Colegiul National Decebal Deva

WILD AND FREE: AMERICAN BIKES AND BIKERS

XII-A

Coordinating teacher: Cristina Simedrea

Student: Arion Razvan Adrian

2012

Table of contents
Argument
Precis

Chapter 1. Choppers era

1.1 History 1.2 Traditional choppers 1.3 Today's chopper era 1.4 Motorcycle Manufacturers

Chapter 2. Orange County Choppers

2.1 Career and Reputation 2.2 Orange County Choppers bikes

Chapter 3. Legal implications

3.1 Membership 3.2 Colors 3.3 Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs 3.4 Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs

Conclusion Bibliography

Argument
I have chosen to talk about the american choppers because I have always been extremely interested in this subject and one of my dreams is to drive one powerful american chopper. The choppers are not only a machine with two wheels it is quite a phenomena that attracts men and women. I also like the choppers because I see in them the image of the power and the freedom.There is no bigger pleasure in driving then having 200 horsepower under you and running with 200km/h and the wind blowing.Just imagine how adrenaline will rush in your body. I think anyone would like to feel such a sensation. Choppers come in all sizes,several shapes,and plenty of colours.From the 50 cc Indian model H in the 1920s to the Harley Davidson XL1 1200cc,nowadays, the only common factor is an engine,two wheels;although adding a third wheel in the form of a sidecar doesnt appear to affect the definition of a motorcycle. They are motor and cycle.Getting the two to work effectively,and together,has always been the challenge for designers and engineers.Using them effectively has been the chalange for riders.Three bhp with no suspension or brakes on rutted and dusty roads in the 1900 was probably just as daunting as 120bhp a century late. Motorcycles have always been more than just a means of transport.From the moment in 1885 when Gottleib Daimlers son set off on the first motorcycle journey,a10-km trip during which the riders seat caught firs(definitely the firstHot bike)motorcycles have moved us literally as well as metaphorically. Motorcycles tickle something in boys and men especially,but in girls and women too.It is probably to do with the escape,excitement,and tehnology;the combination of their physical form,their extraordinary ability,and the meaning that they have acquired in the 20-th century culture. Throughout the history of the motorcycle there has been a common quest from riders and engineersperformance.That is performance relating to power,performance relating to realiability,performance relating to handling,performance relating to safety,and performance relating to comfort.Motorcycle buyers have also had a more-than-passing interest in good looks;whats the point of a great performing bike if its ugly? Along the way somepeople also demand economy,but it was never a top priority for anyone who was interested in chasing his mates down the by-pass or impressing girls. Racing and competition have always driven the development of the machines and the desires of the buyers.From the bizarre moment when two pioneer riders met on a dusty road and immediately began boasting of the performance of their bikes,there has been motorcycle racing.The direct result of the competition has been technological leaps dricen bythe need for racing succes,but which soon transfer to sporting road bikes and eventually to the simplest moped. Some people built their own bikes.In the early years of the 20th century,with litle competition,it was quite easy to become a mtorcycle manufacturer and this is how the story of the american choppers started. People have always been concerned about what their choice sys about them.Why did it mean to buy a HarleyDavidson compared to an Indian motorcycle in the 1920s America?Psychologists can do write these on motorcycle

and their owners.The chopers as cultural icon has been influenced by the films likeEasy Rider and The Wild One, and although thye bikes depicted in these films werent really performance machines,they affected our ideas about why we want a motorcycle and how we want a motorcycle to look like. For some people the most desirable bike is a Harley_Davidson Road King or a classic Indian. There are no rights and no wrong,but in every class there was a leader that people dreamed about.The hottest bike of your dream.

Precis
In the first chapter I will develop the subject by presenting the history of the choppers and the the story of their appearance. Choppers are specifically to America and so the chopper industry has developed more in the USA. This certain type of bike evolved during the 60s and the 70s, and its unique aspect is brought by the chopped components. Anything that was considered unnecessary on a bike was removed, resulting an innovative and challenging model. Windshields, front fenders, the big headlights, blinkers, crash bars and also big seats were no longer welcomed in this new model which has become popular along with the appearence in the 1969s movie Easy Rider. The chopper has experienced a slight evolution in time and many producers have come up on the market offering a wide range of models.

Within the second chapter I have decided to introduce one of the most poular chopper manufacturing companies, Orange County Choppers, founded in 1999. By the time of the appearance it had already developed a strong background - OCC started as a sideline to the family's steel manufacturing enterprise, Orange County Ironworks, which was founded in the 1970s. Starting with its first bike, True Blue it has produced a wide range of bikes, among the most famous being the Fire Bike, Christmas Bike, NASA Bike and also Black Widow.

As said in the argument choppers are not just machines,but presented in the third chapter as a phenomena developed in the USA which has attracted many adepts grouped in clans and gangs,becoming quite a religion for its riders. Each club has a unique club patch (or patches) adorned with the term "MC" and a solid internal structure. MCs date from back in the 1900s, the first one being founded in 1903 -Yonkers MC followed by the San Francisco MC- 1904 and the Oakland MC, founded in 1907. Because of the enourmous numbers of members and diversity of adepts, not only usual bands were founded but also outlaw clubs and gangs.

Chapter 1. Choppers era

1.1 History
Chopper is a radically customized motorcycle, archetypal examples of which are the customized Harley-Davidsons seen in the 1969 film Easy Rider. Many of today's custom motorcycles are sometimes mistakenly called choppers, but a truly custom-built motorcycle has additional - usually chrome - accessories and billet parts added on to the bike for aesthetic value, while originally such modifications were purely functional in nature. Upon returning from World War II, soldiers seemed dissatisfied with the motorcycles that were being built by Harley-Davidson and Indian. The bikes they had rode in Europe were lighter, sleeker, and were much more fun to ride. These vets started to hang out with other ex-soldiers to relive some of the camaraderie they had felt in the service. These groups of buddies realized that their motorcycles needed changes that Harley was not providing. These new "bikers" (another new term at the time) started their "chopping" by removing or shortening (bobbing) the fenders on their bikes. This made the bikes look cool and uncluttered. They originally called the new chopped bikes "Bobbers". The bikes kept evolving through the 60's and in the 70's and they started to call them "Choppers". In 1969 the movie "Easy Rider" was released which brought the Chopper into the public eye. That movie set into motion the wave of cool Choppers and Chopper builders that we see today. People wanted a Chopper and nobody was building them so they had to go build them themselves. Just what is a Chopper? The Chopper is created by removing or "chopping" off unnecessary parts from the bike. Who needs a windshield, front fenders, big headlights, clumsy blinkers, crash bars, big seats, etc? Chop them off and make the bike sleeker and lighter. Bikers started raking the front end so the tire was further from the bike, it gave the bike a cool look, which goes a long way with a biker. Handlebars were raised high and called ape hangers.

The front tire was made thinner and the rear tire was made fatter. Some bikers even removed the battery and used a magneto to reduce weight. The gas tank, headlight, and blinkers were all made smaller. Anything deemed to be unnecessary was removed. This made for a bike style that was unique and tailored to each rider since each rider decided just what needed to be done to his bike to create the Chopper he desired. In the 1990's, the Chopper movement was revitalized. Although Harley Davidson is best known in the biker world, there are many other brands that people use to build Choppers. To many chopper riders, it's the end product that matters, not the name brand, but there will always be a segment of bikers that only want Harley. Choppers started because riders were dissatisfied with what Harley-Davidson was producing. Rather than abandon H-D, riders streamlined the H-D bikes by removing excess equipment and then modifying the engines, rake, and suspension. The result was a personalized bike much like the bike in Easy Rider. The steady evolution of the motorcycle continues. New factory bikes are more and more technically sophisticated with plenty of accessories, yet the Chopper continues to thrive as riders seek that minimalist simplicity that only the Chopper can supply. Are Choppers here to stay? Absolutely! No machine looks as good and none are more fun to ride.

1.2 Traditional choppers

In the United States servicemen returning from World War II were looking for a thrill. Many veterans had been trained to work on automobiles and motorcycles and were looking to add a little excitement to their post-war lives with their newly acquired mechanical skills. Motorcycles and Hot Rods were the perfect hobby for them. Motorcyclists bought up surplus military bikes and removed all the unnecessary parts like windshields and saddlebags to minimise weight This type of home customization led to the rise of the "bobber". Then in the 60s, motorcyclists found that a longer front end allowed the bike to run smoother at faster speeds. The degree of neck rake and length of front end was modified on these bikes with this in mind. The Girder and Springer front ends were the most popular forks for extending in this fashion, although this does make the bike harder to handle at slower speeds. To build or chop a traditional chopper an unmodified factory bike is used (usually a rigid Harley Davidson) and everything unnecessary to either move or stop is stripped or chopped off. Then the engine and transmission are removed and the frame is cut up and welded back together to make it lower and lighter. Performance parts are added or modified to increase speed. The true function of a Chopper is to make it as fast and maneuverable as possible.

1.3 Today's chopper era

Choppers have enjoyed a large following. Companies like Jesse G. James' West Coast Choppers have been successful in producing extremely expensive traditional chopper-style bikes and a wide range of chopper-themed brands of merchandise such as clothing, automobile accessories and stickers. A distinction should be noted between true chopper (or chopper-style) motorcycles, and custom motorcycles, or 'custom cruisers'. Despite the name, a large percentage of the motorcycles produced by popular companies such as Orange County Choppers, Indian Larry, Falcon Motorcycles and Von Dutch Kustom Cycles are better described as 'custom' bikes rather than choppers.

A distinction should also be made between choppers and bobbers. While both tried to improve performance by removing any part that did not make the motorcycle perform better, they differed in an important way: bobbers kept the original factory frame, while choppers have a modified form of the factory frame. While people assume that the chopper style motorcycles were built purely for aesthetics, there is a real performance advantage to the raked front end on these choppers. These motorcycles have a much more stable feel at high speeds and in a straight line than motorcycles with original factory front suspensions. However, like any other modification, there is a downside: the raked front end feels heavier and less responsive at slow speeds or in curves and turns. This is due to the longer trail measurement associated with increased rake. Despite the personalized nature of choppers, and the wide availability of alternative designs, chopper builders have overwhelmingly chosen fat rear tires, a rigid-looking frame (even for a softail), and an original or replica air-cooled, pushrod v-twin engine. In the UK, due to the cost and lack of availability of the v-twin engine, many chose to use British engines from bikes such as Triumph or BSA; lately as availability has increased, Japanese engines have seen more use. Some people feel that the variety of engines and other components used more recently (especially on bikes built outside of the US) is diluting the signature appearance of the chopper style. Modern bobber builders tend to distinguish themselves from chopper builders with bikes styled before the chopper era. The United States of America, where most custom choppers reside, is one of the few countries in the world that allow custom-built choppers to be licensed for highway use. Many of these types of choppers are regarded as dangerous to operate and don't follow basic design geometry and lack many safety features in their construction. Finally, an often overlooked style of chopper is the chopper bicycle. Inspired by the smooth, low lines of chopper motorcycles, todays custom chopper bicycle designer builds bicycles that pay tribute to the motorcycles they resemble.

1.4 Motorcycle Manufacturers

In the USA there are a lot of Motorcycle manufacturers and most of the motorcycles manufacturers from the world are from the USA. This is a list of the main motorcycle manufacturers:

C cont.
ATK motorcycles Ace Motor Corporation Alligator (motorcycle) Allstate (scooter manufacturer) American Eagle Manufacturing Company, Inc. American IronHorse American Machine and Foundry

M cont.

Crocker Motorcycles

Mustang (motorcycle)

O
Detroit Brothers

Orange County Choppers

P
Electric Moto Corporation Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle

Penton Pierce-Arrow

Big Dog Motorcycles Boss Hoss Buell Motorcycle Company

Falcon Motorcycles Fischer Motor Company

California Motorcycle Company Confederate Motor Company

Ridley Motorcycle Company Roehr Motorcycle Company Rokon motorcycle

Harley-Davidson Henderson Motorcycle Hodaka

Strokers Dallas

V
Indian (motorcycle) Iver Johnson

Vectrix VloSoleX Victory Motorcycles

W
Marine Turbine Technologies MotoCzysz

West Coast Choppers

Yankee (motorcycle)

Chapter 2. Orange County Choppers

Orange County Choppers (OCC) is a custom motorcycle manufacturer founded by Paul Teutul, Sr. and Paul Teutul, Jr. in 1999. The company featured on American Chopper, a reality TV show that debuted in September 2002 on the Discovery Channel, which has contributed to the company's quick rise to fame. In 2007, Discovery Channel's sister channel TLC took over the broadcasting. A new international headquarters designed to combine their production and retail facilities was constructed in the Town of Newburgh and opened April 24, 2008. is

Many are under the mistaken belief that the company is based in Orange County, California; rather, it is based in the county of the same name in New York state. In fact in one of the episodes of American Chopper, Paul Sr. was shown getting a tattoo on his left arm with the designation OCC New York in order to clear up this very point. OCC's production facility was initially located in the hamlet of Rock Tavern, but has since moved to nearby Montgomery. The company also operates a retail store in Montgomery, New York, another store at the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack, and a season kiosk at the Woodbury Commons Outlet Mall in Central Valley, NY OCC started as a sideline to the family's steel manufacturing enterprise, Orange County Ironworks, which was founded in the 1970s. In the late 1990s, Teutul Sr. began manufacturing custom motorcycles as an extension of his steel business, and in 1999 he founded Orange County Choppers. The company's first bike, "True Blue", was debuted at the 1999 Daytona Biketoberfest. One of OCC's most popular bikes is The Fire Bike, which was designed by Paul Teutul (Paulie) Jr, to commemorate the New York firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11. The bike itself has been modeled after a fire truck, and an actual steel rivet from the World Trade Center has been integrated into the bike itself, mounted atop the bike's gas tank. Paulie is noted as stating that the bike was themed "343", the number of New York firefighters who gave their lives on 9/11 The popularity of American Chopper led the United States Air Force to commission a $150,000 "Air Force Bike", first put on public display in March 2005. The motorcycle is ten feet long and is modeled after the F-22 Raptor, complete with Air Force symbol rims, riveted gas tank, Raptor exhausts and rear-view mirrors in the shape of jets. Air Force recruiters commissioned it as a public outreach tool. Paul Teutu Sr. Paul John Teutul, Sr.,(May 1, 1949 in Yonkers, New York), is the founder of Orange County Ironworks and Orange County Choppers. Teutul works along with his sons Paul Teutul, Jr. and Michael Teutul, who became celebrities when Orange County Choppers became the focus of a reality television series called American Chopper in 2002.

2.1 Career and Reputation

(Paul with Brazilian President Lus Incio Lula da Silva and First Lady Marisa Letcia.) Teutul originally started out owning Orange County Ironworks, a fabrication shop now solely owned and managed by son Daniel. He began building custom bikes for pleasure after being inspired by the many custom bikes appearing on the streets and in films.. In 1999 he left to found Orange County Choppers and began building bikes for sale. He has built a reputation on American Chopper for being a hard-nosed businessman and having a short temper. He is often seen on the phone with a vendor or service company demanding faster results. No detail about the running of his shop can escape his eye and he has no compunction about letting his employees know when something displeases him. He is also particular about neatness, often yelling (at least in the earlier episodes of American

Chopper) about the disorganization and cleanliness of the shop, and being described by Michael at one point as being "like Martha Stewart on a motorcycle." Vehicles such as his Ford Expedition and a few electric golf carts have also been crashed into walls and other objects. He has been featured in the music video for Nickelback's Rock Star, and also in the TV Show Long Way Round starring Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. He along with his son Paul Teutul Jr. played a small role in the 2007 film Wild Hogs.

2.2 Orange County Choppers bikes

OCC is best known for the bikes featured on American Choppers where bikes are built around a theme or, increasingly, for specific corporate or celebrity customers. The company has built custom bikes long before beginning the Discovery Channel show. Additionally, OCC launched a limited edition production line of motorcycles in July 2007, priced beginning at $31,000. These bikes include design elements originally developed for bikes featured on the show.

Customer Bikes
Customer bikes are built for and generally to the specifications of a particular customer. Customers use the bikes for promotional purposes at tradeshows or auction them off as a charity fundraiser.

Statue of Liberty Bike

Commissioned by CEO Richard W. Stocks, of Gold Leaf Corporation who also performed restoration work on the Statue of Liberty and maintains artifacts from it, and asked to build a bike dedicated to the statue and freedom. The kicker was they were given a few choice artifacts from the statue itself to incorporate into the bike (a cable that lit the torch became the shifter, for example), and the entire bike was plated in copper from the actual statue itself. OCC's Signature Fire Bike. 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. Fire Bike

Christmas Bike
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.

Chapter 3. Motorcycle Clubs (known as MCs)

A motorcycle club (MC) is an organized club of dedicated motorcyclists who join together for camaraderie, strength of numbers, companionship, and partying. Motorcycle clubs have a group of elected officers, a probationary period for new members, and a measure of privacy about their internal structure, bylaws, and membership. As part of becoming a full member, an individual must pass a vote of the membership and swear some level of allegiance to the club. Each club has a unique club patch (or patches) adorned with the term "MC" that are worn on the rider's vest, known as colors. The oldest motorcycle clubs in the U.S. are the Yonkers MC, founded in 1903, the San Francisco MC, founded 1904, and the Oakland MC, founded in 1907.

3.1 Membership

(Hells Angels MC New York City clubhouse) The typical internal organization of a motorcycle club consists of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, road captain, and sergeant-at-arms. Localized groups of a single, large MC are called chapters, and the first chapter established for an MC is referred to as the mother chapter. The president of the mother chapter serves as the president of the entire MC, and sets club policy on a variety of issues. The membership process for most motorcycle clubs begins as a guest or "hang-around", wherein an individual is invited to some club events or meets club members at known gathering places. If the guest is interested, or a club asks the hangaround to join he may become a member. If accepted, they remain a prospective member, or prospect, for some minimum time period, participating in some club activities, but not having voting privileges, while they are evaluated for suitability as full members

3.2 Colors

The primary visual identification of a member of an MC is the vest adorned with a specific large club patch or patches, predominantly located in the middle of the back. The patch(es) will contain a club logo, the name of the club, and the letters "MC", and a possible state, province, or other chapter identification. This garment and the patches themselves are referred to as the "colors", or, sometimes, "cuts", a term taken from the early practice of cutting the collars and/or sleeves from a denim or leather jacket. Many non-outlaw motorcycle riding clubs (as opposed to MCs) such as Harley Owners Group (HOG) also wear patches on the back of their jackets or vests, but the letters "MC" are nowhere to be seen on such patches. This is an important distinction, for only true motorcycle clubs sport the "MC" moniker.

3.3 Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs

Anthropologist Daniel R. Wolf, who wrote his PhD thesis based on original research done during his membership with the Rebels MC in Canada, defined an outlaw motorcycle club as, "technically," ... "a club that is not registered with the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) or the Canadian Motorcycle Association (CMA), which are the respective governing bodies for the sport of motorcycling in the United States and Canada. The AMA and CMA are themselves affiliated with the Fdration Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the international coordinating body for motorcycling whose headquarters are located in Paris, France. It is significant to note that this is a much broader definition than both the term "one-percenter", and the one used by law enforcement agencies in describing what they now refer to as outlaw motorcycle gangs.

3.4 Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs

Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Criminal Intelligence Service Canada have designated four MCs as Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs), which are the Pagans, Hells Angels, Outlaws MC, and Bandidos, known as the "Big Four". These four have a large enough national impact to be prosecuted under the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute. The FBI asserts that OMGs support themselves primarily through drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, and extortion, and that they fight over territory and the illegal drug trade. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Gazette, quoting from the Provincial Court of Manitoba, defines these groups as: "Any group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have voluntarily made a commitment to band together and abide by their organizations' rigorous rules enforced by violence, who engage in activities that bring them and their club into serious conflict with society and the law".

Members and supporters of these clubs insist that illegal activities are isolated occurrences and that they, as a whole, are not criminal organizations. They often compare themselves to police departments, wherein the occasional "bad cop" does not make a police department a criminal organization. One biker website has a news section devoted to "cops gone bad" to support their point of view,[33] and the Hells Angels sponsors charitable events for Toys for Tots.

Notable MCs
Notable motorcycle clubs include (in alphabetical order):

Bandidos MC Boozefighters MC Hells Angels MC Mongols MC Outlaws MC Pagans MC San Francisco MC, the second oldest MC in the United States Yonkers MC, the oldest MC in the United States

Cunclusion
Many people acquire custom choppers because they wish for their bikes to represent either a side of their personality or something they love or believe in, something that they want to share with the world.

A chopper is not just a means of transportation its also a lifestyle because when you own this kind of bike you automatically associate youreself with a group of people. When you take your motorcyle and decide to go for a ride its just you and the road. Your chopper takes you any ware you want to go ,sometimes nowhere specific, just to leave youre troubles behind and clear your mind giving you a sense of freedom, freedom from everyday problems. So if u want to live the lifestyle or just get an adrenaline rush once in a wild get on a bike and let youre heart guide you and fullfill youre dreams. I hope that after the presentation of this subject your adventurous ego will wake up and give you sugestion that its a must to ride a chopper once in your life,if not buying one. Choppers are the best image for power and freedom and I think any of us wants to taste freedom combined with power.

Bibliography
1. Wasef, Basem; Leno, Jay (2007), Legendary Motorcycles: The Stories and Bikes Made Famous by Elvis, Peter Fonda, Kenny Roberts and Other Motorcycling Greats, MotorBooks International, pp. 4752

2. Bobbers are the new choppers, American Motorcyclist Association, 2009 3.Edwards, David (2009), "Indian Invasion", Cycle World (Hachette Filipacchi Media, U.S.) 4. AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum (2009), 1941 Indian Series 441. The sun sets on the golden age of fours 5. Brown,, Roland; McDiarmid, Mac (2000), The Ultimate Motorcycle Encyclopedia: Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Triumph, Honda, Kawasaki and All the Great Marques, Anness Publishing 6. Discovery Channel documentary on biker culture 7. Dictionary of Motorcycle Terms & Slang