I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: Leno is a mechanic and automobile historian who moonlights as a comedian. And I mean that with much respect to his humor.
@@ganktuh: he does know what he's talikng about' and could use tools if he had to but he dont' he gets other guys to do what he wants because he has the money to do so ........
voit ruined Harley for a while. And people didn’t demand American quality any more. That’s what happened to our cars in the 1960’s. And we’re still paying the real cost.
@@cliffordbowman6777 AMF Voit was not involved in producing HD motorcycles. 1981, Willie Davidson bought back the controlling shares of HD and booted AMF out. He then revamped the entire HD Corporation.
I was a H-D mechanic for years and during the chopper craze I was amazed at how easily the public was suckered into buy garbage like Orange County Choppers etc.
@@jon-marcodaughtery8868 Harleys just got a bad wrap because the jealousy of people who can’t afford them I am still riding a 1994 heritage almost 200,000 miles on it and it has never ever seen a dealership shop. And has never left me stranded on the side of the road.
I started on motorcycles in the 70's..even back then anyone with a brain saw how dangerous and idiotic choppers were...and no real motorcyclist owned one.... but car guys did the same stupid stuff to many vehicles too... the last chopper craze was even dumber as they only cared about looks over quality / safety and ride comfort.... it was about .." Look at Me !! "
I also like how he quietly mumbled and stammered "It's not for the street i never ride it" to the Yamaha racing bike gift. You know he ripped that sucker down the 405 full tilt.
@@meziahdanieljolley8842 He most certainly did. It's at 1:30....and of the first 90 seconds is probably the nicest thing he said about OCC. Maybe watch a video before commneting. Or do you negate that all the time?
I like how he’ll give credit to what’s good. “The motor builder is a good guy. Very nice work. The painter, absolutely. Fabulous. The actual builders of the bike…”
We did see that watching the show. The number of fights to get the one bike built "on time" for what is thought of as a show bike....yeah skipping steps and jury rigging just to get it together surely happened
@@jimwatson1013 You had 3 barely literate coked out monkey's flinging shit and banging wrenches together, seriously, what did anybody really ever expect?
@jacobg6528 why be a pedantic ass? Hang around a shop long enough, and you will hear the words: Motor, mill, powerplant, plant, pot, powerhouse, etc.. to describe the engine. When it is technically none of these.
I love Jay's honesty, no bullshit with him when it comes to vehicles and what a collection he has. Heaven on Earth to be able to afford such a collection as he has. Respect.
I’ve ONLY heard absolute nightmares about ANY OF THEIR BIKES! And this one guy I know (he married a woman with a very rich father and she had an OC chopper) I asked him how bad it is… he brought me into another room, the bike was sitting there looking like it never seen more than 20 miles, and he said driving that crap was so bad, he didn’t even make it back home… he went to his cottage, locked it in a room and …. That’s what I was looking at 😅 I forget the price but it was insane, and the bike was not really nice in person either, it was so oddly shaped and not comfortable at alllllllll. (I just sat on it and played with it a bit, no gas in the tank or anything… he doesn’t want anyone to ever ride it out of fear lol)
I remember when they did a tour around the country with them. I was so disappointed in the overall build quality it was sad. Me and my high school shop buddies could have done better.
I knew 2 people who had them back when they had the show. Both bikes had messed up frames and the trans couldn't line up with the engine properly. Both bikes also got junked to my understanding.
Yeah, those bikes were pure garbage. I guess if that's your aesthetic, whatever, but I thought they were ugly. Still see a lot of guys around my little patch of suburban sprawl on their OC Chopper wanna-be's and they look ridiculous... if they hit the tiniest bump in the road - boom... that bike goes right up their a$$es.
@@edwardgiovannelli5191 The show was all for "show ". Their theme bikes got to be ridiculous after a few shows. Their "creations " were totally impractical for any length of riding. Maybe for a dude to ride 1 block to the local tavern or A&W so the folks can go "that is sooooo cool " . " You must be one macho dude. " ROFL.
I remember seeing that fire engine bike somewhere and it looked like a death trap! Lol!!! I guess Jay's nightmare was a tonight's show bike if I had to guess it...
@@barryshaw7304 Choppers in general are death traps. Funnily enough OCC's stuff was probably still nicer than 99% of the others out there. It's just a stupid idea to begin with.
@@Arctic_Falcon I still see a lot of guys here in suburbia thinking they're little peter fondas tearing around on their hard tail sh!t-mobiles... until they have to turn a corner. Then both feet go down adn they waddle along like retarted penguins
I absolutely adore Jay, he's great and has probably the best collection of driving, and driven vehicles of anyone, but he was asked about his Suzuki RG500 and didn't even acknowledge it and instead skipped to that damn Norton 😅🙄 Yes, the Norton is absolutely awesome, super rare and worth a ton and was the fastest bike of it's time, but damnit Jay, the RG500 is a monster in it's own right and we wanted to hear about it from himself.... it's a Suzuki 500cc 2 stroke U4.... not a V4 which is rare, a U4 2t!!! And they're Championship winning bikes!!! 😖
The interviewer mentions the 500 Gamma, and Jay casually walks past a Walter Wolf edition... Wow, that was one of the nicest pieces I saw on Camera. Street legal back in the day in Canada.
Thank you Jay Leno, for not worrying about pissing anyone off. Being a motorcycle enthusiast turned motorcycle tech, I have always disliked the whole modern chopper fad. Loud uncomfortable, unreliable and way overpriced statements of excess trash! thank you for your honesty!!!!!!! I am sorry for people who sunk too much money into those rides, only to find out what a piece of $#!+ it is. Also not sorry if someone gets mad at that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Choppers are meant to be lightened, cut down versions of production bikes. I always considered the whole custom ground up chopper thing to be utterly ridiculous with the priority of form over function - which goes against every principle of good automotive engineering.
Jeff Beck was like that too. He loved to talk cars, as my music instructor found out first hand, having met Jeff a bunch of times. One of the guys on a car forum that I frequent was hanging at a place where one of Jeff's drummers also was. This guy was a drummer as well, and they got to talking, for quite awhile. He said something like, "If you ever get to meet Jeff Beck, just ask him something about cars. He'll talk your ear off for the next two hours! You better really know something about cars though, because he will see right through you if you don't!". Jeff had worked at an auto body shop for a time, during his youth. He did a lot of the work on his own cars.
Leno is WAAAY lame and a damn liar about Ferrari ! someone that is friends w/ him needs to tell him to STOP his damn lies about " having to buy one or more Ferrari to get a new one" that is total,BS and he knows it ! damn he pisses me off (Ferrari owner F430 spider here ! ) he is a friggin LIAR ! ANYONE can go into a dealer and order, put a $ deposit on and buy a regular production model ! NO hassles! as long as they are still available , being made ! or they could buy one a dealer spec'd and ordered for the dealership inventory ! Or buy one used ! ONLY the limited production, and special models may require having owned some before ! same as Porsche et all !!!! 😇 JAY ! you are a genuine hero to millions of us! MR gear head! PLEASE stop lying about Ferrari ! you know you are WRONG and Ferrari haters use what you said ,your vile missinformation to justify dissing Ferrari's and dealers!
Jay Leno's opinion on all motorized vehicles has my respect. A guy who grew up in middleclass Massachusetts's in the 1960's and worked in a garage, not for the money put for the passion and to be associated with American ingenuity. Love what Jay does; and his collection is pure inspiration.
@@greglinsmythe3375 Jay Leno comes from a time and a place where people spoke honestly. Too much heat seems to boil that out of... some people. The hourly rate may not all go to the guy turning wrenches but too many shops hire clowns with chips on their shoulders and a high school shop diploma (but we're not asking to get the roof fixed). Young Jay Leno meanwhile, left the auto-shop with less money than he had when he arrived, if he bought himself a soda that day.
Jay is a national treasure. He has done a hell of a lot for a ton of people that is never mentioned or talked about by him, and has asked for almost nothing in return. He's just a wonderful man. Greetings from AmishLand, PA
Yes he does. Met him at PA car show several years ago....dealt with his bike mechanic several times....have 2 friends that know him pretty well. He's simply a wonderful guy in all regards and rightfully so, you'll never hear anything detrimental about him.@@tims8603
I don't know if you seen the drama with the Dodge demon 170, the military guy and everything, but some shit went down, Dodge is fixing it personally, and Jay Leno is going to have the delivery at his place for the guy. Such a cool dude.
Good for the presenter to give Jay an "out" to soften his stance, but I'm glad Leno held firm on his critique. Those choppers were $100,000 piles of crap.
@@richardthomson4693 I worked for a company that got a few of our guys into a meet and greet with them when they did the Miller Welder bike. They loved the show until they got to meet the people. Sr was such a self-absorbed breaindead ass they dropped everything afterward. Mikey and the behind-the-scenes guys doing all the real work was the only ones they ever said anything nice about.
I don't know you, TJ (may I call you TJ?), but I would like to quickly emphasize just how accurate this statement is. You may scroll by, see it, agree, and move on. You, however, need to know that this is accurate. Now, do you blame the writer's strike way back when, causing that rash of SHITTY car and bike shows? Do you blame those said engineers with way too much money, proportionate to their intelligence? Yes.
I have to be honest. I was never a fan of Jay Leno when he was on TV. But getting to know him as a car guy, a motorcycle guy and as a collector i Have nothing but 100% respect for that man , and man Does he have some beautiful beautiful toys
Jay has always been a car guy and he would often find a way to get some cars on the show or when he talked about cars you could tell he knew what he was talking about.
As an Australian I had the pleasure of running into Jay in one of his old cars years ago while I was riding my streetbike in the hills of L.A. We had a long chat about everything car/bike. Good fella, thanks for your time Jay 👍🦘
@@Lurch-Bot just because something isn't good doesn't make it not-art. Plenty of bad art is still art. Choppers from the early aughts are rolling sculptures, not really viable motorcycles, nor are they to my taste.
Jay is totally down to earth. I love that he pointed to the Triumph Bonneville in his collection, which is a bike that is affordable to most. This is the difference between someone who is just wealthy and someone who actually has a passion. You can just see that Jay would just hit it off with anyone who has an interest in bikes.
The Bonnie is an iconic bike. I have two Triumphs and every time I talk to a fellow rider older than me, I almost always hear.... yeah I had a Bonneville back in the day, did this and that with it, had a lot of fun. They were very popular bikes at the time and still are.
One thing a lot of people aren't mentioning on here, is that Jay can also WORK ON most of his stuff. I love that he has such a "blue collar" mentality when it comes to his collection. He's not afraid to tear into one of his Lambrghini's if he feels the need. And I got a chuckle when he was asked in a previous episode, why he didn't have any Ferraris in his collection. lol He took a jab at them too.
@@sheild1117 You are just assuming most people do know. People seeing Jay in this video for the first time would have no idea he works on his own stuff.
Many choppers are just built to look cool and be something to show up on. Some ride pretty well for what they are. But, nearly all the OCC bikes were static displays that happened to move under their own power sometimes.
My boss is friends with Jay…..and got Jay to autograph a picture for me for a Christmas gift, and he put a comment about my specific car I own…..he just seems so genuinely kind and obviously a true gearhead!!!
@@yamoo5114 it’s just a 72 Chevelle.….but the joke is it had an electrical issue for about 3 months that I just didn’t take care of…..and Jay signed the picture and said….Hey Randy, fix your damn car!! To me it’s a super cool gift, from a good boss!!!
Jay is really a down to earth guy. Living in Burbank it is common to see him driving one of his cars or riding a bike around town. He's always friendly when you see him and chats for a minute if he can.
@@TheGyronator69 Yeah, it kinda does. If he were the "nice guy" he pretends to be, he would've wished Conan luck and moved on to something else instead of fucking the guy over.
I love Jay Leno. Always such a friendly guy in interviews. And like many here in LA, I’ve seen him several times riding around in his cars on Ventura Blvd. or in Burbank and he’s always been extremely friendly to anyone that notices him. Pure class and the last of the great late night hosts.
As a builder of both ‘ choppers ‘ and more ‘ rideable ‘ bikes I was never impressed by that show. They built the simplest easy- to- build bikes and most of the time other outside people built all of the hard stuff. All they did was put all the ready- made pieces together and then make a few artistic doo- dads and call it all their creation. All they supplied was the drama.
I met Jay in 2002 at the Rock Store. He was on his Y2K, and was AMAZING to talk to. Probably 30 min talking about the bike, and even about the swing arm needing welded up from the power. Thanks for being a good person Jay.
I know a couple dudes who’ve run into him at the Rock Store and out on Mulholland, it’s great that he drives or rides all of his vehicles and doesn’t treat anything like a garage queen
@@chadwells7562 I've talked with Jay at the Rock store a couple times about whatever he was riding that day and he also took time to talk to my 10 year old son.! He's just a regular nice friendly guy.!!
It is already a museum, so my guess is that he has formed some kind of trust that will take over running it as an actual museum, and keep the cars in working and running order.
I remember during a bike build off, Jesse James called out OCC for building bikes that could not be ridden more than a mile at a time. He issued the challenge to them to a contest to build a custom bike in NY, then ride it to California.
Jesse's bikes wouldn't last, either. IIIRC, his bikes broke down in the documentary where he and Kid Rock rode from LA to Mexico. That guy is the biggest fraud in the industry. Fake tough guy with a blue-collar gimmick who made his millions by selling Chinese-made merchandise at Walmart with his name slapped on it, and wants people to think his fortune came from his welding skills. The reality is West Coast Choppers started out as a t-shirt company who eventually built a few bikes to promote the sale of Chinese-made department store junk.
I was thinking the H2 isn't the only Kawi to feel top heavy. I've got a Concours 14. It feels top heavy as well as does the Vulcan S when compared to a Yamaha Bolt or even a H-D Sportster.
Honestly never really cared for Leno as a late night host. But I always love listening to people who KNOW what they're talking about and are obviously passionate. Real knowledge comes easy when the speaker actually knows the material and its easy to tell when someone is trying to bs their way through an on-topic conversation. Love his deep knowledge and understanding of the thing he loves. Well done...
Jay, 1 of the coolest and down to earth bloke, joy to listen to, forget the money, this guy could talk cars and bikes in pubs and people would listen for hours, a true joy!!,🙏🙏🙏
@saltymember1062 Not a fraud. Listen to his knowledge. He is a collector who does work on engines. He does not say he is a master mechanic. Why so spiteful? Your collection is minimal?
I worked in a bike shop during the chopper craze. We did not build bikes we just repaired. I was amazed how poorly some machines were built. Also the value of those things just tanked. There was one rider who bought a custom chopper and he told us he paid close to 50k for this machine and he could not even sell it for 10k.
Same here. We had the Snap-on chopper a the shop I worked at and I dyno tuned several other "builders" bikes as well (including the 'magazine cover' Hieroglyph Blower bike). Knee draggers and road racers always ask why I 'ruined my bike'(s) by lowering and extending them for drag racing but that's nothing compare to fat tire bikes (let alone choppers)...
A friend got one, not an OCC but some custom built that was bright yellow with flames. It would blind you in the sun and he paid around 32k for it. I don't think he rode it more than 10 times and tried to sell it a few months later but couldn't find any takers. I believe he eventually got around 14k for it. The OCC chopper craze was dying off quickly. I think by 2007 it was nearly dead even though the show was still airing.
When OCC was at the height of popularity, we took a ride to see the place and look at the bikes. We also went to Jr's place, and where Cody was working. And like Jay I was shocked at the poor quality of the work. Especially the welding on the customs. The paint for the most part was flawless. The custom do dads just looked out of place and made little sense for the build. You really had to look to find something I would call a great bike. When we came back home a local dealer had a Bourget, forgive the spelling, and it was worse. The owner of the shop ask me what I thought about the bike. I did not answer, he said he felt the same way. What poor workmanship and people were paying over 100K for these bikes.
He is, yet we got Jimmy Neutron pinning Senior on Leno and vice versa because of a SLIGHt c omment Jay made. It's absolutely ridiculous what this channel just attempted to do to get views, clicks (Revenue) MONEY!!!!! PITIFUL. if I see this guy at Sturgis, Milwaukee, tomahawk, Donnie Smith Bike Show, he's getting my opinion. Stop being one of those guys. Ur acting like your in cycle drag with heels 👠
Hand it to Jay... a man who has accomplished great success. He is and always has been a "every day automotive enthusiast".enthusiasts.. who regardless of his "stardom" . He and Tim Allen both know what they are talking about. He relates to the guy who works in the garage and builds hot rods. He just speaks plainly and honestly. On top of it all he is humble. Old school and to all the young people who are in the business or want to be in the business... he is an example to look up to.
I used to watch OCC when it first started and when it was about making crazy design bikes. But when watching them getting wired up they really didnt look like they were getting done properly and Jay just basically told us.
This is why they have always been called “cake decorators” in the bike world. They make a badass looking bike that can be displayed somewhere. None were ever intended for riding. Some don’t even have seats. Most have no suspension.
2:59 Would have liked to hear Jay given an opportunity to expand on why the Chief was hysterical. His facial expression indicated there was a good story there IMO.
I bought the Norton 850 commando because, as Jay said, it was the fastest production bike you could get. That motorcycle didn't disappoint. I drove it from San Francisco to Orlando and back. I was stationed in San Diego and I drove it home to SF every weekend.
Jay isn't the first to blast the workmanship and engineering of these bikes. In fact, when they became popular I couldn't find a single person who said anything good about them, all mentioning the same issues as Leno did.
As an old fart myself who has seen and experienced more in my long life than I wish to remember. Just live your life with respect for those around you who deserve it and stay away from toxic people as much as you can and enjoy what you have not what you want.
As an old fart myself .... I highly respect this truthful comment and put it at the top of my list ....(there is not many of us left anymore who gets it) .... 😀
Indeed brother and we are dying at an alarming rate for those that believed the governments promises on how great the covid vaccine would be. I for one, being cynical of anything the government says did not take it.
What always killed me, was how the only custom things on the bikes were SOME of the fuel cells & eventually the wheels & some decorative pieces when they got a C&C machine. They had the nerve to call taking a bunch of prebuilt pieces they had laying around & bolting then to the bike, building “custom” bikes.
Yeah the whole show was basically them "designing" something, ordering a bunch of stuff fabbed up by others, drama about what would come in in time, then migging the shit on a frame. Guy I work with was a biker guy. We've been in the welding biz for decades. He saw some of their bikes on display one time at Sturgis. He said the crap welds OCC did on those bikes was hideous. I wasn't surprised to hear that.
I tried to like the OCC show but gave up. I couldn't stand the bickering, although I get why the old man was always pissed off. He had an immature son who thought he was the only one smart enough to use Crayons. I never saw them build a single bike, but I did see them assemble several after paying someone else to paint the tin and deliver parts to match Paul Jr's "vision." IMO, the best bike builder ever was Indian Larry. He stayed true to the chopper tradition by reaching into a pile of iron and pulling out a bike. J James is good. I don't care for his arrogance but he can build a bike.
To be fair, most of the pre-made parts they were using were their designs but were manufactured by specialized companies, such as the frames. Really, this is no different than buying a vehicle from any company in the world where virtually no one actually makes ALL of their parts, but they do typically design them.
This isn't the first time I have heard less than favorable things about OCC. another RUclipsr Bikes and Beards, had issues with a bike that he had gotten OCC. and this shows that Jay Leno isn't a bullshitter. and he always gives everyone his honest opinion. thanks again Jay Leno.
Just from a physics perspective, those bikes could never be good to ride. The frames and forks were so exaggerated and streatched out that they'd be flexible as hell... they might as well have welded a big hinge right in front of the swingarm pivot. And those comically huge back wheels... LOL don't get me started!
I saw that episode. Was hardly surprised. I watched a lot of their episodes, particularly when I was going to aviation maintenance school. If I were the type to scream at the TV, I would have been hoarse most of the time. But I didn't watch it for the bikes, I watched it because it was a soap opera for men. Hilarious watching a bunch of grown men act like children.
A family friend was a plant manager for a large corporate entity in Central Texas. He hired Leno to do a corporate event several decades ago, early in his career, they kept in touch and remained friends for years afterward.
Jay has an amazing work ethic. He’s worked in some of the biggest sh1t-holes starting out, and he’s never given up. I have immense respect for him. Glad he’s doing well.
I saw a few of the OCC bikes over the years at Daytona Bike Week. Jay is correct. On TV, they look cool, but upon a closer look, they look like they were built by an amateur hobby builder. I'm no expert on welding or fabrication, just an average person who has seen many different kinds of motorcycles over the years. One of my group brought a 1960s Honda Dream to Bike Week and got swarms of attention from all the older Harley Riders because that was likely the first type of bike many of them rode because they were affordable to young riders. The fit, finish, and build quality on that forty-year-old bike was better than OCC.
There's ;two brothers on RUclips that buy wrecked high end cars and rebuild them . They have only self taught talent and when they are done with a car the whole car is better than when it came from the factory. They did a Lambo that from the factory had runs in the paint. When they welded up new frame parts their welds were far better than factory. I am a career carpenter . When my daughter was young her and I watched the home redo a room show. At the end before the reveal they would an around the room closeup . Holy crap what a bitcher job
Classic Jay, and he's earned everything he's got. Did comedy clubs around the country on weekends even while he was pulling down millions from the Tonight show. Have read several times that he hasn't even touched the money he made from the show.
@@fishfingers160Doing side gigs across the country. He also took a serious pay cut on The Tonight Show during a contract negotiation because NBC was willing to to keep him at the same salary and laying off a lot of the production crew. So he took less money and saved everyone's job.
Jay is the real deal, got to meet him at an event once and he was just a good dude. No serious motorcycle rider ever thought a chopper was a bike for actually riding. I've ridden a couple across town for a few miles and all the thumbs-ups and stuff were fun but the bikes are garbage and as Jay said, dangerous. We'll ride bikes 800 miles in a day, I doubt many OCC bikes have 800 miles total on them.
Jay definitely knows his stuff (engine components, engine mechanics, makes/models, history, etc.) and doesn't just buy stuff for "show". 100% respect!! My dream man cave! lol
I'm 46 and have been building bikes since I was 14. I've built three actual choppers (not to be confused with bobbers) and countless performance bikes. If done right, a chopper can be as safe as anything on the road, look amazing and handle as well as just about anything other than a sport bike. Where you get into trouble with choppers is when you go crazy with the neck rake, cheap brakes and basically just focusing on only the appearance of the bike. That's where OCC went wrong; they were cake decorators that basically outsourced 90% of the actual work that went into their bike. There was zero thought given to ridability. They only wanted to build bikes that looked cool and that's fine as long as the bike is sitting on display; never to be ridden. It's amazing to me that they are still in business. When you pump out garbage to the general public like they built, someone is going to get hurt if not worse. God bless them but it's a good thing that the chopper craze is over and people are really seeing their product for what it was: Dangerous, poorly thought-out, low performance junk that should have never been on the road.
By design, with long forks and a skinny front tire, and tiny brakes, and parts that hang low, and chopper will never handle well. My RT1250 is a bike that handles like a sports bike.
Small world……we have a local bike collector who owns an OCC chopper and he couldnt say enough bad things about it as well. Spoke highly of the overall design and look but said it is hands down the worst bike to ride on. He said that $90,000 bike he bought is meant to be put in a showroom and never be started.
Jay is just like the rest of us, he never lets the money go to his head, I have to agree with him on some of those choppers, even though they are cool looking, they look like they would be a pain to ride comfortably, I've met all the guys at Orange County Chopper on several occasions, At the dealer Expo, back when I had a shop he goes to all kinds of outdoor motorcycle events and fund-raisers, and most of the time he rides his bikes to them, I really miss him on late night TV...he always had some interesting guest on his show... I like watching all of his videos on RUclips, very educational !!
I’ve met Jay a couple times at the Rock Store here in California. It’s a little diner/motorcycle hangout. He’s an absolute pleasure to talk to. Always brings some really cool cars or motorcycles.
@@Britcarjunkie oh yeah. Packed on the weekends. When it’s not raining. lol. I think James Dean used to hang there. You’re always seeing celebrities up there.
You might have your camera man at least shoot in the direction of the bikes you’re taking about as you’re talking about them. Jay is pointing left and right at bikes that aren’t even in frame.
Much respect for Jay Leno. The man is very knowledgeable and has a great collection. Miss seeing him and Conan on NBC late night. Used to be great comedy.
I too remember when those campy choppers out of Orange County were getting way too much $$$ ... I thought to myself, I'd much rather tour the country on a brand new Honda Goldwing for probably less money.
occ was a style thing. I liked what they did there . Engineering? Not on the menu. Something to trailer around, polish and show? Good stuff. Horrid steering head geometry plus electricals being an afterthought were consistent features of most builds.
I can't get over Leno's description of an electrical system that that goes dark if the tail light burns out. This is just as primitive as those old cheap Christmas tree light strips that were wired in series and if one bulb failed the entire circuit with the rest of the lights all went dark as well. I'm not sure if i can believe that OC Choppers were that amateurish. It's possible to buy electrical system overhaul kits that replace your bike's original wiring with a new type of fusebox that uses breakers instead of old fashioned "melting metal" fuses. Why wouldn't Orange Co. Choppers be installing these high tech and - yeah - expensive kits where the design work has already been done. Seems like OCC didn't have anyone on the team who knew anything about designing electrical systems so they were just making it up as they went along. Asking a welder/ fabricator to pretend to be an electrical engineer as well? Not too professional.......
@@charlespflanze9651 It was pretty obvious watching the show that none of them really had any "proper" engineering skills (anything custom basically got farmed out and they just did final assembly) but they found their niche and milked it dry. It was never said on the show, but anyone with half a clue knew those things were simply decorations and not really rideable.
Jay was talking about the gyroscopic force of the turbo. It, like a rotating transverse crank, is an unseen force trying to prevent the bike from leaning. MotoGuzzi’s and Gold Wings have a crank that is inline with the direction of travel, so they try to tip the bike when revved.
I never thought about motorcycles before but if you mount a giant gyroscope on a motorcycle, it's not going to lean. It's the same in aeronautics. If a plane is too stable, it's not responsive to turns. Thanks for the reminder.
I don't believe what you've described is "gyroscopic effect". The the twisting motion you get on a Moto Guzzi when you blip the throttle is just physics of motion. The crankshaft rotates in one direction under the accelerative force of the combustion gasses on the pistons and these are offset from the centre-line of the crankshaft so there will be a component of that force (a force vector in engineering terms), that will want to twist the whole engine which is what you are witnessing. It is stopped by the engine mounts. Every single longitudinally mounted engine i.e the crankshaft is aligned along the axis of the vehicle, does the same thing.
@@johncanalese588 I stated "IF you mounted a gyroscope on a motorcycle. the last I checked, no manufacturer mounts giant gyroscopes on motorcycles. I was trying to explain the difficulty of designing vehicles for balance, responsive handling, and agility.
It's the SEMA mentality. Make it fast, make it catch peoples eye, make it photogenic. It is trash for mass-market TV to draw viewers, because there is where the real money is made. Same as all these survival or off-grid, working redneck shows. The cast are often paid $10,000 for an appearance while they dink around with some broken trash machinery and pretend this is how they make a living...
i’m glad to hear that somebody with some juice mentions the fact that choppers are dead, choppers are dangerous, choppers don’t make any sense, to me it always was worse than owning a boat, which is a hole in the water you pour money in. A coworker of mine spent $45,000 on a chopper back around 2000.. Whoever built, it did, beautiful work, intricate well done paint job, the dimensions, and the set up were proportional not exaggerated.. when I was a Yamaha/Honda motorcycle shop mechanic. There were six other mechanics working there at the same time. We were busy back in the 70s and 80s. A local biker gang brought in a machine that was so long, they had to bring it in and old United parcel tape truck with the back doors removed so the front wheel of the chopper could stick out. The owner wanted an 810 750 Honda single cam motor pop-up kit installed. That was the ideal pop-up at the time for an engine with that stroke, and that much valve area. When the machine was done, none of those mechanics would take it for a test ride… The guy wanted it to have a Pennsylvania State inspection sticker put on it. There’s no way I was gonna risk my license by putting a sticker on that. The guy took the bike as it was, and about three months later he was killed on it, trying to keep up with his friends in the gang. The guy weighed about 350 pounds. That’s why he needed more power to keep up with the 750 Honda’s and the 903 Kawasaki bikes in the club. Turns out he was a fourth grade school teacher/drug dealer on the side. that machine had the longest four tubes I ever saw on any motorcycle/chopper, and it had no front brake.. I actually did not even want to move it around in the shop while it was there.. But let’s not forget, history has a habit of repeating itself. I mean, I never thought that a stock 1973 Kawasaki 903 Z1 would be selling for $25,000. I had one of those, low bars,koni shocks, Center stand removed, 4 into 1 Kerker exhaust.. I was road racing RDs at the time, and I watched all the other classes after my race. Those 903 Kawasaki‘s all went into tank slappers in the same corners at the different tracks. Skinny four tubes, skinny frame tubes, skinny, swingarm, tubing, on wire wheels, that adds up to a tank slapper. but few motorcycles were worse than the original Kawasaki, two stroke triple 500. The worst handling bike I ever rode. Everybody crashed them at the race track, and they did not survive crashes very well, because of how wide the engines were. So consequently, you never saw them for more than a few weekends in a row, they just got destroyed. That’s probably why they are selling for $10,000 and up in stock condition these days… I had one that I bought as a basket case. The guy didn’t put oil in the oil tank, I had it bored , New pistons and rings, I buttoned it back together, and I would not ride it. I knew how horrible they handled. But those 59 hp engines felt fast for the time. Hard to believe that here in 2024, stock 600 cc sport bikes have more than twice the horsepower of the old Kawasaki, two stroke, 500, and today’s bikes will actually go round bends, And you don’t have to touch the engines except to do basic maintenance to get 100,000 miles out of one of them if you ride with any sanity at all on the street..
When I used to watch the motorcycles OCC built, my first thought on them was how would you service them. Often the wheels were assembled into the bike, and sometimes the fenders or frame were pretty much welded around the wheels. Not very good if you get a flat tire on the road, and the repair shop would have to cut apart the frame with a cutting wheel or torch just to change the tire (after which it would probably be even LESS safe).
Jay always been a real guy. Uses his hands, not a full crew while in a office working on his cars. Just a wealth of knowledge by actually doing the work, not having a staff doing it and reporting back. Sure he has help, but hes right in there getting dirty.
He's got a full time crew to take care of his machines. He's done enough grease monkey stuff to know what's what, but he's got the dough to pay others for it now.
I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: Leno is a mechanic and automobile historian who moonlights as a comedian. And I mean that with much respect to his humor.
He's not a mechanic, he hires mechanics
@@ganktuh: he does know what he's talikng about' and could use tools if he had to but he dont' he gets other guys to do what he wants because he has the money to do so ........
@@ganktuh yeah cause if he did it a ton of mechanics would be out of jobs*
He’s just a guy that does different things.
That’s it.
@@ganktuhWow….
Yeah, he’s a mechanic.
🤦
"They weren't made to go across the Bar"😂 classic Leno line
voit ruined Harley for a while. And people didn’t demand American quality any more. That’s what happened to our cars in the 1960’s. And we’re still paying the real cost.
😂he still got it! lol
😂😂😂
@@cliffordbowman6777 AMF Voit was not involved in producing HD motorcycles. 1981, Willie Davidson bought back the controlling shares of HD and booted AMF out. He then revamped the entire HD Corporation.
AMF facilitated the development of the Evo.
I was a H-D mechanic for years and during the chopper craze I was amazed at how easily the public was suckered into buy garbage like Orange County Choppers etc.
Just like how people are still suckered into buying garbage H-D.
@@Gone_huntingg Well done! 😅
@@Gone_huntinggwhat do you ride? I have a Harley but love all motorcycles. Happen to like my bike just fine. Do you or have you owned one?
@@jon-marcodaughtery8868 Harleys just got a bad wrap because the jealousy of people who can’t afford them I am still riding a 1994 heritage almost 200,000 miles on it and it has never ever seen a dealership shop. And has never left me stranded on the side of the road.
I started on motorcycles in the 70's..even back then anyone with a brain saw how dangerous and idiotic choppers were...and no real motorcyclist owned one.... but car guys did the same stupid stuff to many vehicles too... the last chopper craze was even dumber as they only cared about looks over quality / safety and ride comfort.... it was about .." Look at Me !! "
His collection and absolute knowledge of EVERY vehicle he has is staggering
"Do you still have it?"
"Well yes, but check out these real bikes over here..."
Perfection.
I also like how he quietly mumbled and stammered "It's not for the street i never ride it" to the Yamaha racing bike gift. You know he ripped that sucker down the 405 full tilt.
Then he never shows it 🤣👍
He didn't say that... But nice job putting words in someone's mouth. You do that all the time?
@@meziahdanieljolley8842 He most certainly did. It's at 1:30....and of the first 90 seconds is probably the nicest thing he said about OCC. Maybe watch a video before commneting. Or do you negate that all the time?
@@VerticalSound Your use of the word "negate" is fascinatingly incorrect.
I like how he’ll give credit to what’s good. “The motor builder is a good guy. Very nice work. The painter, absolutely. Fabulous. The actual builders of the bike…”
True. Anyone can be a critic. Jay will always point out deserved credit.
We did see that watching the show. The number of fights to get the one bike built "on time" for what is thought of as a show bike....yeah skipping steps and jury rigging just to get it together surely happened
Engine*
@@jimwatson1013 You had 3 barely literate coked out monkey's flinging shit and banging wrenches together, seriously, what did anybody really ever expect?
@jacobg6528 why be a pedantic ass? Hang around a shop long enough, and you will hear the words: Motor, mill, powerplant, plant, pot, powerhouse, etc.. to describe the engine. When it is technically none of these.
I love Jay's honesty, no bullshit with him when it comes to vehicles and what a collection he has. Heaven on Earth to be able to afford such a collection as he has. Respect.
yep lol
That collection is paid for out of his Comedy and Car Show hosting! He said he hasn't spent any NBC money!
Making that much money making jokes is the real problem.
Sean at SRK cycles says the same thing about OCC's.
They're garbage.
well he has no family . so he buys stuff. trouble is he has no heir. one day he will be gone and I guess they will make it a museum.
I’ve ONLY heard absolute nightmares about ANY OF THEIR BIKES! And this one guy I know (he married a woman with a very rich father and she had an OC chopper) I asked him how bad it is… he brought me into another room, the bike was sitting there looking like it never seen more than 20 miles, and he said driving that crap was so bad, he didn’t even make it back home… he went to his cottage, locked it in a room and …. That’s what I was looking at 😅 I forget the price but it was insane, and the bike was not really nice in person either, it was so oddly shaped and not comfortable at alllllllll. (I just sat on it and played with it a bit, no gas in the tank or anything… he doesn’t want anyone to ever ride it out of fear lol)
I remember when they did a tour around the country with them. I was so disappointed in the overall build quality it was sad. Me and my high school shop buddies could have done better.
I knew 2 people who had them back when they had the show. Both bikes had messed up frames and the trans couldn't line up with the engine properly. Both bikes also got junked to my understanding.
Jay tells it like it is. I think he was being kinder than OC deserved.
yes-I saw one episode where they cut a notch in the frame to fit the engine in! So much for structural integrity! unbelievable
Yeah, those bikes were pure garbage. I guess if that's your aesthetic, whatever, but I thought they were ugly.
Still see a lot of guys around my little patch of suburban sprawl on their OC Chopper wanna-be's and they look ridiculous... if they hit the tiniest bump in the road - boom... that bike goes right up their a$$es.
some of them looked pretty cool...that was a different era for safety though...lol 😂😂@@edwardgiovannelli5191
'Tacky deathtrap' are the only words suitable to describe OCC bikes. Y'all know you watched it for the soap opera drama.
@@edwardgiovannelli5191 The show was all for "show ". Their theme bikes got to be
ridiculous after a few shows. Their "creations " were totally impractical for any length
of riding. Maybe for a dude to ride 1 block to the local tavern or A&W so the folks can
go "that is sooooo cool " . " You must be one macho dude. " ROFL.
Listening to Jay bag on OCC was pure gold LOL.
I remember seeing that fire engine bike somewhere and it looked like a death trap!
Lol!!!
I guess Jay's nightmare was a tonight's show bike if I had to guess it...
@@barryshaw7304 Choppers in general are death traps. Funnily enough OCC's stuff was probably still nicer than 99% of the others out there. It's just a stupid idea to begin with.
@@Arctic_Falcon I still see a lot of guys here in suburbia thinking they're little peter fondas tearing around on their hard tail sh!t-mobiles... until they have to turn a corner. Then both feet go down adn they waddle along like retarted penguins
I love how Jay can talk about all of his pieces. True collector’s collector.
I absolutely adore Jay, he's great and has probably the best collection of driving, and driven vehicles of anyone, but he was asked about his Suzuki RG500 and didn't even acknowledge it and instead skipped to that damn Norton 😅🙄
Yes, the Norton is absolutely awesome, super rare and worth a ton and was the fastest bike of it's time, but damnit Jay, the RG500 is a monster in it's own right and we wanted to hear about it from himself.... it's a Suzuki 500cc 2 stroke U4.... not a V4 which is rare, a U4 2t!!! And they're Championship winning bikes!!! 😖
The interviewer mentions the 500 Gamma, and Jay casually walks past a Walter Wolf edition... Wow, that was one of the nicest pieces I saw on Camera. Street legal back in the day in Canada.
I was thinking the same thing. It's so cool that he's got this amazing collection and he's out there working on his own stuff.
you spelled mentally ill hoarder wrong.
@@ZennExile ha. As opposed to the mentally stable hoarder?
A man who knows exactly what he is talking about. What a gentleman, fantastic rider, driver and a collector. What's not to hate. Respect. Mr Leno.
Thank you Jay Leno, for not worrying about pissing anyone off. Being a motorcycle enthusiast turned motorcycle tech, I have always disliked the whole modern chopper fad. Loud uncomfortable, unreliable and way overpriced statements of excess trash! thank you for your honesty!!!!!!! I am sorry for people who sunk too much money into those rides, only to find out what a piece of $#!+ it is. Also not sorry if someone gets mad at that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Choppers are meant to be lightened, cut down versions of production bikes. I always considered the whole custom ground up chopper thing to be utterly ridiculous with the priority of form over function - which goes against every principle of good automotive engineering.
It's the truth they were all ridiculous pieces of garbage
@@mementomori4972 Better stay in Europe then, pardner. Cheers, mate.
@@tracykingston9668 You couldn't pay me enough to work in the US. The quality of life is just not at western European standard. Good luck mate.
@@mementomori4972 The Bribem family loves it in the USA. It has to be good. What is
the better country in Europe ? Cheers.
Jay is a real car/motorcycle guy through and through. When someone is being real, it translates, and people like it.
yeah-he's a unique; authentic individual - I think comedian has to be the hardest profession - "builds character" lol
Jeff Beck was like that too. He loved to talk cars, as my music instructor found out first hand, having met Jeff a bunch of times. One of the guys on a car forum that I frequent was hanging at a place where one of Jeff's drummers also was. This guy was a drummer as well, and they got to talking, for quite awhile. He said something like, "If you ever get to meet Jeff Beck, just ask him something about cars. He'll talk your ear off for the next two hours! You better really know something about cars though, because he will see right through you if you don't!". Jeff had worked at an auto body shop for a time, during his youth. He did a lot of the work on his own cars.
Other people that like cars and motorcycles aren’t real?
🤷🏻♂️
Leno is WAAAY lame and a damn liar about Ferrari !
someone that is friends w/ him needs to tell him to STOP his damn lies about " having to buy one or more Ferrari to get a new one" that is total,BS and he knows it !
damn he pisses me off (Ferrari owner F430 spider here ! ) he is a friggin LIAR !
ANYONE can go into a dealer and order, put a $ deposit on and buy a regular production model ! NO hassles! as long as they are still available , being made !
or they could buy one a dealer spec'd and ordered for the dealership inventory ! Or buy one used !
ONLY the limited production, and special models may require having owned some before ! same as Porsche et all !!!! 😇
JAY !
you are a genuine hero to millions of us! MR gear head!
PLEASE stop lying about Ferrari ! you know you are WRONG and Ferrari haters use what you said ,your vile missinformation to justify dissing Ferrari's and dealers!
I don't like him
Jay Leno's opinion on all motorized vehicles has my respect. A guy who grew up in middleclass Massachusetts's in the 1960's and worked in a garage, not for the money put for the passion and to be associated with American ingenuity. Love what Jay does; and his collection is pure inspiration.
His origins in Massachusetts somehow influences your respect for his opinion? And no one works in a garage for the money.
Andover no less! Would see his dad putting the rubbish barrels out on trash day, he would drive the out with a lawn tractor. They were regular people!
@@greglinsmythe3375 Jay Leno comes from a time and a place where people spoke honestly. Too much heat seems to boil that out of... some people.
The hourly rate may not all go to the guy turning wrenches but too many shops hire clowns with chips on their shoulders and a high school shop diploma (but we're not asking to get the roof fixed).
Young Jay Leno meanwhile, left the auto-shop with less money than he had when he arrived, if he bought himself a soda that day.
@@nateg.6187 What a dumb comment.
@@nateg.6187 Your comment is pure jealousy.
Jay is just a real car bike guy. Awesome to see him interviewed!
Jay is a national treasure. He has done a hell of a lot for a ton of people that is never mentioned or talked about by him, and has asked for almost nothing in return. He's just a wonderful man. Greetings from AmishLand, PA
He''s really rich but humble and he cares about truth and honesty.
AmishLand? Jay has a Amish buggy with a blown 502 in it! Still has carriage tires on it!
Probably 799 HP more than the 1HP real buggies we have here. @@thomastarkanian8980
Yes he does. Met him at PA car show several years ago....dealt with his bike mechanic several times....have 2 friends that know him pretty well. He's simply a wonderful guy in all regards and rightfully so, you'll never hear anything detrimental about him.@@tims8603
I don't know if you seen the drama with the Dodge demon 170, the military guy and everything, but some shit went down, Dodge is fixing it personally, and Jay Leno is going to have the delivery at his place for the guy. Such a cool dude.
Good for the presenter to give Jay an "out" to soften his stance, but I'm glad Leno held firm on his critique. Those choppers were $100,000 piles of crap.
Creators laughed all the way to the bank. 😂😂😂
@@rubear1848 except Senior went bankrupt, mikey was for ever fucked up with personal problems. Paul has done OK for himself
@@richardthomson4693 Cause they perhaps didn’t time the stop they needed to get off that train wreck of their own creation. 🤣
@@richardthomson4693 Vinny owns an auto shop now
@@richardthomson4693 I worked for a company that got a few of our guys into a meet and greet with them when they did the Miller Welder bike. They loved the show until they got to meet the people. Sr was such a self-absorbed breaindead ass they dropped everything afterward.
Mikey and the behind-the-scenes guys doing all the real work was the only ones they ever said anything nice about.
The chopper phase was when we went from having engineers design bikes for meatheads to ride, to meatheads designing bikes for engineers to ride.
I don't know you, TJ (may I call you TJ?), but I would like to quickly emphasize just how accurate this statement is. You may scroll by, see it, agree, and move on. You, however, need to know that this is accurate.
Now, do you blame the writer's strike way back when, causing that rash of SHITTY car and bike shows? Do you blame those said engineers with way too much money, proportionate to their intelligence?
Yes.
Meth heads
Yup!
Meatheads designing bikes for other meatheads. There's your chopper phase.
I think you meant methheads
I love how J built his empire. Hes living the american dream. Made money making people laugh, and acquired what he wanted. Love it.
I have to be honest. I was never a fan of Jay Leno when he was on TV.
But getting to know him as a car guy, a motorcycle guy and as a collector i Have nothing but 100% respect for that man , and man Does he have some beautiful beautiful toys
Jay has always been a car guy and he would often find a way to get some cars on the show or when he talked about cars you could tell he knew what he was talking about.
Jay was the last late night host worth watching, until Gutfeld.
Couldn't agree more......I honestly thought he sucked as a comedian, but I totally respect his vehicle knowledge.
As an Australian I had the pleasure of running into Jay in one of his old cars years ago while I was riding my streetbike in the hills of L.A.
We had a long chat about everything car/bike.
Good fella, thanks for your time Jay 👍🦘
Did anyone get hurt?
@@BoingoCat after I 'ran into ' Jay we both parted ways with no injuries. 🤣
Not much beats Glendora Ridge Rd in the LA hills...except the Old Pacific Highway out of Sydney...on 4 wheels, not 2. 🙂🇦🇺
So what were you driving when you ran into him?
Well said Jay, I’ve said this about the OCC bikes for years. They are just art, they most definitely are not designed to be used at all
Theyre kit bikes. All the cool bits they dont even make themselves, always send them out for someone else to make and then jus tbolt them on.
It is only art to someone who has a velvet Elvis hanging on their wall.
@@Lurch-Bot lol, priceless
@@Lurch-Bot just because something isn't good doesn't make it not-art. Plenty of bad art is still art. Choppers from the early aughts are rolling sculptures, not really viable motorcycles, nor are they to my taste.
Art but not Craftmanship.
Craftsmanship is Art that WORKS.
Leno's impressive. I enjoy listening to someone who is genuine, honest, learned, and kind.
Beautifully Said.
Jay is totally down to earth. I love that he pointed to the Triumph Bonneville in his collection, which is a bike that is affordable to most. This is the difference between someone who is just wealthy and someone who actually has a passion. You can just see that Jay would just hit it off with anyone who has an interest in bikes.
Never owned a Triumph but always loved how they looked.
I have owned several restored classic Triumphs, Bonnevilles' in particular...1967,'68 69 and 1970. Pieces of art. @@mikewurlitzer5217
He genuinely loves cars and bikes and doesn't need to impress anyone anymore. He has FU money, and is set for life to do and say what he wants.
The Bonnie is an iconic bike. I have two Triumphs and every time I talk to a fellow rider older than me, I almost always hear.... yeah I had a Bonneville back in the day, did this and that with it, had a lot of fun. They were very popular bikes at the time and still are.
@@dickjohnson7845 Was impressed with a Speed Twin 1200 I test rode last year.
One thing a lot of people aren't mentioning on here, is that Jay can also WORK ON most of his stuff. I love that he has such a "blue collar" mentality when it comes to his collection. He's not afraid to tear into one of his Lambrghini's if he feels the need. And I got a chuckle when he was asked in a previous episode, why he didn't have any Ferraris in his collection. lol He took a jab at them too.
Not too crazy about Tesla either.
You’re just assuming that most people don’t know that Jay works on his cars and bikes.
@@sheild1117 You are just assuming most people do know. People seeing Jay in this video for the first time would have no idea he works on his own stuff.
@@sheild1117....I'm also assuming that you're a clown.
Jay spoke the truth! Choppers are really gimmicks. Dangerous gimmicks!😂
I think well-designed, well-built choppers are awesome. OCC just put out overpriced, overhyped crap.
that ignores the reality of physics @@mattskustomkreations
You simply have NO clue, most "americans" don't have a clue. Just the notion that they're dangerous is soooo behind! 😂😂😂
Many choppers are just built to look cool and be something to show up on. Some ride pretty well for what they are. But, nearly all the OCC bikes were static displays that happened to move under their own power sometimes.
Honda Fury, fun ridable chopper.
Mr Leno is a man of his word. Even after so many decades in TV he never became a TV clown like the OCC family .
He got made to look like a clown by Letterman and Conan… Da fuck you talking about??
Jay has displayed his share of buffoonery with the Letterman and Conan situation.
He's a pathetic game show host now, pal.
My boss is friends with Jay…..and got Jay to autograph a picture for me for a Christmas gift, and he put a comment about my specific car I own…..he just seems so genuinely kind and obviously a true gearhead!!!
Well I gotta know. What car do you have?
@@yamoo5114 it’s just a 72 Chevelle.….but the joke is it had an electrical issue for about 3 months that I just didn’t take care of…..and Jay signed the picture and said….Hey Randy, fix your damn car!! To me it’s a super cool gift, from a good boss!!!
@@randallfranklin2548 - That's funny...it's personalized with a both a joke and a jab. Very cool.
Jay is really a down to earth guy. Living in Burbank it is common to see him driving one of his cars or riding a bike around town. He's always friendly when you see him and chats for a minute if he can.
I watched him growing up, every night for probably 10 years 😂
@@WernerRachtman Then you watched him cheat Conan O'Brien who is much more talented anyway.
@@SD-pi9cobeing a shark in your professional life doesn’t mean you can’t be a good, caring person in your personal life.
@@TheGyronator69 Yeah, it kinda does. If he were the "nice guy" he pretends to be, he would've wished Conan luck and moved on to something else instead of fucking the guy over.
@@TheGyronator69 It's the same person. A spade is a spade.
I love Jay Leno. Always such a friendly guy in interviews. And like many here in LA, I’ve seen him several times riding around in his cars on Ventura Blvd. or in Burbank and he’s always been extremely friendly to anyone that notices him. Pure class and the last of the great late night hosts.
Who CAN'T notice him in a 1935 firetruck!?!? Haha!
the last....that's true. :(
I love how Paul Sr wants to be viewed as a motorcycle king, but all these other actual experts in the field are roundly trashing him….i love it
Jealousy because he made bank from that tv money.
@andybaldman It's not always jealousy. Some people are just clowns regardless of how much money they have.
As a builder of both ‘ choppers ‘ and more ‘ rideable ‘ bikes I was never impressed by that show. They built the simplest easy- to- build bikes and most of the time other outside people built all of the hard stuff. All they did was put all the ready- made pieces together and then make a few artistic doo- dads and call it all their creation.
All they supplied was the drama.
I met Jay in 2002 at the Rock Store. He was on his Y2K, and was AMAZING to talk to. Probably 30 min talking about the bike, and even about the swing arm needing welded up from the power. Thanks for being a good person Jay.
I know a couple dudes who’ve run into him at the Rock Store and out on Mulholland, it’s great that he drives or rides all of his vehicles and doesn’t treat anything like a garage queen
@@chadwells7562 I've talked with Jay at the Rock store a couple times about whatever he was riding that day and he also took time to talk to my 10 year old son.! He's just a regular nice friendly guy.!!
This is purely Jay being gracious and humble. Even when he holds the stickers up proudly. What a cool guy!
handing jay decals was really inappropriate and cringe-worthy. jay was a good sport though.
Hey Paul I love your channel
Ah but has he got an "Ichiban" sticker ?!!!
@RepentandbelieveinJesusChrist. tldr
@@ps3shakes123 Totally inappropriate and downright disrespectful.
finally something I can agree with Jay on. the tuttles were massive part installing hacks.
Every episode of OCC I watched, they just pulled new parts out of boxes and bolted them on. No design skills required.
@@grinchthreeseventyfour5096I’m not sure about the design part. They can be built bad but Jr had great design sense
Agree, I would only ride a factory stock bike to begin with never a custom unless cosmetics only. We deal enough with staying alive.
As was every other part slapper togetherer from that dismal period…
All motorcycles are a waste of money and resources.
Being Jay Leno's head mechanic is a legitimate life goal. Dude has a serious collection.
Jay is a perfect example of following your passion.
I wonder what will become of this collection. Thanks to Jay for sharing it with us via RUclips.
Jay is a douchebag, let's not kid ourselves.
I hope Big Dog Garage is one day The Leno Auto Museum, like the Peterson or the LeMay.
It will probably become a museum
It is already a museum, so my guess is that he has formed some kind of trust that will take over running it as an actual museum, and keep the cars in working and running order.
It would be nice to incorporate it with Steve McQueen's collection in a museum.
OCC built show bikes and even Paul and Jr. had to admit in one episode that making the bikes road worthy wasn’t always a consideration.
If it's not safe to ride, you're just wasting metal.
And the buyer/owner's $$$,$$$@@pauldelaney5990
Making them rideable or good looking obviously wasn't a priority either. What heaps of rubbish.
they had a hard time just getting them to run.
Jays jet bike isn't even practical to ride a long distance. He must have something personal against occ
Thanks Jay for always keeping your garage doors open for us enthusiasts.
I remember during a bike build off, Jesse James called out OCC for building bikes that could not be ridden more than a mile at a time. He issued the challenge to them to a contest to build a custom bike in NY, then ride it to California.
And it probably never happened, Right?
@@ArmourFence No. Paul Jr was too busy beating Jesse.....twice.
Jesse's bikes wouldn't last, either. IIIRC, his bikes broke down in the documentary where he and Kid Rock rode from LA to Mexico. That guy is the biggest fraud in the industry. Fake tough guy with a blue-collar gimmick who made his millions by selling Chinese-made merchandise at Walmart with his name slapped on it, and wants people to think his fortune came from his welding skills. The reality is West Coast Choppers started out as a t-shirt company who eventually built a few bikes to promote the sale of Chinese-made department store junk.
2:43 gyroscopic effect of the rotating mass within the supercharger. What a sensitive rider, knows the right feel, you go Jay!
Bingo, was thinking the same thing.
I was thinking the H2 isn't the only Kawi to feel top heavy. I've got a Concours 14. It feels top heavy as well as does the Vulcan S when compared to a Yamaha Bolt or even a H-D Sportster.
I've never ridden a street bike only trail/dirt. I've heard streets are top heavy.
Gyroscopic procession, same principal in how attitude indicators in airplanes work
I wonder if it goes round left hand corners differently to right hand ones !
jay is a class act, very humble and I loved watching the tonight show when he hosted it. I miss his headlines, a great start to the week
Jay needs to make more videos showcasing his bikes, I could listen to him ramble about them alone in a garage for hours
Honestly never really cared for Leno as a late night host. But I always love listening to people who KNOW what they're talking about and are obviously passionate. Real knowledge comes easy when the speaker actually knows the material and its easy to tell when someone is trying to bs their way through an on-topic conversation. Love his deep knowledge and understanding of the thing he loves.
Well done...
Jay, 1 of the coolest and down to earth bloke, joy to listen to, forget the money, this guy could talk cars and bikes in pubs and people would listen for hours, a true joy!!,🙏🙏🙏
If Leno says it's crap I believe him.He is a serious motor head and collector.
Truly. Did he make it onto "Top Gear"? If he did I missed that episode.
@@PaulHarris-sl1cthe was on top gear
"He is a serious motor head and collector" i'm glad you are the first to notice and point that out.
@saltymember1062Jay doesn't understand trail and rake. Or SAI. But he's a nice guy.
@saltymember1062 Not a fraud. Listen to his knowledge. He is a collector who does work on engines. He does not say he is a master mechanic. Why so spiteful? Your collection is minimal?
I worked in a bike shop during the chopper craze. We did not build bikes we just repaired. I was amazed how poorly some machines were built. Also the value of those things just tanked. There was one rider who bought a custom chopper and he told us he paid close to 50k for this machine and he could not even sell it for 10k.
Thats everyday all the time for many years now
Same here. We had the Snap-on chopper a the shop I worked at and I dyno tuned several other "builders" bikes as well (including the 'magazine cover' Hieroglyph Blower bike).
Knee draggers and road racers always ask why I 'ruined my bike'(s) by lowering and extending them for drag racing but that's nothing compare to fat tire bikes (let alone choppers)...
A friend got one, not an OCC but some custom built that was bright yellow with flames. It would blind you in the sun and he paid around 32k for it. I don't think he rode it more than 10 times and tried to sell it a few months later but couldn't find any takers. I believe he eventually got around 14k for it. The OCC chopper craze was dying off quickly. I think by 2007 it was nearly dead even though the show was still airing.
When OCC was at the height of popularity, we took a ride to see the place and look at the bikes. We also went to Jr's place, and where Cody was working. And like Jay I was shocked at the poor quality of the work. Especially the welding on the customs. The paint for the most part was flawless. The custom do dads just looked out of place and made little sense for the build. You really had to look to find something I would call a great bike. When we came back home a local dealer had a Bourget, forgive the spelling, and it was worse. The owner of the shop ask me what I thought about the bike. I did not answer, he said he felt the same way. What poor workmanship and people were paying over 100K for these bikes.
Typically HOW FADS go
Jay has always struck me as a stand up guy.
He is, yet we got Jimmy Neutron pinning Senior on Leno and vice versa because of a SLIGHt c omment Jay made. It's absolutely ridiculous what this channel just attempted to do to get views, clicks (Revenue) MONEY!!!!! PITIFUL. if I see this guy at Sturgis, Milwaukee, tomahawk, Donnie Smith Bike Show, he's getting my opinion. Stop being one of those guys. Ur acting like your in cycle drag with heels 👠
I love the pun. Nice going.
A stand up guy wouldn't have screwed Conan like he did.
@@TheRockinDonkey Two sides to every story.
@@pmh1nic Yet he's never told his "side". I wonder why...
Thank god Jay's fully recovered from his accident. Love the man and what he's all about.
He had two if I recall almost back to back. One where he set himself on fire working on a steam car. The other he lost control of a bike.
Amen 🙏
God has nothing to do with anything.
@@morbidmanmusic- you'll SOON find out.
@@nervotica7991 So will you! lol
Hand it to Jay... a man who has accomplished great success. He is and always has been a "every day automotive enthusiast".enthusiasts.. who regardless of his "stardom" . He and Tim Allen both know what they are talking about. He relates to the guy who works in the garage and builds hot rods. He just speaks plainly and honestly. On top of it all he is humble. Old school and to all the young people who are in the business or want to be in the business... he is an example to look up to.
I love how Jay just looks like a regular guy, while the other dude looks like his mom did his hair for picture day 😂
I used to watch OCC when it first started and when it was about making crazy design bikes. But when watching them getting wired up they really didnt look like they were getting done properly and Jay just basically told us.
Jay is the best. Amongst car people, he is "one of us" and does alot to keep the hobby going. Thanks Jay!
How is he one of you do you own a car collection too.
There's no one better, than Uncle Jay.❤
Thank you Jay, been tired of hearing how great they are when they were not.
This is why they have always been called “cake decorators” in the bike world. They make a badass looking bike that can be displayed somewhere. None were ever intended for riding. Some don’t even have seats. Most have no suspension.
Jay leno is probably the most down to earth celebrity out there, from all the videos i've seen, he seems super genuine. love the guy.
His nice guy act is such a farce. Look no further then how he cheated Conan
From things I’ve seen Keanu Reeves is down to earth and a decent guy
I like him quite a bit but I'd like him even more if he gave me a nice car. One of his throw always would be fine. An alphar Romeo?
He’s out and about around town, shows up at car events, super approachable and friendly guy. Everyone loves him.
@@texasforever7887 Conan is a freak and deserves nothing
2:59 Would have liked to hear Jay given an opportunity to expand on why the Chief was hysterical. His facial expression indicated there was a good story there IMO.
I bought the Norton 850 commando because, as Jay said, it was the fastest production bike you could get. That motorcycle didn't disappoint. I drove it from San Francisco to Orlando and back. I was stationed in San Diego and I drove it home to SF every weekend.
The Norton was a great bike. Rode one with my brother in law decades ago, 120mph plus on the white line. Scared the crap out of me
Jay isn't the first to blast the workmanship and engineering of these bikes. In fact, when they became popular I couldn't find a single person who said anything good about them, all mentioning the same issues as Leno did.
As an old fart myself who has seen and experienced more in my long life than I wish to remember. Just live your life with respect for those around you who deserve it and stay away from toxic people as much as you can and enjoy what you have not what you want.
As an old fart myself .... I highly respect this truthful comment and put it at the top of my list ....(there is not many of us left anymore who gets it) .... 😀
i think i read that in a fortune cookie once
I'm a mid age fart and wanted to say great advice. I'm going to work hard enjoying what I have not what I want. Thank you for that
Indeed brother and we are dying at an alarming rate for those that believed the governments promises on how great the covid vaccine would be. I for one, being cynical of anything the government says did not take it.
@@billienomates1606 I myself do not believe in experimental jabs ...I new from the start they used the flu as a financial weapon against us ...
Jay is one of a kind. I could watch him all day long.
Dave is better!
@@SeptemberChild1835 Dave doesn't have a wicked collection of classic bikes (though I agree, his show was better than Jay's)
Johnny was KING.
@@jerrykinnin7941 Dave!!
Mr. Leno just gotta love him...
I just so enjoy listening to Jay talk and reminisce about his passion. Good stuff
What always killed me, was how the only custom things on the bikes were SOME of the fuel cells & eventually the wheels & some decorative pieces when they got a C&C machine.
They had the nerve to call taking a bunch of prebuilt pieces they had laying around & bolting then to the bike, building “custom” bikes.
Yeah the whole show was basically them "designing" something, ordering a bunch of stuff fabbed up by others, drama about what would come in in time, then migging the shit on a frame. Guy I work with was a biker guy. We've been in the welding biz for decades. He saw some of their bikes on display one time at Sturgis. He said the crap welds OCC did on those bikes was hideous. I wasn't surprised to hear that.
Glorified kitsets.
I tried to like the OCC show but gave up. I couldn't stand the bickering, although I get why the old man was always pissed off. He had an immature son who thought he was the only one smart enough to use Crayons.
I never saw them build a single bike, but I did see them assemble several after paying someone else to paint the tin and deliver parts to match Paul Jr's "vision."
IMO, the best bike builder ever was Indian Larry. He stayed true to the chopper tradition by reaching into a pile of iron and pulling out a bike. J James is good. I don't care for his arrogance but he can build a bike.
It is hard to deny most of these "custom" choppers were simply JC Whitney catalog builds.
To be fair, most of the pre-made parts they were using were their designs but were manufactured by specialized companies, such as the frames. Really, this is no different than buying a vehicle from any company in the world where virtually no one actually makes ALL of their parts, but they do typically design them.
This isn't the first time I have heard less than favorable things about OCC. another RUclipsr Bikes and Beards, had issues with a bike that he had gotten OCC. and this shows that Jay Leno isn't a bullshitter. and he always gives everyone his honest opinion. thanks again Jay Leno.
I saw that video. They all were made for looks and not function. I didn't even like their hokey looks either.
@@ihatehandleshowaboutyou That's true, as the show went on they got more gawdy. and went away from traditional looking motorcycles.
Just from a physics perspective, those bikes could never be good to ride. The frames and forks were so exaggerated and streatched out that they'd be flexible as hell... they might as well have welded a big hinge right in front of the swingarm pivot.
And those comically huge back wheels... LOL don't get me started!
I saw that episode. Was hardly surprised. I watched a lot of their episodes, particularly when I was going to aviation maintenance school. If I were the type to scream at the TV, I would have been hoarse most of the time. But I didn't watch it for the bikes, I watched it because it was a soap opera for men. Hilarious watching a bunch of grown men act like children.
Jay Leno is an amazing man. He seems to genuinely enjoy life. That is all one can hope for.
A family friend was a plant manager for a large corporate entity in Central Texas. He hired Leno to do a corporate event several decades ago, early in his career, they kept in touch and remained friends for years afterward.
He should be enjoying life,I would be if I had his opportunitys in life and have the nice things he has....
I am always impressed with Jay's knowledge of his collection and vehicles in general.
love Jay so much. he's so generous with his time with folks as well -- too cool!!!
Jay has an amazing work ethic. He’s worked in some of the biggest sh1t-holes starting out, and he’s never given up. I have immense respect for him. Glad he’s doing well.
I saw a few of the OCC bikes over the years at Daytona Bike Week. Jay is correct. On TV, they look cool, but upon a closer look, they look like they were built by an amateur hobby builder. I'm no expert on welding or fabrication, just an average person who has seen many different kinds of motorcycles over the years.
One of my group brought a 1960s Honda Dream to Bike Week and got swarms of attention from all the older Harley Riders because that was likely the first type of bike many of them rode because they were affordable to young riders. The fit, finish, and build quality on that forty-year-old bike was better than OCC.
There's ;two brothers on RUclips that buy wrecked high end cars and rebuild them . They have only self taught talent and when they are done with a car the whole car is better than when it came from the factory. They did a Lambo that from the factory had runs in the paint. When they welded up new frame parts their welds were far better than factory. I am a career carpenter . When my daughter was young her and I watched the home redo a room show. At the end before the reveal they would an around the room closeup . Holy crap what a bitcher job
@@CraigGrant-sh3in lol, "Lambo..." I-talian vehicles look good and then break in expensive ways
The Japanese can build. They really build great stuff. From all the vehicles I’ve had, the Japanese were the best by far. Same goes for guitars.
Leno is the real deal. The man is a walking encyclopedia of motorized vehicles.
Classic Jay, and he's earned everything he's got. Did comedy clubs around the country on weekends even while he was pulling down millions from the Tonight show. Have read several times that he hasn't even touched the money he made from the show.
....well I don't know about that. That car and bike collection is quite something. You don't pay that from a . Night comedy gig
@@rolandet he 💯 did, he never used his Tonight Show money for his collection or living.
Rock groupie on the Stern show said he has a huge pecker too
@@bmwusa19where'd he get the millions to pay for this collection then?
@@fishfingers160Doing side gigs across the country. He also took a serious pay cut on The Tonight Show during a contract negotiation because NBC was willing to to keep him at the same salary and laying off a lot of the production crew. So he took less money and saved everyone's job.
Jay is the real deal, got to meet him at an event once and he was just a good dude. No serious motorcycle rider ever thought a chopper was a bike for actually riding. I've ridden a couple across town for a few miles and all the thumbs-ups and stuff were fun but the bikes are garbage and as Jay said, dangerous. We'll ride bikes 800 miles in a day, I doubt many OCC bikes have 800 miles total on them.
I think he was describing the gyroscopic effect of the supercharger.
Jay definitely knows his stuff (engine components, engine mechanics, makes/models, history, etc.) and doesn't just buy stuff for "show". 100% respect!! My dream man cave! lol
Glad to see him in good health and great spirits!
Jay is a nice young fellow.
I can see him going places.
Lol😊
You are hitting it out of the park on this one Jack. BIG LEAGUE shit right here. RESPECT
until he handed jay some stickers. very unprofessional
I'm 46 and have been building bikes since I was 14. I've built three actual choppers (not to be confused with bobbers) and countless performance bikes. If done right, a chopper can be as safe as anything on the road, look amazing and handle as well as just about anything other than a sport bike.
Where you get into trouble with choppers is when you go crazy with the neck rake, cheap brakes and basically just focusing on only the appearance of the bike. That's where OCC went wrong; they were cake decorators that basically outsourced 90% of the actual work that went into their bike. There was zero thought given to ridability. They only wanted to build bikes that looked cool and that's fine as long as the bike is sitting on display; never to be ridden.
It's amazing to me that they are still in business. When you pump out garbage to the general public like they built, someone is going to get hurt if not worse. God bless them but it's a good thing that the chopper craze is over and people are really seeing their product for what it was: Dangerous, poorly thought-out, low performance junk that should have never been on the road.
By design, with long forks and a skinny front tire, and tiny brakes, and parts that hang low, and chopper will never handle well. My RT1250 is a bike that handles like a sports bike.
Small world……we have a local bike collector who owns an OCC chopper and he couldnt say enough bad things about it as well. Spoke highly of the overall design and look but said it is hands down the worst bike to ride on. He said that $90,000 bike he bought is meant to be put in a showroom and never be started.
Jay is just like the rest of us, he never lets the money go to his head, I have to agree with him on some of those choppers, even though they are cool looking, they look like they would be a pain to ride comfortably, I've met all the guys at Orange County Chopper on several occasions, At the dealer Expo, back when I had a shop he goes to all kinds of outdoor motorcycle events and fund-raisers, and most of the time he rides his bikes to them, I really miss him on late night TV...he always had some interesting guest on his show... I like watching all of his videos on RUclips, very educational !!
I’ve met Jay a couple times at the Rock Store here in California. It’s a little diner/motorcycle hangout. He’s an absolute pleasure to talk to. Always brings some really cool cars or motorcycles.
That place is still there??? I haven't been there since I was a kid, back in the '70's!
@@Britcarjunkie oh yeah. Packed on the weekends. When it’s not raining. lol. I think James Dean used to hang there. You’re always seeing celebrities up there.
You might have your camera man at least shoot in the direction of the bikes you’re taking about as you’re talking about them. Jay is pointing left and right at bikes that aren’t even in frame.
Much respect for Jay Leno. The man is very knowledgeable and has a great collection. Miss seeing him and Conan on NBC late night. Used to be great comedy.
Jay Leno is a national treasure.
There’s an OCC chopper here on Marketplace marked down to $5K.
It’s been for sale there at least 9 months now.
They can’t give that POS away. 😂
5k ? Imagine the beer and prostitutes you can buy with that, no wonder nobody wants that crap
@@Cormano980 And all the Trump rallies you can travel to, too! lol
I too remember when those campy choppers out of Orange County were getting way too much $$$ ... I thought to myself, I'd much rather tour the country on a brand new Honda Goldwing for probably less money.
It's all about IMAGE.
Same era as pimp my ride and monster garage, etc. junk!
occ was a style thing. I liked what they did there . Engineering? Not on the menu. Something to trailer around, polish and show? Good stuff. Horrid steering head geometry plus electricals being an afterthought were consistent features of most builds.
I can't get over Leno's description of an electrical system that that goes dark if the tail light burns out. This is just as primitive as those old cheap Christmas tree light strips that were wired in series and if one bulb failed the entire circuit with the rest of the lights all went dark as well. I'm not sure if i can believe that OC Choppers were that amateurish. It's possible to buy electrical system overhaul kits that replace your bike's original wiring with a new type of fusebox that uses breakers instead of old fashioned "melting metal" fuses. Why wouldn't Orange Co. Choppers be installing these high tech and - yeah - expensive kits where the design work has already been done. Seems like OCC didn't have anyone on the team who knew anything about designing electrical systems so they were just making it up as they went along. Asking a welder/ fabricator to pretend to be an electrical engineer as well? Not too professional.......
They dont call 'em Orange County Crappers for nothing.
@@charlespflanze9651 It was pretty obvious watching the show that none of them really had any "proper" engineering skills (anything custom basically got farmed out and they just did final assembly) but they found their niche and milked it dry. It was never said on the show, but anyone with half a clue knew those things were simply decorations and not really rideable.
Jay was talking about the gyroscopic force of the turbo. It, like a rotating transverse crank, is an unseen force trying to prevent the bike from leaning.
MotoGuzzi’s and Gold Wings have a crank that is inline with the direction of travel, so they try to tip the bike when revved.
I never thought about motorcycles before but if you mount a giant gyroscope on a motorcycle, it's not going to lean. It's the same in aeronautics. If a plane is too stable, it's not responsive to turns. Thanks for the reminder.
I don't believe what you've described is "gyroscopic effect". The the twisting motion you get on a Moto Guzzi when you blip the throttle is just physics of motion. The crankshaft rotates in one direction under the accelerative force of the combustion gasses on the pistons and these are offset from the centre-line of the crankshaft so there will be a component of that force (a force vector in engineering terms), that will want to twist the whole engine which is what you are witnessing. It is stopped by the engine mounts. Every single longitudinally mounted engine i.e the crankshaft is aligned along the axis of the vehicle, does the same thing.
@@johncanalese588 I stated "IF you mounted a gyroscope on a motorcycle. the last I checked, no manufacturer mounts giant gyroscopes on motorcycles. I was trying to explain the difficulty of designing vehicles for balance, responsive handling, and agility.
Jay's rich, sure; down to earth, even more. (And an encyclopedia for all things on wheels).
I used to watch OCC and the one thing that stood out for me was the fact that I wouldn't own one if it was given to me!
Yes, but what if they paid you a million dollars, then would you own one?
@@JB-yb4wn
Yes, until I sold it for fifty grand!
It's the SEMA mentality. Make it fast, make it catch peoples eye, make it photogenic. It is trash for mass-market TV to draw viewers, because there is where the real money is made.
Same as all these survival or off-grid, working redneck shows. The cast are often paid $10,000 for an appearance while they dink around with some broken trash machinery and pretend this is how they make a living...
Very Cool guy, Jay Leno. Glad you've had a chance to spend some time & get some video content from him Jack. Happy 2024 - TIM VATH MOTORSPORTS
Didn't expect this from him. He's seemed too nice in the past. Glad to see him tell it like it is.
He can be honest now. He's not worried about his ratings.
He cuts people off all the time and talks crap about half built cars. 🤣
@@danieltaylor4819Jay called them out about that electrical thing on his show. Straight told them it was bad engineering.
It's not so much him telling it like it is, it's him just sharing his honest opinions.
Yeah when you’re damn near 90 and $2 from being a billionaire peoples feelings is not something you consider 😂
Paul Jr was a proper bodger, always looking for shortcuts to get it done quick.
i’m glad to hear that somebody with some juice mentions the fact that choppers are dead, choppers are dangerous, choppers don’t make any sense, to me it always was worse than owning a boat, which is a hole in the water you pour money in.
A coworker of mine spent $45,000 on a chopper back around 2000..
Whoever built, it did, beautiful work, intricate well done paint job, the dimensions, and the set up were proportional not exaggerated..
when I was a Yamaha/Honda motorcycle shop mechanic. There were six other mechanics working there at the same time. We were busy back in the 70s and 80s. A local biker gang brought in a machine that was so long, they had to bring it in and old United parcel tape truck with the back doors removed so the front wheel of the chopper could stick out. The owner wanted an 810 750 Honda single cam motor pop-up kit installed. That was the ideal pop-up at the time for an engine with that stroke, and that much valve area. When the machine was done, none of those mechanics would take it for a test ride… The guy wanted it to have a Pennsylvania State inspection sticker put on it. There’s no way I was gonna risk my license by putting a sticker on that.
The guy took the bike as it was, and about three months later he was killed on it, trying to keep up with his friends in the gang. The guy weighed about 350 pounds. That’s why he needed more power to keep up with the 750 Honda’s and the 903 Kawasaki bikes in the club. Turns out he was a fourth grade school teacher/drug dealer on the side. that machine had the longest four tubes I ever saw on any motorcycle/chopper, and it had no front brake.. I actually did not even want to move it around in the shop while it was there..
But let’s not forget, history has a habit of repeating itself. I mean, I never thought that a stock 1973 Kawasaki 903 Z1 would be selling for $25,000. I had one of those, low bars,koni shocks, Center stand removed, 4 into 1 Kerker exhaust..
I was road racing RDs at the time, and I watched all the other classes after my race. Those 903 Kawasaki‘s all went into tank slappers in the same corners at the different tracks. Skinny four tubes, skinny frame tubes, skinny, swingarm, tubing, on wire wheels, that adds up to a tank slapper.
but few motorcycles were worse than the original Kawasaki, two stroke triple 500. The worst handling bike I ever rode. Everybody crashed them at the race track, and they did not survive crashes very well, because of how wide the engines were. So consequently, you never saw them for more than a few weekends in a row, they just got destroyed. That’s probably why they are selling for $10,000 and up in stock condition these days… I had one that I bought as a basket case. The guy didn’t put oil in the oil tank, I had it bored , New pistons and rings, I buttoned it back together, and I would not ride it. I knew how horrible they handled. But those 59 hp engines felt fast for the time. Hard to believe that here in 2024, stock 600 cc sport bikes have more than twice the horsepower of the old Kawasaki, two stroke, 500, and today’s bikes will actually go round bends, And you don’t have to touch the engines except to do basic maintenance to get 100,000 miles out of one of them if you ride with any sanity at all on the street..
When I used to watch the motorcycles OCC built, my first thought on them was how would you service them. Often the wheels were assembled into the bike, and sometimes the fenders or frame were pretty much welded around the wheels. Not very good if you get a flat tire on the road, and the repair shop would have to cut apart the frame with a cutting wheel or torch just to change the tire (after which it would probably be even LESS safe).
Jay always been a real guy. Uses his hands, not a full crew while in a office working on his cars. Just a wealth of knowledge by actually doing the work, not having a staff doing it and reporting back. Sure he has help, but hes right in there getting dirty.
He's got a full time crew to take care of his machines. He's done enough grease monkey stuff to know what's what, but he's got the dough to pay others for it now.
Jay Leno a true legend 😂❤❤❤❤
Jay is such a grounded, patient, considerate guy. Celebrity can be tedious, but he is always polite. 🙂
Dont forget petty and jealous lol