Famous for their reality TV show, American Chopper, which premiered in 2002, Orange County Choppers (OCC) is a globally-known builder of custom motorcycles. The father and son team of Paul Teutul Senior and Paul Teutul Junior were the heart of the show that featured the fabrication of theme-built choppers. Their family rivalry and less than friendly working relationship frequently resulted in disagreements that forced the demise of the business as they knew it and the American chopper show in 2010.
A spinoff, American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior, quickly took its place. The new series focused on Senior at Orange County Choppers versus the solo business of Junior, Paul Jr. Designs.
While both Orange County Choppers and Paul Jr. Designs frequently bore custom-built two-wheeled bikes, over the years, a handful of trikes rode out of each shop. Here we take a look at 10 of the one-off trikes that bear the brand of Orange County Choppers or Paul Jr. Designs.
11 Orange County Choppers: NRA Trike
In 2016, Orange County Choppers built a custom trike for the National Rifle Association (NRA). According to The Fire Arm Blog, the trike was auctioned off at the annual dinner to benefit the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislation Action (NRA-ILA) and came with a custom-engraved .44 magnum Henry Lever Action Big Boy. Among other themed details, this Orange County Choppers build featured an exhaust system designed to look like a rifle and ammo footpegs.
The custom paint paid homage to American patriotic symbols such as the U.S. Constitution on the left fender and the American flag on the right. The front wheel is designed with a bald eagle, which is another iconic national symbol of the United States.
10 Orange County Choppers: Beck’s Hybrids Reverse Trike
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The Orange County Choppers Beck's Reverse Trike was their first build with two wheels in the front and one wheel in the rear. The trike was commissioned by Beck’s as a commemorative custom chopper that “resembled a corn picker and honored the American farmer”.
Deets included chrome handle grips made to resemble corn on the cob and mirrors that looked like leaves on the corn stalks. Beck’s mission statement – to provide our customers with the best in seed quality, field performance and service is engraved in the build.
9 Orange County Choppers: Christopher Reeves Wheelchair Trike
A 2009 press release from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation announced the Orange County Choppers build of their first-ever wheelchair-accessible motorcycle. The wheelchair chopper was featured on the “Life Rolls On” episode of American Chopper.
Paul Sr. demoed the bike at the reveal, riding in sitting in a wheelchair and then dismounting the chair from the chopper amidst cheers from the audience. The bike featured a hydraulic ramp to wheel in a chair and a lock to mount it in place. It was run by hand controls, powered by a 100 cubic-inch SS motor and a 5-speed transmission with reverse.
8 Orange County Choppers: Oscar Mike Bike with a Sidecar
The Oscar Mike build by Orange County Choppers was unveiled at the Oscar Mike Ball. While technically a two-wheel bike, the added sidecar gave it three-wheel functionality. The build was to benefit the Oscar Mike Foundation that focuses on returning independence to injured vets through adaptive sports. At the time of the OCC build, the Oscar Mike facility offered nine adaptations of recreational activities, including flying.
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The bike’s theme was created to honor WWII veterans. It featured the famous shark teeth nose art seen on air and land crews of the WWII as well as a pin-up girl in the classic style of the ‘40s.
7 Orange County Choppers: United States Marine Corp Trike
The Orange County Choppers USMC trike made a photo appearance as recent as 2017 on their social media pages for Veteran’s Day. The trike was custom-painted to imitate dress blues with a full button-up fuel tank and shoulder boards replicated on the rear fenders.
A nod to the white dress cap is simulated on the seat. Additional detailing is shown on the ammo footpegs, sword on the front forks and motor badge. It is engraved with “MARINES THE FEW THE PROUD.”
6 Orange County Choppers: Ardbeg Peat Hopper Trike
In 2013, scotch-whiskey-maker, Ardbeg commissioned it’s second bike from Orange County Choppers. The “Peat Hopper” was described as a love child between a tractor, all-wheel drive vehicle and a chopper. The styling inspiration was sparked from a “vintage tractor that could go mudding”.
A springer front-end and apes were added. Rear fenders were designed to look like tractor fenders. Ardbeg label details were custom painted and/or engraved throughout the bike. Knobby tires, flame throwers from the exhaust and whiskey in the tank were requested.
5 Orange County Choppers: FANtasy Trike (Vertebrate Trike)
In the 3rd season of American Chopper, which aired from October 2005 through August 2006, the Orange County Choppers crew presented a fan contest to win an OCC custom built bike. Four winners were chosen.
According to the New Mobility website, the OCC FANtasy trike was built for Bryan King, a T3-4 paraplegic, resulting from an automobile accident. His trike featured hand controls and a button shifter. Other adaptions included front and back brakes on the bars and an altered clutch. It is said King called the custom the “Vertebrate Trike”.
4 Orange County Choppers: Purple Heart Trike
In 2007, Orange County Choppers fabbed the Purple Heart Trike. The three-wheeled custom was commissioned by Greg Schisler to honor wounded war vets and reportedly toured the country with stops at 40 U.S. military bases.
The trike’s custom paint predominantly shows the Purple Heart medal. It was built with a 110 cubic inch V-Twin with six-speed transmission. A twin Purple Heart trike was scheduled to manufactured and awarded to a disabled vet in the following year, after being built with their own personalized accommodations.
3 Paul Jr. Designs: Loopster Trike
Following his departure from Orange County Choppers, Paul Jr. created the Loopster Trike through Paul Jr. Designs. Junior revealed the inspiration came from the innovation of the technology of the Loopster company. Their Shoot, Edit, Share slogan put the words dragster/roadster in his head, sparking the idea of the trike’s hot rod theme.
The custom paint featured high-gloss, yellow-flake classic-style rodder flames under a semi-gloss finish. Replica film reels were incorporated into the design of the wheels and a film strip was the chain guard design inspo.
2 Paul Jr. Designs: The Dually Trike (Five-Wheeler)
A 2019 Paul Jr. Designs unveiling of the dually came to fruition with his idea of a work truck in mind. The double tires on each side of the rear-end made the custom-build into a five-wheeler.
Junior reported he pictured it with a futuristic aesthetic, adding bumpers to the fuel tank and the rear. A Rhino Lined finish invokes a Mad Max image. The dually-trike also features a trailer hitch and towing capability. Not something normally added into a bike build.
1 Paul Jr. Designs: Gears of War Trike
When Paul Jr. Designs posted the gallery photos of the Gears of War trike, they called it the “most fantastical PJD vehicle so far”. With the RPG of the same name as the theme, the trike was revealed at the San Diego Comic-Con. The build was commissioned to coincide with the launch of the Gears of War 3.
The vehicle featured crash bars to deal with locusts, push-pull steering, nickel-plated skulls, and a forward-facing Gatling gun for the exhaust. The wheels were touted as rock-chompers and weighed 140 pounds each. It was well-received by gamers.