Monster Garage: Jesse James, West Coast Choppers, Custom Motorcycles And Harleys

Named after an infamous fourth generation relative, Jesse James seemed to inherit more than just his name from his linage, but also the outlaw persona of a young delinquent turned celebrity. It was not an affinity for gunslinging that was passed on to the current incarnation of Jesse James, but rather a love for custom motorcycles coupled with a bad attitude.

James moved out of his father's house at the age of sixteen because his enthusiasm for motorcycles was not matched by his antique slinging father. Spending the next three years stealing motorcycle parts to build his bikes, Jesse James acquired familiarity with the police and Orange County jail cells. This California Youth Authority veteran experienced a metamorphosis from a bad-boy incarcerated to a bad-boy in the spotlight, when the Discovery Channel picked him up for their pilot "Monster Garage" in 2001.

With their first appearance on "Monster Garage," James' struggling motorcycle company West Coast Choppers went from teetering in the red to establishing a waiting list of customers. "Monster Garage" episodes featuring Jesse James building custom motorcycles for such celebrities as Shaquille O'Neal and Kid Rock has escalated West Coast Choppers from an unsure business into a quickly emerging enterprise. Besides crafting custom motorcycles, Jesse James has boosted his company's notoriety with a West Coast Choppers clothing line and custom motorcycle parts.

The success of "Monster Garage" is attributed in equal parts to custom Harleys and Jesse James' take-no-prisoners attitude. His cool demeanor is as engrossing as his passion for stylized machinery, and the man is surely full of scruples. When A-list celebrity Fred Durst attempted to bribe his way to the top of James' waiting list, Jesse gave his work order the boot; Jesse James is not for sale. Such business moves increased viewership of "Monster Garage" as people became intrigued with a man who bore the name of a famous outlaw, and seemingly played by his own rules. It was not just the custom motorcycles that Jesse James crafted which made "Monster Garage" such a success, but the man himself who is an engine cranking enigma.

Though "Monster Garage" is no longer on the air, Jesse James and his West Coast Choppers continue to build exquisite custom motorcycles that are true works of art. Arguably, without the sponsorship of "Monster Garage," Jesse James and company might not be around today. By springing off of their television slot with the relentless marketing of West Coast Choppers, the company has hurdled the many obstacles of any proprietorship. It all comes down to image and product placement, and West Coast Choppers milked "Monster Garage" to provide plenty of both.

When watching "Monster Garage," a strange element of humility is noticeable within James' brash character, I'm just a glorified welder, he passively states. A glorified welder whose company averages around $6 million a year. Although wild like his notorious outlaw ancestor, instead of robbing banks, Jesse James decided to participate in "Monster Garage" and make a bank for himself.


Sources:
"Jesse James Rides Again." Discovery Channel. 2007. Discovery Communications Inc. 25 May 2007.
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/monstergarage/ meet/meet.html.
dynamike. "Jesse James Speaks Out." Brain Bucket Magazine. 13 June 2006. Brain Bucket Magazine & Enchanting Media. 25 May 2007. http://www.brainbucketmagazine.com/News/article/si d=102.html.
Gajilan, Arlyn Tobius. "The Outlaw." CNN Money.com. 1 March 2003. Cable News Network LP, LLLP. 25 May 2007. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/200 3/03/01/338769/index.htm