Tag: choppers?

Parker Brothers Choppers builds World’s Largest Bigwheel

Filed under: Etc., Motorcycle

Parker Brothers Choppers builds world's biggest bigwheel

Parker Brothers Green Machine – Click above for image gallery

At the age of five, this writer received the gift of gifts: a police-issue Bigwheel with a megaphone and a working siren. After a week or two of patrolling the sidewalk for a week like I owned the block, my best friend busted out of the garage with the one thing that could trump my three-wheeled interceptor; the Green Machine. Sure, my Bigwheel may have been faster in a straight line, but he could drift, spin out and even parallel park at five miles per hour.

Oh, the jealousy.

I’m guessing I’m not the only one who has been green with Green Machine envy, and luckily we can get even as adults.

The geniuses at Parker Brothers Choppers decided to make a Green Machine for really big kids, complete with an 80-cubic inch Harley Davidson Evo engine. What, you wouldn’t expect us to actually pedal a Bigwheel with a 45-inch front wheel, would you? Even better, it’s still steered by a pair of levers that control the rear wheels, so all the tricks your evil nemesis friend did as a kid can now be done by you at 30 miles per hour. Heck, Jeff Halverson at Parker Brothers claims to have done 50 mph on the beast, so someone without a lot of fear can really do some damage on this thing.

Unfortunately, the whole steering-via-the-rear-wheels thing would make it really difficult for this trike to gain approval from the Department of Transportation, so don’t expect to put an order in for one of these any time soon. Hit the gallery below to dream a little dream.

Gallery: Parker Brothers Green Machine

Parker Brothers Green Machine

[Source: Wired | Images: Parker Brothers Choppers]

Parker Brothers Choppers builds World’s Largest Bigwheel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Orange County Choppers facing foreclosure?

Filed under: Earnings/Financials, Motorcycle, Celebrities

Orange County Choppers headquarters

Drama. It’s what the television show American Chopper has always been built upon, much more so than any of its so-called ‘theme bikes.’ And drama is exactly what’s been unfolding over the last few years as both Orange County Choppers and its hit TV show have undergone a number of important changes… not the least of which is the disintegration of family relations between the show’s three stars, Paul Teutul Sr., Paul Jr. and Mikey, leading to two rival custom motorcycle shops.

The latest bit of tension is reportedly between Paul Sr. and GE Capital, the bank though which the company’s massive corporate headquarters in New York is financed. According to reports, the elder Teutul has missed two large payments on the building, one for $96,400 and another for $14,000, not because he or the company doesn’t have the funds, but due to a disagreement in the current valuation of the building.

As anyone who’s had the displeasure of dealing with such ramifications of the recently collapsing values of real estate here in the United States can tell you, OCC’s HQ likely is worth less now than when it was built, but that doesn’t mean payments on the loan (in this case, there are two loans, one for $11.5 million and another for $1.5 million) can be stopped.

Not surprisingly, GE Capital reportedly filed a foreclosure action against Orange County Choppers late in 2010.

[Source: Times Herald-Record via Asphalt & Rubber | Image: BigJimInDC – C.C. 2.0]

Orange County Choppers facing foreclosure? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jesse James shutters West Coast Choppers?

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Motorcycle, Celebrities

With the so-called Chopper Craze settling down to a dull hum and his sordid personal life in shambles, prompting a move to Texas, news that Jesse James is shutting down West Coast Choppers should hardly come as a shock. While we’ve yet to independently confirm reports, the news comes from reliable custom motorcycle source Cyril Huze.

For those who are still interested in making me-too custom choppers using off-the-shelf parts from catalogs, James’ West Coast Choppers parts and frames will reportedly be manufactured by Daytec and Belt Drives LTD and will be available for order through Custom Chrome.

[Source: Cyril Huze Blog | Image: SRV/bauergriffinonline.com/Getty]

Jesse James shutters West Coast Choppers? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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