More precisely this should be American Chopper vs. Jesse James. Anyone who’s been into choppers for any length of time that has seen the TV segments from American Chopper and Jesse James, would really have to wonder if this contest was fixed. But then again, perhaps it was dominated by motorcycle chopper wannabes who were more impressed by bling versus substance.
The millennium began with the cable TV network The Discovery Channel creating a number of television shows around several custom bike builders who built choppers. The first, the 2000 special Motorcycle Mania, followed builder Jesse James of Long Beach, California, and is credited with creating “a new genre of reality TV” around choppers.
The celebrity builders featured on the cable shows enjoyed a large following. Companies like Jesse James’ West Coast Choppers have been successful in producing expensive choppers, and a wide range of chopper-themed brands of merchandise such as clothing, automobile accessories and stickers.
The American Chopper reality television series featuring Paul Teutul Sr, and his sons Paul Jr. and Mike, ran six years starting in 2003, and featured bike building at Orange County Choppers (OCC).
2010: Backlash, Bobbers and the Old School Revival
An “old school” styled chopper or custom motorcycle, photographed at the Portland Roadster Show in 2010
This led to a backlash, and a renewed interest in home garage fabricated bikes built on a budget with available materials. Many builders eschewed Harley “pattern” motors and frames and started building choppers out of neglected bikes like Yamaha XS-650 twins, old Harley Sportsters, and various 1980’s so called UJM bikes (four cylinder air-cooled Japanese bikes).
Another aspect of the backlash was a return to more traditional styling. Bobbers were again in style. Stock rake machines with a stripped down look, often with flat or primer paints in charcoal grey, flat black, olive drab or brown.
