Ducati Featured on TLC's American Chopper Last Night - RANT

[Scottish]

Monster=The lameness.

[ducrider45]

I guess that I was just really looking forward to something that was impossible.

this could be a great quote!

[PragB]

Paul Sr. said "Ducati what is that" in jest... He was kidding... As they were uncrating he also stated that Ducati is pretty much the only Sport bike manufacturer that he likes, because they make the best bikes or some blasphemous statement like that from such a Triumph lover that he is... Also the Spiderman bike was a build for Marvel Comics, they wanted a Venom bike made out of the 1100s...

[Grrrly]

considering they only had about 3-4 days I think the Venom or "black spiderman", as they kept calling it,  bike came out pretty good.

[Monster Dave]

http://www.vforcecustoms.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=22

Is the other guy in the banner on that site the kid who was on the show around the same time as Vinnie? I think his name was Cody?


...never mind, I answered my own question:



Funny how they dance around saying that they started with OCC.

I always wondered what happened to Vinnie.

[Slide Panda]

considering they only had about 3-4 days I think the Venom or "black spiderman", as they kept calling it,  bike came out pretty good.

3 or 4 days?  That's all?  Hmm ok.  Not so much can be done in that little time.  So what was the rush? 

[Grrrly]

I could be wrong, but from what I got out of watching the show last night they were given the bike on wed and the unveiling/ dealer opening was on sunday.

[wantingaduc]

I watched it too in hopes of it being a primarily Ducati based episode. Opps.
My biggest complaint was when Paul Sr. says, “well Ducati isn't really my cup of tea, but then…” Well then Paul, why, as the owner of OCC did you decide to get a Ducati franchise? Guess the lucrative chopper market and all the free hand outs from the corporations are drying up now? No matter how many times I see that show he always comes off as a big, loudmouthed, bulldog. No personality, no class, and certainly not the kind of guy I want to buy a bike from and support his business.

I went on a group ride that they held a few weeks after the big anniversary party and I can tell you the guys I met from there are nice guys who are into bikes and ride well. The “venom” bike has it points, and in person it's not too bad, but certainly not a beautiful bike by any means and essentially, in the end it's just a catalog bike, not unlike a lot of the choppers they've built.

The showroom there is nice and new and has all the neat goodies and bike and signs, but… I'm still not sold on the OCC-Ducati marriage. I can see why Ducati did it, but, well, it just didn't feel right standing in that showroom looking at Ducs surrounded by the 10 years of gaudy, non functional choppers that they've built. It looked like the guys from Dcauti NA felt the same way watching them in that final clip.

The worse part  is dealerships like this can, and do, hurt well run smaller dealerships who have been carrying the brand since they were nothing more then a very tiny spot on the American market. Please reward the people who've stood by you and helped build the brand that Ducati is today. Don't bend the rules to allow new kids to play in the sandbox at the punishment of your old guard.

Oh well.

[Special K]

Having done some design work and metal fab (not motorcycles) I can say it's harder than it looks. That being said these guys (OCC) are mediocre fabricators at best and could benefit greatly from hiring a designer (no thanks, not fishing for a job). They have had a few inspired ideas but how many times can you role out that same old frame. The show is more about them than the bikes. Too much disfunction and too little of the bikes for my taste. Of course Superbikes and the New American Thunder don't really satisfy either. I don't begrudge these guys their success, good for them, I'd just like to see other builders get a similar treatment.

[ICON]

At this point I'm more interested in the Boutique Paul Jr. and his sweet looking Girl toy are building.

[jestor00]

is it just me or are those newer 1100 pipes the ugliest thing since Rosie Odonnell?  I had been wondering what happened to cody, I hope their shop does ok.