I WAS hanging around Dockgate 20 looking at stuff and talking about bikes when I found a new line being unpacked - Orange County Choppers clothing.

OCC have become an international phenomenon since the cable and satellite programme American Choppers followed the Teutul family as they bicker and build choppers.

OCC have branched into branded leisure and bike clothing, all designed with the flair one would expect from a custom emporium, and from what I've seen, well-made and practical.

DG20 have the first batch of jackets in the country on the rack along with a selection of OCC model bikes.

The ladies' "Flame" jacket and men's "Hardtail" jacket are styled on the traditional black leather jacket and feature an Orange County Choppers emblem, pictured left, embroidered across the shoulders.

The man-made fabric keeps them light and flexible.

The "Flame" is available in red or black with contrasting flames on the forearms, doubtless where the name comes from. Despite being a short jacket, the low cut of the back provides added comfort and protection.

Two adjusting straps on each side keep it snug, as does the removable fleece liner. Zip it out and open the arm and body vents for the soon-to-be-welcomed hot weather.

Zip pockets at the waist are unusual in that they zip up to open, easier to unzip on the bike than the conventional way, inner pockets look large and secure.

Armour at the elbows and shoulders and a back protector is included in the £159.99 price. Pictured right, the motorclothes and collectables manager Pauline modelling the jacket.

The Hardtail has armour at the elbows and shoulders and a provision is made for a back protector that can be retro-fitted.

The quilt liner is removable and again vents on the arms and body can be opened to let the air flow through in the summer, Orange County Choppers is embroidered in white on both forearms.

Like the "Flame", inner pockets are provided and the waist pockets zip the other way, on the low cut back there is additional reflective piping.

Price for the "Hardtail" is £199.99. And for £159.99 there's the three-quarter-length jacket that our American cousins refer to as a Yard Coat.

Styled more casually than the others this does however include armour at the elbows and shoulders and a removable quilt lining with vents on the sleeves.

This time a white embroidered logo fills the back to tell the world it's an Orange County Choppers product, the lower arms also feature the OCC title in white.

For anyone who likes the OCC bikes, the model bikes that were being unpacked should prove a must-have.

They are all highly detailed and a large scale version of the Fire Bike is available complete with sound effects!

Call Dockgate 20 on 0870 4170170 for details of all the OCC products.