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American Choppers TLC series to end

6K views 41 replies 27 participants last post by  Sutherland 
#1 ·
The Tutel's will have their last show on TLC 2/11/2010.

I love this show the dysfunctional family of bike builders from Orange County New York was a true depiction of the American Dream.

Paul Sr an Iron worker who's hobby was building motorcycles in his basement with his son Paul Jr. The relationship between father and sons was the selling force of the show. The family became world famous and quite wealthy over the course of the series. The operation went from basement hobby to a massive shop and dealership. The latest is Paul Sr taking Paul Jr to court over ownership of the empire clearly forged by both's hard work.

I will miss this show which has made my area of the country a household name. Before TLC's American Chopper if you heard Orange County most thought of California.
 
#2 ·

I watched it a lot when Paul jr and Mikey were still part of it.
It was good entertainment, but since both have left the show I figured it would not make it on bike building alone.
Wonder how OCC will do with the custom bikes seeing as they have lost some major advertising from the builds on the show?
 
#4 ·

I started watching the show because I thought choppers were pretty cool. After riding one, however, I came to the conclusion that the price paid for the cool is way too high in greatly diminished handling, not to mention the purchase.
Having worked with my dad (we're both electricians turned construction managers) I know howugly the situation can be, especially with two hard headed tough guys. So the Jr vs Sr thing just became tiresome.
 
#5 ·

I like the show when they had Vinnie and Cody and then they left and started V force dustoms. Then when Paul and Mikey bailed it really got boring and I dont even watch anymore. I know the new building they built cost a good penny so with the cost fo there bike being north30K for just a regular chopper for the most part I give them a year or two the they will close the doors and everyone will write a book and this will become an American tragedy of what can happen.
 
#7 ·
A company (I wont say the name) that i deal with from time to time wanted a corporate bike made from OCC and was in negotiations with them to have their bike built on the show. I found out through my buddy that ownes the company that OCC gets $100.000.00 up front for a corporate bike and and another 500K for a bike that was built for air. The contract stated that because of all the free advertising on the build of the bike justified the cost. 600K for a chopper was ridiculous, but looking at it from an advertising point of view, depending on the company was not really a bad thing.
Once Paulie decided he wasnt coming back i knew the show was doomed. Sr and Rick just didnt have the entertainment factor that the whole family together had.
Oh well they all got rich and Mikey got sober. Hopefully they put some in the bank.

Judging by the size of their houses and cost of their toys, I doubt it.
 
#8 ·

Well I guess I gotta be the Lame-Duck, Naysayer, But I never liked their bikes or their show, The "Biker Build off" show was WAY better (IMO) It had 2 different bike builders competing head to head each week, with way different styles & build concepts, When you look at the OCC bikes they wernt (is that a real word??) that impressive as the other bikes from the "biker build Off" show, mostly just "assembled" bikes with weird little do-dads welded/bolted on, Where as, many of the biker build off bikes were fabricated from scratch, "One-Off" type designs,& very creative.
How the OCC guys got to be the "primere bike show" & a series, is beyond my comprehension/pay grade. After watching their show 2 times I was bored with the Grumpy ole man yelling & throwing wrenches at the guys that were actually doing the work, then about a year ago I see that Paul sr comes out with his "signature-series" of bikes in some of the H.D. bike mags, and the bikes looked like they were made by a 1st time amatures, Guys like Roger Goldhammer, Arlen Ness,Roland Sands, Mike Brown,Matt Hotch, Marcus wahl,etc, NOW these guys produce some amazing & unique bikes that border on "Genius", but for me the OCC bikes are'nt any different from a typical amature garage builder, which is OK,
because there's nuttin wrong with amature/garage builders ( hey my 1st &2nd bikes-I built in a garage, BUT I just dont get the fame that OCC got for the product that they produced. For the OCC fans out there, I'm not dissing anybody, to each their own, to me its just a "beauty in the eye of the beholder type of thing"
 
#9 ·
I really liked the show in the beginning. I had no idea how bikes were built and the family dynamic was interesting. After a while, it got like watching a perpetual rerun.

Who would have guessed that the show would have lasted six years and have the influence that it did? It got a lot of people interested in motorcycles and made the independent builders legit.

They had a nice run. Like Clubford00, I hope they have some money put away.
 
#10 ·
I enjoyed the show when they started out....just like everything TV touches...it went by the wayside...IMO
 
#11 ·
I kind of enjoyed the show when it first started. But I soon got tired of father and son fighting. Showing this took time away fron the bike build.Vinnie and Cody In my openion made that show. Hope someone comes up with another show to replace OCC.
 
#12 ·

The first time I saw the show I thought it was really stupid. Sr. basically bullying his two sons around while he sits on his ass or goes to the gym to over work his ape like upper. But, then I got into riding motorcycles a couple years ago,and the show became a real fascination for me. Even though it was the same damn thing over and over again, I really enjoyed seeing how the bikes were put together. Of course it was the fact that the show really never did anything different that eventually caused me to lose all interest again. The bike building didn't bring people to watch the show it was all of the fighting and horse play and side events that made that show fun to watch (at times). After all of the likeable characters left (Jr., Mikey, and Vinny), there was really nothing entertaining anymore.
 
#13 ·
Yawn...gee a family that "works" together decides they can't deal with each other and decide to bail...what a surprise. IMO one episode was the same as the next. I'm sure that those who are really die hard will be able to see the shows in reruns for years and or buy box sets of seasons on dvds.
 
#14 ·
while I'll never even consider dropping cash on an OCC bike a few of their custom bikes over the years have been pretty sharp. I'm not going to miss the series though, but I do miss seeing Mikey.
 
#16 ·
Trekwolf164 said:
For all you Vinney and Cody fans there is a Valentines day present
They will be back on TV Feb 14 in a new show Throttle Junkies
http://www.throttlejunkiestv.com/
Met them last year at Daytona Bike Week at their "booth" at The big HD dealer out by the interstate, really nice guys. they weren't even arguing with each other! They were freezing their asses off because that week last year was COLD and their both was in the windy shade.
 
#18 ·

The show has dropped off in recent years true,but me and6 ofmy friends headed up there on our bikes last year from central mass. to check the bikes out and one that stood out is the david mann bike.
Very unique looking old school bike.
I liked the show but can only hope that were there's a void,there's oppurtunity.I would love to see them bring back biker build-off or another show with more fabrication.Bring me roger bourget,dave perewitz,russ mitchell etc...
 
#19 ·
I think the show was ....just what it was....just a show. It did bring out the attention the all of the other builders out there. Without the show, I believe that many of those builders would not have grown or benefitted business wise. The Mann bike was prolly my favorite.
 
#20 ·
Vinny and Rick were the best part of that show for me. They were the only true real people on there and they just did their jobs. Man, did those 2 have a bad work environment.
 
#21 ·
phoenix9 said:
Vinny and Rick were the best part of that show for me. They were the only true real people on there and they just did their jobs. Man, did those 2 have a bad work environment.
Never a dull moment.....Ihave kept up with Vinny and Cody....they really haven't done much with V-Force. I believe the true metal craftsman was and still is RICK.

Vinny is a great mechanic and can put together and repair just about anything.....Cody....well without Vinny....nuff said.
 
#22 ·

I enjoyed it; much like I do with nearly all motorcycle shows. I was typically always entertained. Sure, there were a few head scratchers as far as the end result of the build, but nothing that wouldn't make me not watch again the following week.
Syndication, here it comes...
 
#26 ·
The show was decent whent they were in their early days with a small shop. Started to go downhill after they got big and then TLC killed he show, when they insisted on just showing the relationship of the Tuttles and just shortclips of the current builds.
 
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