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Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

ZLBubba

Sergeant
Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 15, 2009
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Discovery Channel is having its second bike build off in as many years. This year's 4-way competition features Orange County Choppers (Paul Sr.), Paul Jr Designs (PJD), Jesse James, and Gas Monkey Garage. Last year was kind of a joke because OCC made this weird tank-trike that had flamethrowers. The competition came down between PJD's aviation theme bike and James' chopper. PJD won, though my vote was for Jesse James. I like the classic chopper look, what can I say?

So this year they decided to have a 4-way buildoff between last year's three shops, and the guys from Gas Monkey Garage, from Discovery's new show "Fast and Loud". Of the builds last night, here's what you've got to choose from:

OCC:
34xqt61.jpg

My take: Cool-looking bike, but shows me more about how good OCC is at using a CNC than how good they are at really building bikes. Actually, I think this bike would look killer in a Steam Punk movie.

PJD:
vd1h1d.jpg

My take: same old PJD concept bike. I dig the classic car concept, but feel like most of PJD's bikes have the same lines. If you're going for real concept bikes, shouldn't there be some variation to the frame, stance, and look itself beyond whatever you tig weld to the frame?

Jesse James:
35hpmyd.jpg

My take: This is the last bike I expected Jesse to build. Jesse's got serious trade skills in fabricating bikes, though this one isn't that appealing to me. His attitude during the show is so off-putting though. They had to postpone the build-off for a few weeks so Jesse could finish the bike. His response was essentially, "I'm a rule breaker. I'm not going to rush this bike and to hell with some arbitrary date." Ok cool guy, the rules don't apply to you. But, the fact is that everyone else factored in what they could do in six weeks, and Jesse factored a longer, more complex build, betting that Discovery would capitulate because they want ratings and advertising more than anything else. Want of money and drama won out over a level playing field. Good on Jesse, shame on Discovery.

Gas Monkey Garage:
v75ydw.jpg

My take: classic chopper, and that's what I like. It's got a Harley title, clean lines, and you can actually ride this thing for a few thousand miles (Aaron Kaufman rode it from Dallas to Vegas for the unveil). Practical, American, classic, and clean.

Which bike do you like best?
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

didnt get to watch it. the pjd and jesse bikes look like shit. its a dead heat between occ and gas money. the occ bike looks like it belongs in the future and is slick as shit. i like the old school look of the gas monkey bike just a bit better.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

I watched it. Last year was a joke, PJD is a joke to the bike community. I voted last night and honestly the Gas Monkey guys nailed it in terms of traditional bikes but both Senior and JJ did some fantastic work too. Really all three of them should win, PJD should be laughed out of town but he'll probably win again. What I didn't like last night was the 99% concentration on the pranks and 1% concentration on the bike building. I feel like we missed a lot of what was actually going on with the bikes so I think the guys who really innovated (Senior and JJ) got short changed and for that reason I voted for JJ but if any of the three win I'll be happy.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

Love Love love the Gas Monkey bike! Had one very similar to it. Wish I still did.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

I watched it. My thoughts:

Sr's bike looks clunky and like it would handle poorly, i.e. - while they have the talent to program a CNC they don' have the talent to 'build a motorcycle'.

PJD - Jr really is the quintessential 'Cake Decorator'. I'd love to see him walk after riding that bike 300 miles.

Jesse - he's an a@@hole - but he is right about his abilities vs the others. It'd be interesting to know how his Buell looking machine actually functions as a bike.

G Monkey - winner. If nothing else they actually played by the rules. They built something that was functional. They bitched the least.



Good luck

 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

Gas Monkey all the way. I may not care for them but they built the only one I would consider buying, well in a different color. My opinion is biased though, I bought my HD Crossbones simply because it looked like it was straight from the 1950's
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

By the way, both Jesse James and Gas Monkey Garage are rolling around in black Ford Raptors. Business must be pretty good.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

What a joke that was. Guess that's what you get when you have people voting that don't know shit about riding.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

The broadcast was lame. The bikes needed to be road tested.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BrassHog</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The broadcast was lame. The bikes needed to be road tested. </div></div>

Agreed! The concentrated on the drama not the bikes so even if you did vote you had nothing to vote on other than the drama. The first time they did this the bikes and build processes were shown a lot more this time it was all drama.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

If Jesse James entered his bike from last years event I would have voted for that in a heart beat. THAT was bad as hell.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

paul jr. gas monkey was runner up.

jesses a douche
old man can work a cnc machine
paul jr make same nike with different part.

I for one was hoping that Richard would bitch slap jesse when got all fake emotional and shit.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

Paul Jr won, Gas Monkey came in second. I have a hard time believing PJD won, but he's got a fairly big following from his show. My guess is that there are way more American Choppers enthusiasts than bike enthusiasts, leading to the vote being based on show popularity over the actual bikes. If that's the case though, it's surprising to see Gas Monkey do so well considering they've just finished their first season, whereas Paul Sr and Jesse James have had shows and an established following for years.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

I DVR'd it so I didn't read this thread until today.

Just in case I'd get a spoiler by mistake.

I favor the Gas Monkey Bike, though I didn't vote I would have voted for that one.
Next, I liked Sr.'s bike, It took a lot of design work for that build CNC or not that's a monumental task in 6 weeks. I know they used the extra time but they'd have brought the raw bike to the original deadline. To me Raw would have been just as cool as the anodized was. I don't like the forks. Just too square and bulky up front for me, doesn't flow well with the rest of the bikes lines in my opinion.
I think this is what OCC misses about Jr's design, not as much the pasting of extra parts onto the frame but the eye for the overall flow. This is the one area Jr excels at, in my opinion.

Next by default is Jr's bike... I know the same bike as last year, but I'm not considering last year when I look at it. I'm just looking at the other bikes.
That being said I wouldn't want to ride it for very many miles.

I'm glad they didn't DQ Jesse, (not like they were really going to anyway) but I don't like how he got more time. The Gas monkey guys were right, and Jr even mentioned it... giving extra time at the end to the teams that never planned on it doesn't really equal things out. the designs are done, the fab work is done. All the extra time does is allow for maybe a color change or quick cosmetic stuff. But if you know your getting extra time say from the get go... well its a huge advantage. Say for the guy who whined and got the extension for himself, just saying.
It wasn't said directly but it was alluded to by Jr. Congrats for making all your parts, but if you can't make them in 6 weeks then its pretty stupid to not get a vendor for it. I mean that's piss poor from a management standpoint.

(Sorry, it was really bothering me and it feels good to rant a bit)

I didn't really like the decision to play up the trash talk. I thought the playful stuff was pretty funny, but there were times when it seemed hateful not playful. I guess I'm getting old.
All that stuff is edited a certain way so I'm not going to harp on the who did/said what stuff because we don't know the order or the full statements, ect. I just thought it took away from the show.

The last show where the decision was announced was hot garbage. I didn't see last year's so I can't compare but I hope it was better than this year's.

I fast forwarded through most of the show because it was pretty piss poor TV.

Thanks for letting me rant a bit.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

I wont watch biker build DICK since they changed the rules on the builds to suit PJD last year. The only guy who built a bike was Jesse and PJD won the build off. which shows people voting know shit about riding. If they go back to the old style of doing the show Ill start watching again I.E. you gotta ride what you build for 300+ miles or it cannot be judged. If you can't ride it why buy it. I also say good for Jesse for making them wait Hell if i was him i would have made them wait a month and then went Oh shit i didn't build anything for your stupid show so piss off.

Thanks for letting me rant a bit. But watching the show last year just really irked me.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

I voted, and went with Gas Monkey. Jr's bike was interesting, and a neat showpiece, but I wouldn't ride that thing anywhere. Of all the bikes entered the GM guys put together a bike I would actually pay money for.
 
Re: Anyone watch Discovery's bike build-off?

Not a chopper guy, but there is no doubt those guys have skills. Wish they would put them to use on a bike that was usable.