I just wanted to get an opinion on this as I've customized a nos I got for my wife (who has since claimed my new school manta ray as hers) and I've cut up two occs for my project bike.(hows that for a runon sentence?) So what r ur thoughts? Are they stingrays (as the stickers say) Are they cool choppers to ride and mod? Or are they simply a bunch of parts flying in close formation waiting for a build?
r occ choppers bikes to ride or just parts?
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yoothgeye
I build stuff.
Depends on who you are. They are just a China made bike, like the rest of bikes sold in Walmarts. Kids fit those bikes well and seem to like them, but even they agree that they are "weird" to ride, the raked out front end is nothing like they are use to riding on mountain bikes and BMX.
Personally, I just cut them up, but I don't hate anyone who preserves and rides them, but like you've already done, for an adult, they need different seat arrangement and bars... unless you are little.
Personally, I just cut them up, but I don't hate anyone who preserves and rides them, but like you've already done, for an adult, they need different seat arrangement and bars... unless you are little.
I have preserved two of them that I bought new. I had a Krate when I was a kid ( 1968 or 69 Apple ) and I was pretty excited when the OCC Choppers came out. I will never damage mine. Will they ever be really collectible????????????????????????????????????? But they look good in the collection. I have an original Apple Krate, a reissue Grey Ghost and a couple Walmart Stingray 2007 bikes as well as a couple cruisers. The OCC bikes draw a lot of attention when ridden. Not as comfortable as the others, but my wife likes riding them too.
yoothgeye
I build stuff.
petesponies said:
My personal opinion is no. Made in China of inferior materials. Sold in Walmarts in HUGE numbers. Not rare at all. That being said, if some were kept in perfect shape, you could probably make some money on them in about 30 years, but don't expect a landfall.
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petesponies said:
I think some of the more rare colors may someday become collectable, Not insanely expensive but collectable. However, like the original stingrays now, the value will depend on the condition and the rear tires will be a pain to find.
As far as being ridden the OCC's ride like a lead brick. Heavy, weird steering angle, uncomfortable seat, and common enough it fails to really stand out without some major mods. Can they be made cool? Oh yeah! I'd rather use them for parts and build my own but they can be modded and made into some really cool bikes.
Such as:
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=16759&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=occ+daughter
PARTS PARTS PARTS 
But they are also cool bikes that are outside the norm. They just rust quicker than almost anything I have ever seen, so not much quality there.
Collectible??? Who knows. Judging from prices that still pop up here and there, some people have a notion that they already are. I don't see it happening, but the fact that they aren't the normal frame maybe they will be worth more one day. The rusting factor alone is making them rarer and rarer as we speak.
But they are also cool bikes that are outside the norm. They just rust quicker than almost anything I have ever seen, so not much quality there.
Collectible??? Who knows. Judging from prices that still pop up here and there, some people have a notion that they already are. I don't see it happening, but the fact that they aren't the normal frame maybe they will be worth more one day. The rusting factor alone is making them rarer and rarer as we speak.
When the occs came out I was kinda excited but when I sat on one I realized they were virtually unrideable,kid sized, so never bought one new. The green one I did for my wife was a cl find and was $50 and basically NOS. I couldn't pass it up. I think they're a good looking bike in the own wierd way but need some help and love to become a rideable bike. Thats what I did to the green one and it is comfy in a recumbant kinda way. Then I found a couple more on cl ($15 and $20) and got the idea of "harvesting" the drive lines of the occs and back halving a 20 in canti frame to create a pro street stingray. However I came across mr kingfish's bike and that idea got shelved for "phatRat". However I've one more in the bowels of my dungeon, ($40 and came with a nice but unloved jesse james) I feel I mite have to go down to the lake they call great and make yet another sacrifice to the bicycle gods. Again doggone u kingfish and u too yoothgeye
I found one of the smaller ones (18" rear & 24" front wheel) a couple years ago. I bought it for parts, mainly the forks, front wheel & tire. I bought it for $20 on CL. It was in really good condition. When I brought it home, my grandson saw it & wanted it, so it did not get parted. He has outgrown it now, but never had any trouble riding it. Of course he has hardly ever ridden a regular type bike. Then I found a WCC bike that was supposed to be for parts also. Same story, $35 and in pristine condition. Needless to say that one is in his fleet now. Now that he has outgrown the OCC I may finally get my parts! :lol: :lol:
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I have a Jeep Laredo mountain bike that is made in the USA that proves we make cheap inferior junk too. It all comes down to cost and quality. "Buy a cheap bike get a cheap bike"
I'm not saying they're collector's items by ANY means, but there is a certain 'quirky-ness' about them that makes them stand out.
That said, I cut mine up! :mrgreen:
I saw that 4.25 wide rear tire and the ideas started swimming.
As for them being 'cheap Chinese' bikes, let's not forget who sets the 'profit margins', the people ORDERING the bikes to be made, not the people making them. If 'Schwinn' would have decided to make this a 'limited edition', like the Spoiler, I would suspect the 'build quality' would be better. Ever hear anyone complaining their Spoiler is junk? They're 'Chinese made' too. Wonder why they cost around $500 new when the OCCs were going for $149? Just sayin', I'll climb down from the soapbox and get go get a beer from the fridge.
Cheers,
Dr. T
That said, I cut mine up! :mrgreen:
I saw that 4.25 wide rear tire and the ideas started swimming.
As for them being 'cheap Chinese' bikes, let's not forget who sets the 'profit margins', the people ORDERING the bikes to be made, not the people making them. If 'Schwinn' would have decided to make this a 'limited edition', like the Spoiler, I would suspect the 'build quality' would be better. Ever hear anyone complaining their Spoiler is junk? They're 'Chinese made' too. Wonder why they cost around $500 new when the OCCs were going for $149? Just sayin', I'll climb down from the soapbox and get go get a beer from the fridge.
Cheers,
Dr. T
yoothgeye
I build stuff.
5speed said:
There are plenty of bikes still made in the USA, but you pay for quality, there are some quality bikes coming out of China/Taiwan. No kids bikes made in USA though, unless you count BMX. What was asked was will these be collectible, and the thing is, where we are in history shows us that more US made bikes are collectible compared to bikes from other places. Time will have to tell, but I'm just guessing based on the sheer volume of bikes sold in Walmart/Kmart/Target/ToysRus that not many, if any, sold in those stores will become collectible.
Better answer? Probably not.
I picked up a WCC bike at a yard sale for $20 just wanted the forks for a project. It's ruff no tank seat ripped and only the original back tire... I'm 6'8" and this is more comfortable than the OCC to ride... It's in parts now.. Thinking about what to do with the frame??? I want to use the forks to build a frame similar to a switch blade
yoothgeye
I build stuff.
Hogaboom said:
I agree, the WCC is more comfortable than the OCC, looks and rides better too. Be warned, the fork looks beefy, but I got one that was seriously bent, and it didn't look like it took much to do it.
To me both the OCC and the WCC are fun to mess around on but to me its hard to say if they will be collectable in years to come. To me what makes a bike collectable is the bond that you make with a kind of bike that later in life sparks a good memory, for me its old bmx and muscle bikes and old cruisers.
