6' 5" could ride that bike. Period. It is so insanely long...The reach for the bars is so far away...especially with your feet on the pegs...ohh yeah...another Paul Jr. bike with no tail lights...a useless bike...in my opinion if a bike cannot be riden it is not a bike...art maybe ...but a bike by definition only...and I belive that the bike was made that way by mistake...poor design followed by poor judgment (continuing to complete a bike that is unridable with out fixing the problems is poor judgment)

7. The Lincon bike...Paul Jr.'s Nicest bike...the only one there that he made tht has ANY class. I looked ridable for a person 5'10 and taller...beautiful color, but that is a lincon paint...beautiful design for the tank...a fine ride.


...One big problem I had with ALL of the new school bikes was the fact that every one of them had the same monsterous rear tire...it made them all look way to generic. dont get me wrong I like big rear tires...but not on every bike...a few of the bikes seemed to be jetted wrong...the chrome was way too discolored on the exhaust pipes.

...We missed the builders by a day or two...


Buffo The Magnificent

[dusterdude]

you didnt miss anything don

[BobbyR]

The only thing you missed is Mikey who is a very funny and nice guy and smarter than the rest of them. I have seen those guys for years at local shows. You are right the bikes look better on TV. If you go to the bike show in NYC, you will find bikes that are so much better from small custom builders. Real custom bike builders laugh at these guys. They are rich - very rich. 

[dusterdude]

bobby,like you i wouldnt mind meeting mikey and maybe vinnie.

[my78k]

I'm not a fan of the whole "new school" chopper thing anyways. Two main problems....first: I'm 5'8" so couldn't ride any of these beasts (from ANY of the builders not just the OCC boys) and second is that all it does is encourage guys with way too much money to get into what really is more of a lifestyle than a hobby.

You won't see me on any thread that generically bashes HD's or any of the other V Twins out there but I will be the first to knock these "riders" who buy a bike for their first time in their mid 40's and 50's and make sure it is the brightest shiniest thing they can find. Not because I have a problem with people who have taken a bit of time to finally come around and realize that driving anything with 4 wheels is just 2 wheels too many but because to them its all about the show and NOT about the go!

If money were no object and I was told I could have any bike from any of the newly famous builders it would have to be an Exile Chopper. Classic look with wide open performance...now that's a combination I would be happy to throw my leg over any day!

Dennis

[dusterdude]

dennis,i agree

[mcpuffett]

hi dennis , i to like the exile look and also the stuff that indian larry built  mick in the f**kin wet uk.

[6pkrunner]

I find they are all cookie cuttered and soulless. I much prefered Tom McMullen's creations from AEE. The new stuff doesn't doesn't do it for me.

[Chris Liston]

I'd have to agree with the Exile Statement.  That is the only modern "chopper" I'd buy.  They are just simple black and mean. 

[seaweb11]

Hard not to like something that looks like this

[cb650]

Remember these bike are not meant to be ridden but ohhed and ahhed over.  like most of the new 4x4's.  On one of the old shows when I would watch it they accually built the bars over the gas cap.
but when it might only go through a tank of gas a year what does it matter.



                                        Terry

[bhkrause]

Ditto on the exile choppers.  Saw those the first time on one of the biker buildoffs, liked them immediately.  Love his attention to detail, hiding all the wires, trick throttles, all that stuff.  Lean and mean, they just look good.

What I can never understand is how the Brits manage to actually come up with some style for motor vehicles.   

[ElCheapo]

After looking at the blooper clips on the Discovery web site and watching Jr. ride one of his contraptions (his dream bike). I realized he can handle all that strech because his knuckles drag  the floor.  Jr. needs to get his ray gun and pointy helmet an go hide in the closet.

Simple answer really.

Sr. seems ok most times, Mikey is the #$%*. This guy is just plain funny.

[BobbyR]

I met Indian Larry and he took a picture with my kid two weeks before he died. He was based here in NY, the real NY, not the woods of Orange County.  His bikes are "minimal" so you would like them. I sat on one and I am '5 8" also. I had less problem putting my feet down, than I do on my CB750 which is a bit high. I work for Kawasaki and the average Japaneese are not all that tall. They must have been watching too many John Wayne movies when they sized the bike. Bob