West Coast Choppers controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2007
California emissions violations
California regulators fined Jesse James more than a quarter-million dollars after determining that over 50 motorcycles sold between 1998 and 2005 did not meet applicable air-pollution limits. James disputed the penalty and said he had not understood the relevant rule changes; regulators described the action as part of broader custom-industry enforcement.
2005
Unlicensed software settlement
West Coast Choppers agreed to a $35,000 settlement with the Business Software Alliance concerning alleged use of unlicensed copyrighted software in motorcycle design work.
2004
Controversy over cross imagery and school merchandise bans
School districts in Las Vegas and Simi Valley restricted West Coast Choppers merchandise amid concerns about the Iron Cross or Maltese Cross imagery and racial tensions. James and company representatives rejected an association with white-power or Nazi ideology, while critics argued that some product combinations could carry troubling historical meanings.