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Orange County Choppers
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Published: November 3, 2006
Orange County Choppers is the name of a custom motorcycle manufacturer begun by Paul Teutul, Sr. and Paul Teutul, Jr. in 1999. Featured on the TV reality show “American Chopper,” launched in 2002 by the Discovery Channel, Orange County Choppers has risen in fame among motorcycling enthusiasts.
Nestled about 80 miles north of New York City, Orange County Choppers takes its name from the New York county where it is located – not the famous county of the same name in California, a fact commonly fooling people.
Orange County Choppers began as an offshoot of Orange County Ironwork, Paul Sr.'s family iron business in Rock Tavern, N.Y. One day, Paul Sr. began noticing an increase in the number of custom motorcycles appearing in American streets and movies. Drawn to this idea, thinking he could turn it into a full-time business, Paul Sr. began manufacturing motorcycles as an extension of this iron business and the idea for Orange County Choppers was born.
After beginning Orange County Choppers in Rock Tavern in 1999, Paul Sr. moved the shop to the nearby town of Montgomery, where it still is today. With Paul Jr. on board as the chief fabricator and designer for Orange County Choppers, the father-son duo began focusing exclusively on building the custom motorcycles that have since made them famous.
Born 1949 in Yonkers, N.Y., Paul Teutul, Sr. is a man with bulging muscles but an even bigger temper. Most often seen in dark sunglasses and muscle tees, Paul Sr. has captured the American television attention with his abrasive persona and driving business savvy, but it is the quality of his bikes that has given him the staying power he wants in the American custom motorcycle business.
Paul Jr., born 1974, co-founded Orange County Choppers with his father. Highly skilled in steel working from his background as head of the rail shop at Orange County Ironworks, Paul Jr. now leads the design, color, style and assembly during custom builds at Orange County Choppers. Even though Paul. Jr. is the calmer, even-headed one of the Teutul duo, his artistic vision often has him at odds with Paul Sr.
Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. are not the only Teutuls involved in the Orange County business. Another son, Michael Teutul, helps out around the office and on television provides a calming presence and comic relief for his father and his in-your-face attitude. Another brother, Daniel Teutul, remains at Ironworks as a general manager.
Together, Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. quickly made a name for themselves among chopper enthusiasts.
Their first official custom bike, True Blue, appeared at the Daytona Biketoberfest in 1999, wowing the crowd and launching them toward the fame they enjoy today.
For as many fans as Orange County Choppers has, they also have a minority of detractors, mainly among the motorcycling community. Purists question whether what Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. do is true-chopper building.
Warren Fuller, creator of the www.choppersrule.com Web site, says the art of true custom chopping relies on the designers' ingenuity and resourcefulness – not its burgeoning television-show budget.
Tom Zimberoff, who photographed the Teutuls for his 2003 book, Art of the Chopper, argues choppers were never supposed to appeal to the taste of pop-culture. In a 2004 USA Today article, Zimberoff said, “They were counterculture's affront to the mainstream life. Some people kind of look down on the decorative-art approach as opposed to the tradition of less-is-more. But,” he says, “their bikes capture attention, and that's what choppers are all about.”
If nothing else, Paul Sr. and Paul Jr.'s bikes certainly do capture peoples' attention. The boys of Orange County Choppers manufacture bikes that drop the jaws of test-drivers and fantasy-shoppers alike.
In 2005, the U.S. Air Force commissioned Orange County Choppers to build the Raptor Bike, a $150,000 piece of craftsmanship named after the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter – complete with trademark Air Force stylings, Raptor exhaust and rear-view mirrors in the shape of jets.
Another signature make is the Fire Bike, a bike honoring the 343 New York City firefighters who died in the World Trade Center attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Emblazoned with the number 343 on its rear fender, it also features a piece of steel recovered from Ground Zero. Upon its completion, Orange County Choppers presented this bike to a group of NYC firefighters.
Other Orange County Chopper theme bikes include the Black Widow Spider Bike, Christmas Bike, Jet Bike, Rat Bike, Police Bike and Clown Bike.
Sources:
Mack, Preston. Leaders of the pack. USA Today Online. 25 March 2004. USA Today. 29 October 2006.
<http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news /2004-03-25-american-chopper-main_x.htm.>
Orange County Choppers. Wikipedia online encyclopedia. 27 October 2006. 29 October 2006. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_County_Cho ppers.>
Orange County Choppers. 2006. 29 October 2006.
<http://www.orangecountychoppers.com/.>
Paul Teutul, Jr. Wikipedia online encyclopedia. 27 October 2006. 29 October 2006.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Teutul%2C_ Jr.>
Paul Teutul Sr. BikerMatchmaking.com. 29 October 2006.
<http://www.bikermatchmaking.com/Internet_Dat ing_Stories/Paul_Teutul_Sr.htm.>
Paul Teutul, Sr. Wikipedia online encyclopedia. 27 October 2006. 29 October 2006.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Teutul%2C_ Sr..>
Nestled about 80 miles north of New York City, Orange County Choppers takes its name from the New York county where it is located – not the famous county of the same name in California, a fact commonly fooling people.
Orange County Choppers began as an offshoot of Orange County Ironwork, Paul Sr.'s family iron business in Rock Tavern, N.Y. One day, Paul Sr. began noticing an increase in the number of custom motorcycles appearing in American streets and movies. Drawn to this idea, thinking he could turn it into a full-time business, Paul Sr. began manufacturing motorcycles as an extension of this iron business and the idea for Orange County Choppers was born.
After beginning Orange County Choppers in Rock Tavern in 1999, Paul Sr. moved the shop to the nearby town of Montgomery, where it still is today. With Paul Jr. on board as the chief fabricator and designer for Orange County Choppers, the father-son duo began focusing exclusively on building the custom motorcycles that have since made them famous.
Born 1949 in Yonkers, N.Y., Paul Teutul, Sr. is a man with bulging muscles but an even bigger temper. Most often seen in dark sunglasses and muscle tees, Paul Sr. has captured the American television attention with his abrasive persona and driving business savvy, but it is the quality of his bikes that has given him the staying power he wants in the American custom motorcycle business.
Paul Jr., born 1974, co-founded Orange County Choppers with his father. Highly skilled in steel working from his background as head of the rail shop at Orange County Ironworks, Paul Jr. now leads the design, color, style and assembly during custom builds at Orange County Choppers. Even though Paul. Jr. is the calmer, even-headed one of the Teutul duo, his artistic vision often has him at odds with Paul Sr.
Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. are not the only Teutuls involved in the Orange County business. Another son, Michael Teutul, helps out around the office and on television provides a calming presence and comic relief for his father and his in-your-face attitude. Another brother, Daniel Teutul, remains at Ironworks as a general manager.
Together, Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. quickly made a name for themselves among chopper enthusiasts.
Their first official custom bike, True Blue, appeared at the Daytona Biketoberfest in 1999, wowing the crowd and launching them toward the fame they enjoy today.
For as many fans as Orange County Choppers has, they also have a minority of detractors, mainly among the motorcycling community. Purists question whether what Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. do is true-chopper building.
Warren Fuller, creator of the www.choppersrule.com Web site, says the art of true custom chopping relies on the designers' ingenuity and resourcefulness – not its burgeoning television-show budget.
Tom Zimberoff, who photographed the Teutuls for his 2003 book, Art of the Chopper, argues choppers were never supposed to appeal to the taste of pop-culture. In a 2004 USA Today article, Zimberoff said, “They were counterculture's affront to the mainstream life. Some people kind of look down on the decorative-art approach as opposed to the tradition of less-is-more. But,” he says, “their bikes capture attention, and that's what choppers are all about.”
If nothing else, Paul Sr. and Paul Jr.'s bikes certainly do capture peoples' attention. The boys of Orange County Choppers manufacture bikes that drop the jaws of test-drivers and fantasy-shoppers alike.
In 2005, the U.S. Air Force commissioned Orange County Choppers to build the Raptor Bike, a $150,000 piece of craftsmanship named after the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter – complete with trademark Air Force stylings, Raptor exhaust and rear-view mirrors in the shape of jets.
Another signature make is the Fire Bike, a bike honoring the 343 New York City firefighters who died in the World Trade Center attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Emblazoned with the number 343 on its rear fender, it also features a piece of steel recovered from Ground Zero. Upon its completion, Orange County Choppers presented this bike to a group of NYC firefighters.
Other Orange County Chopper theme bikes include the Black Widow Spider Bike, Christmas Bike, Jet Bike, Rat Bike, Police Bike and Clown Bike.
Sources:
Mack, Preston. Leaders of the pack. USA Today Online. 25 March 2004. USA Today. 29 October 2006.
<http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news /2004-03-25-american-chopper-main_x.htm.>
Orange County Choppers. Wikipedia online encyclopedia. 27 October 2006. 29 October 2006. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_County_Cho ppers.>
Orange County Choppers. 2006. 29 October 2006.
<http://www.orangecountychoppers.com/.>
Paul Teutul, Jr. Wikipedia online encyclopedia. 27 October 2006. 29 October 2006.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Teutul%2C_ Jr.>
Paul Teutul Sr. BikerMatchmaking.com. 29 October 2006.
<http://www.bikermatchmaking.com/Internet_Dat ing_Stories/Paul_Teutul_Sr.htm.>
Paul Teutul, Sr. Wikipedia online encyclopedia. 27 October 2006. 29 October 2006.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Teutul%2C_ Sr..>
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