Orange County Choppers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article is written like an advertisement. Please help rewrite this article from a neutral point of view. For blatant advertising that would require a fundamental rewrite to become encyclopedic, use {{db-spam}} to mark for speedy deletion. |
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008) |
 |
|
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Newburgh, New York, USA |
| Industry | Motorcycle manufacturer |
| Products | Motorcycles |
| Website | www.orangecountychoppers.com |
Orange County Choppers (OCC) is a custom motorcycle manufacturer based in Orange County, New York that was founded by Paul Teutul, Sr. and Paul Teutul, Jr. in 1999. The company is featured on American Chopper, a reality TV show that debuted in September 2002 on the Discovery Channel, which has contributed to the company's quick rise to fame. In 2007, Discovery Channel's sister channel TLC took over the broadcasting (in United States and Canada). A new international headquarters designed to combine their production and retail facilities was constructed in the Town of Newburgh and opened April 24, 2008.
OCC's production facility was initially located in the hamlet of Rock Tavern, it then later moved to nearby Montgomery before moving into its new headquarters in Newburgh. The company also operates a seasonal kiosk at the Woodbury Commons Outlet Mall in Central Valley, NY.
Contents |
[edit] History
OCC started as a sideline to the family's steel manufacturing enterprise, Orange County Ironworks, which was founded in the 1970s. In the late 1990s, Teutul Sr. began manufacturing custom motorcycles as an extension of his steel business, and in 1999 he founded Orange County Choppers. The company's first bike, "True Blue", was debuted at the 1999 Daytona Biketoberfest.
[edit] Staff
- Paul Teutul, Sr.
- Michael "Mikey" Teutul
- Paul Teutul, Jr. (on a consulting basis)
- Rick Petko
- Jim Quinn
- Jason Pohl
- Mike Butt Amorati
- Earl "Herbie" Herman Smith III
- Nick Hansford
- Christian Welter
- Ron Salsbury
- Steve Moreau (General Manager)
Mike Campo left to seek new creative artist work. He left on good terms. In September 2007, Vincent DiMartino and Cody Connelly left OCC and American Chopper for undisclosed reasons. The two have since started their own bike shop, V Force Customs in Rock Tavern, New York not far from OCC's original shop. Paul Teutul, Jr. was fired from the shop in the first episode of April 2009, after a huge argument with Paul, Sr. After a month apart, the two met at the original shop and discussed their differences and agreed to resume working together. The next day Paul, Jr. returned to the shop. Not long after returning Junior decided he made a mistake. After talking with his brother Mikey, he decided to leave OCC, informing his dad of his decision after revealing a bike honoring Alaska's 50th Anniversary. He remains involved with OCC as an adviser for some projects.
[edit] Bikes
OCC is best known for the bikes featured on American Chopper where bikes are built around a theme or, increasingly, for specific corporate or celebrity customers. The company has built custom bikes long before beginning the Discovery Channel show. Additionally, OCC launched a limited edition production line of motorcycles in July 2007, priced beginning at $31,000. These bikes include design elements originally developed for bikes featured on the show.
The range of standard production bikes will be extended to meet worldwide (with particular attention to Canada and Europe) legislation for motorbikes over a couple of years. This means that the bikes will be sold commercially outside the USA for the first time.
One of OCC's most popular bikes is The Fire Bike, which was designed by Paul Teutul (Paulie) Jr, to commemorate the New York firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11. The bike itself has been modeled after a fire truck, and an actual steel rivet from the World Trade Center has been integrated into the bike itself, mounted atop the bike's gas tank. Paulie is noted as stating that the bike was themed "343", the number of New York firefighters who gave their lives on 9/11.[citation needed]
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. 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. Air Force recruiters commissioned it as a public outreach tool.[citation needed]
[edit] Music
The Orange County Choppers recently launched a series of free music concerts held in the retail store. P.O.D., Candlebox, and Saliva, Red, 10 Years, Fair to Midland, and Framing Hanley have performed. On April 25, 2009, Smile Empty Soul, Earshot, Fixer, and Age of Daze all performed to celebrate the decade of the company's work.
[edit] Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster
The Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster is a Zamperla Motocoaster installed at Darien Lake. The MotoCoaster is Darien Lake's first launched coaster, and is Zamperla's first motorbike roller coaster to be installed in the United States, though a different model with horse theming is being installed at Knott's Berry Farm at the same time.
The coaster being installed is the same one that has been prototyped outside Zamperla's factory in Italy.
The roller coaster was announced in January 2008 and opened on May 3, 2008.
The MotoCoaster is located near the Darien Square area of the park, between Boomerang and Twister.
The ride is named after Orange County Choppers, which will build a custom motorcycle inspired by the ride and the park.
[edit] Other television appearances
The Teutul family appeared in the My Name Is Earl episode; "Stole A Motorcycle". In this episode it is discovered that Earl Hickey had stolen an OCC motorcycle with the help of his brother Randy. They had found the motorcycle outside the OCC garage with its keys left in the ignition. While intoxicated, Earl and Randy lose the bike. Randy finds the motorcycle and returns it to the Teutul family. At this point Paul Sr. finds out that the keys had been in the ignition, and Mikey admits to having done this.
The Teutul family appeared in the show King of The Hill as a family including just Paul Jr., Paul Sr., and Mikey.
Paul Sr., Paul Jr., and Mikey also appear in the music video for Nickelback's single "Rockstar".
Paul Sr and Paul Jr make cameo appearances in the movie Wild Hogs.
Orange County Choppers also appeared in Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman's motorcycle tour documentary Long Way Round (originally shown on Sky One) where the Teutuls and various OCC employees rode with them to their final destination New York.
[edit] External links
|
|||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
