Orange County Choppers crew in "American Chopper"
Orange County Choppers crew in "American Chopper" - © Discovery Channel
When you hear "Orange County" you may think of California, but the Hudson Valley boasts its own. And it's there, specifically in Rock Tavern, New York, where you'll find Orange County Choppers — about 80 miles from New York City..
Established as a business in 1999, the shop grew out of Orange County Ironworks, a steel fabrication enterprise founded nearly 30 years ago by custom-chopper builder and rider Paul Teutul Sr. OCC jumped on the custom-bike scene at Daytona Biketoberfest 1999 with "True Blue," a classic chopper built in the basement of Paul Sr.'s house.
Other signature bikes soon followed, including the Spider Bike, purchased by musician Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, and the Jet Bike. Built to honor U.S. military forces in Afghanistan, the Jet Bike was featured in the original American Chopper that aired on Discovery Channel in September 2002.
Today, Orange County Choppers has garnered worldwide praise and recognition for their custom motorcycles. In 2002, for example, OCC was recognized by American Iron as one of the world's top 12 builders; likewise, OCC will be among 19 other top builders profiled in the forthcoming book Haute Motor: The Art of the Chopper (November 2003). OCC bikes have also been featured on numerous magazine covers including American Iron, Freeway (France), Norsk Biker Journal (Norway) and Street Chopper. And the Spider Bike was one of three bikes chosen in the world-class competition at the Rats Hole Custom Show in Daytona, Florida, to receive an "all expenses paid" trip to Germany, the site of one of the biggest auto/bike shows in the world.
It's a garage that's come far in only four short years. Just wait to see what comes next.