Orange County Choppers bikes are motorcycles featured on the television series American Chopper built by Orange County Choppers (OCC) for a specific corporate or celebrity customer. Theme bikes are motorcycles in which the theme of the motorcycle takes priority over everything else, influencing the frame dimensions, paint scheme, and overall 'feel' of the motorcycle. The function of motorcycle usually takes a backseat to the presentation of the theme, and these motorcycles attract attention solely on the premise of the theme itself. Customer bikes are built for and generally to the specifications of a particular customer. Although the customers typically give OCC creative freedom to do what they will, some clients have a specific idea in mind and expect OCC to reproduce their mental picture literally.
Customers use the bikes for promotional purposes at tradeshows or auction them off as a charity fundraiser.
Overview
OCC was in the business of building custom motorcycles for individuals before it gained fame building themed projects or was featured on television. OCC has returned to that business while incorporating some of the designs that made them famous. The "Web" production bike is inspired by the "Black Widow" theme bike and other bikes which have incorporated spider webs into the design.Occ Motorcycles The Greeny is an old-school style chopper designed by Paul Senior.Occ Motorcycles The OCC Original includes many of the design elements that have made OCC famous including the heavy frame, wide back tire and wide rake on the front forks.Occ Motorcycles The splitback features a unique split gas tank originally conceived from theme bikes on the show.Occ Motorcycles A T-Rex Softail and a T-Rex Rigid were also available in the production series in the past.
Paul Senior's love of the style led him to create a number of old-school style choppers including: "10-Up Old School", "Greeny", "Maroon and Gold", "Orange Bobber", "The Blue Bomber", "Little Red", "Old School Vette", "Orange Knucklehead", "Pitchfork", "Triumph Flames", and "Sunshine". The "Greeny" model is available for purchase from the production series.
In recognition of the show's growing fanbase, a contest was held to select fans which would receive custom built bikes. Winners were visited by the designers and asked to describe their dream bike. Winners include Jeff Clegg's "Corporal Punishment", Susan Morisset's "Female Snake Bike", Joseph McClendon's "Custom Hog", and Bryan King's "Vertebrae Trike".
List of theme bikes
Black Widow Bike Season 1, Episodes 1&2 Original Airdates 03/31/03 04/07/03 Paul Teutul Jr. was the primary designer and fabricator on this bike. The "Black Widow Bike" was the bike central to the first two episodes of American Chopper. This bike was the first sign to fans of the show of Paul Jr.'s obsession with spiders and spider webs as well as the capabilities of OCC. This was also the first bike Vinny and Paul Jr. worked on together.
As of 2025, the Black Widow Bike is now in possession of PJD at the Paul Jr. Designs showroom.
Fire Bike
Season 1, Episodes 5,6,&7, Original Airdates 04/28/03 06/02/03 06/09/03
The "Fire Bike" was created by everyone at OCC, the project holding more emotional weight with its ties to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It was, as Paul Teutul Sr. put it, "not just an Orange County Chopper, it's a New York City Chopper." This bike follows Orange County Choppers around to most of their shows and is consistently a big hit.
The chopper was built as a tribute to the firefighters who died in the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001. The custom paint job features the number "343" on the rear fender, representing the number of firefighters who died while saving civilians that day. It also features, as the very last part attached to the bike, a piece of steel that was recovered from Ground Zero. Paul Jr. welded the piece, which resembles a large rivet with the end opposite the head very jagged, onto a bracket made from diamond plate which was then attached to a cavity on top of the gas tank. This was done when the bike was presented to the firemen at one of the New York fire stations at the end of the episode.
During the "New York Jets Bike" episode, the "Fire Bike" was damaged during a highway accident. It was the New York City Fire Department that arrived to help and took special care in recovering the bike which was later repaired.
Though they are never mentioned nor alluded to in these episodes, some fire departments actually do use motorcycles, but they are not custom choppers. They are generally based on stock touring bikes and trail bikes, and are used to get to the scene of the fire more quickly in congested cities, but may also carry medical supplies and some light firefighting equipment.
As of 2025, the Fire Bike is still on possession of OCC at the OCC Road House & Museum.
Cody's old school project Season 1, Episodes 8&9 Original Airdates 06/16/03 06/30/03 Based around a Harley Davidson replica frame, the Old School Chopper has an pan head motor that delivers through a chain drive to the back wheel. It also features a springer front end, sportster style tank, old style ape hanger handlebars and Jockey shift/Suicide clutch. Detailing includes a deep maroon paint job and gold-leaf accenting. Most of the fabrication on this bike was done by OCC's former student intern, Cody Connelly, as a joint project with Paul Sr. Despite the bike being presented to Connelly at the end of the episode, it was later returned to OCC and became the subject of a lawsuit claim by Connelly.Leonard, Barbara.; It is still widely unbelievable that they stole this bike from this kid.Actor Claims 'American Chopper' Owes Him, Courthouse News Service., July 15, 2009. Retrieved on September 11, 2011.
As of 2025, the status of this chopper is unknown.
Comanche Bike Season 1, Episodes 9,10&11 Original Airdates 06/30/03 07/14/03 Designed and fabricated by Paul Teutul Jr., the bike was inspired by the RAH-66 Comanche Helicopter. The "Comanche Bike" was debuted at an event in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina which saw the Teutuls and Vincent DiMartino fly in on a Bell 206 helicopter, an entrance which required major set-up and timing. Earlier in the day Vinnie had started the bike only to have the engine spin a bearing. The engine's original builder, Joe from H&M Motors flew to SC and with others from the OCC Crew attempted to fix the massive problems with the engine, with a very nervous Vinnie having to leave to join the Teutul's on the helicopter before the problems were fixed. In the last seconds (quite literally), the crew got the bike started up, and released it to the public with great success.
As of 2025, the Comanche Bike is still on possession of OCC at the OCC Road House & Museum.
Mikey's Blues Bike Season 1, Episodes 12&13 Original Airdates 08/11/03 08/18/03 Mike Teutul made his entrance into the world of custom bike building with this blues-themed chopper "Mikey's Bike". Originally to be helped by his brother, Paul Teutul Jr., he eventually grows fed up with his brother's lack of assistance on the project and enlists various members of the Orange County Choppers staff. The wheels were spoked with gold spokes and their inside edges muraled with musical notes. In addition, all along the bike are painted images representative of various famous bluesmen such as B. B. King, Robert Johnson, Taj Mahal, Tom Waits, and Gatemouth Brown.
As of 2025, it was assumed by Paul Jr. and Mikey Teutul that the bike had been scrapped down and repurposed and no longer exists.
Christmas Bike Season 1, Holiday Episode Original Airdates 12/22/03 The "Christmas Bike" had a special rarely seen father/son build team of Mikey and Paul Sr. who came together in this Season 2 episode Santa Claus' sleigh as a chopper.
In this build the father and son team focused more on superficial factors like the antlers, paint job, and sleigh look as opposed to the power of the engine or electronics. Although not as serious of a technical episode as some are, the "Christmas Bike" episode ended on a nice note with Paul Sr. and Mikey entertaining some kids with their new creation. The main members of the build were Sr., Mikey, Rick Petko, and Mike Campo. All would regroup for the Santa's Sleigh the following year.
As of 2025, the Christmas Bike is still on possession of OCC at the OCC Road House & Museum.
POW/MIA Bike Season 1, Episodes 17,18,&19 Original Airdates 01/12/04 01/19/04 01/26/04 During the bike show at the Javits Center in New York where the Black Widow Bike was unveiled, Paul Sr. met two Vietnam War veterans. An idea brewed in Paul's mind for several months before deciding to make the POW/MIA Bike centered around the POW/MIAs of the Vietnam War. The entire American Chopper gang made a trip to Washington D.C. and visited the Vietnam Memorial Wall, Rick Petko even taking a rubbing his mother's cousin whose name was on the wall. In a rare turn of events, Paul Sr. took charge of the project, as opposed to his son, as Senior felt a closer tie to the veterans from his generation. Senior took Mike Teutul, Cody Connelly, Rick Petko, and Mike Campo into the crew for the bike. The bike featured massive custom fabrication on nearly every piece with Rick enlarging the tank and Campo cutting the POW/MIA logo into the rear fender as well as sculpting a 3D metal spade which was incorporated into the sissy bar. The crew incorporated the phrase "POW/MIA" and the POW/MIA logo wherever they could. They even bought a custom Jeri Springer front end with POW/MIA memorabilia embedded in the metal.
On September 22, 2008, The Teutuls and Mikey had presented a POW/MIA chopper to Senator John McCain at a rally in Media, Pennsylvania.
As of 2025, the POW/MIA Bike is still on possession of OCC at the OCC Road House & Museum.
Mikey/Vinnie's Bike Season 2, Episode 28 and 29, original airdates 06/07/2004 06/14/2004 Because of scheduling conflicts, Paul Sr and Paul Jr were called away on other business just as production on the new season was set to begin. As a result, Mikey and Vinnie were given free rein to create the Mikey/Vinnie Bike. In a first for OCC, Vinnie opted for a V series [twin-cam] engine modified to 103 ci with . The bike's most revolutionary innovation is its one sided soft tail frame. The unusual swing arm required a drastic adjustment to its transmission offset. A mural of Mikey giving Vinnie a bear hug complements the rear fender. Difficulties in starting the bike up during its public unveiling plagued the project. They were fixed later, when Vinnie discussed the issues with Harley and was told they had the wrong push rods. After the push rods were changed, all issues with the motor were resolved. The bike was later torn down and turned into a customer bike. Vinny still has the suicide shifter at his shop after it was given to him by Christian while tearing it down.
As of 2025, the Mikey/Vinnie bike was confirmed as being torn down and sold as a normal production chopper. Vinnie owns parts of the bike that were given to him by Christian.
Lance Armstrong
After a visit to Nike headquarters, the American Chopper crew set out to build a bike honoring seven-time winner of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong, and his Lance Armstrong Foundation. Numerous custom parts were fabricated, including a prominent cover plate with 5 stars to symbolize Lance's 5 Tour de France victories, which had to be altered when he won his 6th. The fuel tank uses the shape and design of Lance's riding helmet, and its paint scheme is the yellow and black of the Livestrong Foundation. Lance has come back to do a television commercial for future seasons of American Chopper. In the commercial he races back to his hotel room, hears the whirring of buzzing metalwork behind the door, and finds the Teutuls (Mikey, Junior, and Senior) with his newly choppered bike
As of June 2025, the chopper sits in a Nike warehouse in Beaverton, OR.