What an Orange County Chopper is Really Like to Ride

The majority of people who buy an Orange County Chopper don’t really intend to ride them, anyway, but what happens when you do try to ride your motorcycle?

Well, not a lot that’s good, as discovered by Bikes and Beards on YouTube. 

They spent $10,000 (around £8,000) on their OCC, with a few extra bits, although these custom choppers normally go for up to $50,000 (around £40,000). 

If you’re not familiar with Orange County Choppers, it’s a New York-based motorcycle manufacturer specialising in super-exclusive custom builds, hence the price, whacky looks, uncomfortable-looking riding position and, evidently, sub-optimal rideability. Often, these bikes are commissioned by businesses or people looking for exposure, thanks to the profile of OCC itself and its part in the American Chopper TV show that aired intermittently between 2002 and 2019.

The example Bikes and Beards got a hold of began as a non-runner, so their video takes you through the whole journey of the bike from not functioning at all to being ridden on the - ahem - highway.

One of the particularities about this particular bike is the front suspension, which is about as raked out as any motorcycle fork has ever been. It created problems on the dynamometer, and, unsurprisingly, on the road, too, with a lot of the vertical movement taken by the super-low-profile front tyre thanks to that suspension geometry.

The ergonomics also proved to be a challenge, because of the size and position of the engine which meant even getting the kickstand up was a task!

The full video from Bikes and Beards can be watched above.

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Image credit: Bikes and Beards/YouTube.