In 2024, in a series of dramatic video posts of YouTube proportions, Paul Sr. of Orange County Choppers, Sean of Bikes and Beards, and Craig of the Bearded Mechanic all agreed to participate in a Bike Build Off challenge. They said it would be for charity, though the exact details on that still haven't been disclosed (and presumably will be at the event itself).
Originally, they agreed on a few basic rules. They included the following:
- Donor bikes must cost US $3K or less
- Viewers would choose (via a poll) what geographic region each competitor's bike would come from, to try to even the playing field a little. Thus, viewers determined that Paul Sr. would build a Japanese bike, Craig would build an American bike, and Sean would build a European bike.
- Builds should be complete within the designated five-week time period.
- Complete builds would be revealed at an in-person event that they were still working out behind the scenes. It now appears to be timed to coincide with (or at least be adjacent to) Daytona Bike Week 2025, and will likely take place in Daytona, Florida.
- Bikes would be sold or auctioned for charity once complete.
Since this all started before the 2024 holidays, and it's now the beginning of February 2025, that's clearly quite a bit more than five weeks. Now, obviously, editing 20- to 30-minute-long video episodes for YouTube takes time, but still. What's happening with this competition, anyone who knew about it might have wondered.
Sean from Bikes and Beards posted a new video that is, technically, an update. Or at least, it contains an update. However, about the first 25 or so minutes of the video are basically a super ADHD commentary track about the videos that both Paul Sr. and Craig have posted on their own YouTube channels so far about their respective builds.
What about Sean's crispy Triumph?
I hate to disappoint you, but you won't learn a single thing about how that build is progressing. And in many ways, Sean started with the greatest handicap of the three guys here. He's never claimed to be a bike builder or even a mechanic, but he was determined to try to do things himself (and not take the easy way out and pay someone else to do it).
So in the final five minutes of this video (seriously), he quickly rattles off the fact that he bought an industrial sewing machine, a kiln, and a welder so he could try to quickly learn and utilize new skills in executing his vision. Now, If you've never panic-faceplanted into an entirely new skill and/or hobby or five, then you might not find this relatable. But if you, too, are a DIY jack of all trades, you'll likely see extremely relatable behavior here. You might not document it on YouTube, but the behavior is totally recognizable.
Anyway, while we don't actually get the satisfaction of seeing anything new about the Triumph build, Sean assures us that the bike is complete, but we'll have to wait a little longer for the final reveal of all three bikes. That's when he drops the news that they're planning something around Daytona Bike Week 2025, so stay tuned for more information coming soon.
Are you looking forward to seeing what all three have built? Do you think it's possible that the Triumph turned out okay, or do you think its crispy carcass was too far gone? Let us know in the comments.
