Motorcycles are always getting searches at Lycos. Last week, for example, the word motorcycles was searched as often as hot actor Orlando Bloom. In the last year or so, however, two motorcycle shops have forced their way into the pop culture consciousness thanks to programs on the Discovery Channel. Now Orange County Choppers and West Coast Choppers can fight for total chopper supremacy.

Back in January 2002, West Coast Choppers almost made the Lycos 50 when Discovery ran a week of programs called Motorcycle Mania. Six months later, WC Choppers actually did make the list at #37 when Discovery ran Motorcycle Mania 2.

Knowing they had attracted a big audience, Discovery soon made the California cycle shop and owner Jesse James a regular part of the network with a show called Monster Garage, which details how James and his employees transform regular cars into "monster machines."

Now Discovery has another motorcycle show, American Chopper, featuring another famous builder of custom motorcycles: Orange County Choppers. No, that's not another California shop -- OC Choppers is based in Orange County, New York, in the town of Rock Tavern.

Last week, Orange County Choppers was twice as popular as West Coast Choppers. That's quite a change from last year, because over all of 2002 WC Choppers received twenty times as many searches as OC Choppers. OC Choppers searches were fairly low until Discovery Channel debuted American Chopper at the beginning of April, but now WC Choppers searches are down with Monster Garage on hiatus.

On the other hand, West Coast Choppers head Jesse James gets searches personally, while OC Choppers head Paul Teutel does not. Yes, I know there was another famous Jesse James in history, but I doubt people are searching for that guy with the words Jesse James motorcycles.

TOMORROW: If the X-Men do not top the Lycos 50, will Wolverine go into one of those berserker rages?