![]() I got lucky with it because it was stock and ran nicely but of course, I chopped it all up and got a lot of hate for it. “I really wanted to up my game for the Born Free 8 bike event that was coming ‘round so I built a 1969 BSA Thunderbolt. He embraced the world of metal shaping and hot rods but his ‘insane drive’ took him back to motorcycles. Upon graduation, Allison earned an opportunity to work at Tin Element in Colorado, known as one of the premier metal fabrication shops. ![]() I really opened my eyes and learned about collision work, took business courses, and did advanced street rod work,” reflected Allison. I went to tech school in Wyoming and was insanely driven to be successful. “I always wanted to be an artist but after my neighbor taught me how to weld and my friend introduced me to café racers and other kustom styles, I changed direction. Hailing from Cheyenne, Allison would gravitate to the few people around that embraced the styles he fell in love with. Crediting his stepfather for introducing him to motorcycles, Allison began racing dirt bikes and modifying them as well as learning paint techniques to further transform bikes. No stranger to high expectations, Allison had always set lofty goals. Expectations are very high because clients are paying top dollar and a lot of these rides represent their company so they demand the best,” stated Allison. We had a small crew and there’s a lot of pressure but you just have to rock & roll and do your best. ![]() We ended up building 10 bikes in one season and shooting took like 8 months. “I came on working independently for Paul and not Discovery Channel so I lucked out there because it would make things easier. Learning about the community’s struggles was certainly eye-opening.”Īllison got right to work and his first appearances on American Chopper in 2017-2018 certainly came with a learning curve as he discovered the nuances between building old school choppers for shows and completing choppers for wealthy companies and millions of viewers. Also, the traffic was a lot to handle at first. “It was a big change! I had to respect all the New York riders because I first wondered how they were able to ride so easily because I saw a lot of streets in bad shape. Headquartered in Newburgh, a city sadly known for youth violence and continued economic struggles, Allison reflected on the contrasting communities. They could build whatever they wanted to represent the company while my builds were more vintage-styled,” said Allison.Īfter careful consideration, Allison moved his family from the tranquility of Colorado to Orange County, New York after accepting the full-time role at Orange County Choppers. “Before meeting Paul, I had no idea about his love for old school bikes because a lot of the bikes featured on the show were built for corporations and actors. No stranger to pressure, Allison was once featured on Wrench Against The Machine and had earned awards at various bike events but the idea of appearing on a running television series as dramatic as American Choppers was something he had to seriously consider. ![]() I was stressed because I only knew him from TV so there was a lot of hesitation,” revealed Allison. Eventually, he flew me to New York and was very complimentary as I worked on a tank and oil tanks for him. I called him and sure enough, it was him. online so I wasn’t sure if it was really him. I was very surprised to receive a message from him because there’s a lot of weird and fake b.s. “I had my business Crybaby Cycles and was primarily building classic-styled choppers. complimenting one of his recent builds and inquired if he was interested in meeting and discussing opportunities with Orange County Choppers, the business famously depicted on Discovery Channel’s American Chopper series. Hailing from Colorado, Allison received an online message in 2017 from Paul Teutul Sr. Josh Allison proves that a brief moment in time can be powerful enough to help change your life.
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