Comments on: The New American IronHorse Files For Bankruptcy And Liquidate

By: thebat15

thebat15 — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:55:41 +0000

i put a new set of vance and hine big radius pipes on my 04 texas chopper.
the sound and performance has been enhanced. and i think it looks better too.
thinking of changing speedo though. works ok until it gets wet.
any suggestion as to what to replace it with? thanks!

By: LiveFreeOrDie

LiveFreeOrDie — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:52:45 +0000

My biggest maintenance investment seems to be tires. The Metzeler 300 wears out around 5000 miles, and it’s $500 to get it changed every summer. I get about 10K on the front. Does anyone recommend any other brands like Avon? Does Dunlop sell 300 series tires?

By: Southfork

Southfork — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:37:13 +0000

Oh yea and by the way on the bike mentioned above I forgot to mention that the weld on the tank has broken twice. The tank had to be removed, welded and then repainted on the bottom to cover the grey primer. And then put back on the bike! Sure wish I had a warranty!!!!!!!!

By: Southfork

Southfork — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:29:10 +0000

For those of you with an Ironhorse with no problems, I am thrilled for you. I own an o4 AIH Outlaw, I love that bike in a way only another AIH owner will understand. BUT I have had problem after problem with that bike. I do understand its a custom and there is always gonna be something that needs to be tinkered with. I have no problem with that. but 6 months after buying my dream bike my inner primary bearing and seal went out, then my shocks went bad, I have a vibration that is so bad it has broken 3 sets of mirrors. I am about to put my 3rd starter in it. I have spent well over $5000 dollars in repairs that should have been covered by a warranty that was voided shortly after buying the bike. And by the way my Dealer (who is a snake)is the only one in CT. who someone earlier spoke so highly of. As much trouble as I have had I still love that motorcycle. Whats not yo like 27 shows, 31 trophies. it is one stunning motorcycle.

By: thebat15

thebat15 — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:53:53 +0000

well, i have an 04 texas chopper. and as many horror stories ive heard maybe ive been lucky. i enjoy the bike.
i guess everyone has there own likes and dislikes.

By: kemp

kemp — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:49:15 +0000

I own a 07AIH slammer and its the best bike i seen yet under 50k, im planning on keeping it and never selling it may be one day 25 years from now it would probably go down as a classic.

By: Service22

Service22 — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:54:21 +0000

Gents;
I own a 07 Outlaw, S&S117….and the bike is a ton of fun…I’ve built 5 hardtail choppers from 70’s or older doners and let me say the Ironhorse is the most fun to ride. My old stuff gets a ton of looks but when I want to go somewhere give me the softail. Yes, the speedo went out…I mailed it to Thunderheart and it’s worked great since….other than that it’s the same stuff all bike have issues with so I keep my ears and eyes open and keep things tight and in tollerence. If you want a extremely reliable bike then buy something slow and boring….what do you expect the result would be when you put a 120HP vibrator on two wheels…the damn thing ain’t a cadallac….it’s a pro street drag bike…jheeeezzze…

By: ridethelightning

ridethelightning — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:33:16 +0000

I have an 07slammer and have loved every minute of it. Yes, I have had a few issues with it like some have mentioned but for the most part it has been and still is a great ride. I am 54 and have put 14K on it! No, I would not ride it cross country but who knows maybe I will try it one day. I get compliments all the time and someone is always taking a pic of it wherever I am. Nobody evern just passes me on the rode until they spend their 5 minutes pacing me from behind gauking at it. Yes it sucks about the AIH company for sure, but as for the bike goes, I still luv it as much as I did the day I drove it off the lot. Hey the ZUMO 550 GPS takes care of any issues with the speedo as I use it for speed and mileage so I know when to get gas and I actually read it.

By: jmgoblue

jmgoblue — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:31:52 +0000

I own a 2001 Tejas, the first year for that bike. I just put a starter on it and replace the ignition switch but other than that no problems. I love the bike and will never get rid of it even though its a hardtail on bad Michigan rds. I hope they do come back better than ever. I work for GM so I know all about shi**y mgmt. I hope they get people that care about quality and not quantity.

By: Vman60

Vman60 — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:08:23 +0000

I own a 05 texas chopper with a 124ci. Love my bike and wouldn`t part with it fow a million dollars. Its not the bike, Its the company. Those of you slammy the bike probably don`t own 1, and if you do and are still complaining about warruntee`s you shouldn`t have bought it in the 1st place. If you can`t afford to fix it don`t buy it. What were you going to do when your waruntee ran out? Wine because they wouldn`t fix your bike? Get over it. Its still the best looking chopper comparable to the big designers for half the price. Take of your sleds and stop wining.

By: pzabob/06 texas chopper

pzabob/06 texas chopper — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:52:07 +0000

I own a 06 Texas Chopper, I live in Wichita, KS ho,e of you know who. my bike is different and runs great no issues. I hope and would love to see AIH make a come back and would even be an advicor to help them make that come back this is a great bike, Oh and dont forget to get your parts at AIH in Huntville, TX.

By: LiveFreeOrDie

LiveFreeOrDie — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:51:15 +0000

To Viper:
I had to push my bike a couple of times before I realized that the tank only holds about 3 gallons of gas and not 5. Because the gas gauge was not working, I had no early warning. Fortunately I was within a stone’s throw from a gas station and it wasn’t that big of a deal. It was just a little embarrassing pushing a $50K ride. The 2nd time I was next to a house where I bummed some gas. My tanks would also spray gas at fill-ups because of the cheap caps. Go to bikergarage101.com for an easy $15 fix.
Your other problems seem to be a little bit out of the norm, but your warranty should have covered them all. With only 500 miles on the bike, I’m guessing that your troubles began within the first month of your 2 year warranty. Good luck!

By: Texas06TXchop

Texas06TXchop — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:54:53 +0000

Another AIH owner here with NO issues at all. 06 Tx Chopper w the 117 engine.
All I get is the looks of AWW when Im riding down the road.

GREAT bike.. and for the long trips.. the Road King is my ride!

See you all on the road.

By: TxChop

TxChop — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 05:09:47 +0000

I own a 2007 Tx Chopper. Spedo took a dump with about 130 miles. Thunder Heart fixed it and have had no other problems. Ebay is really dragging down the value, but I guess just keep riding!

By: Viper

Viper — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:29:01 +0000

For those that have had good experiences, consider yourselves lucky.

I own a 2007 Slammer. There are numerous problems with the bike I purchased. From what I have heard from former AIH workers, AIH knew there were many problems, but AIH was just trying to offload as many vehicles as possible, regardless.

Motor: The lifter when out on the motor at 500 miles. This in turn damaged other parts leaving me with a $1400 repair.

The gas tank labeled at 5 gallon capacity would only allow usage of a little less that one gallon before the bike stalled for lack of available fuel.

The fuel tank was unvented causing the tank to pressure up and fuel to ’spray out and leak at the filler openings and o-rings underneath the left tank.

When I rode it the first time, the rear caliper clamped down on the rear rotor and would not release, burning up the rear rotor bluing the steel. Had to replace the rear rotor and brake pad.

Rear suspension collapsed, so fender dropped on rear tire scoring the tire deeply.

Mirrors won’t stay in place a flop around wildly.

Speedometer went out twice.

Looks great standing still!

By: ToDamn Rich

ToDamn Rich — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:20:44 +0000

I have an AIH bike and it’s been a pleasure to own & ride. I met Scott M. in Daytona Beach in ‘08 and he seemed set on getting AIH Co. back up and running. Bad situation to try and go thru with the economy in the state its in.

If the is indeed the “final farewell” its been a helluva ride.

By: LiveFreeOrDie

LiveFreeOrDie — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:39:43 +0000

When I purchased my bike in ‘07, I went with the the longest extended warranty available. Fortunately the company that provided the warranty was not American Ironhorse and it is still honored. Although I have never used it, it is comforting to know it is there if ever needed.
I recently put my Slammer up for the winter after logging 4500 miles on it this summer. I know that does not seem like much, but that is in addition to the 8000 miles I put on my Road King and 2000 miles I put on my Softail. It is nice to have a spare bike or two in case of emergencies! The Slammer is not a bike that I consider taking on the 2000 mile trek to Sturgis because I haul everything I need for two weeks with me. There is no room to strap a tent or clothes on it.
I love my Ironhorse and don’t regret buying it one bit. It will be a long winter here in New Hampshire.

By: Texaschpper

Texaschpper — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:41:03 +0000

Well I just found out the bad news today and it is NOV 12. Due to being swamped with work, school and recovering from an accident I am kind of behind in the news category. But oh well my bike runs great, looks great and is just awesome. Some people just get pissy and bitch bitch bitch because they have nothing better to do. Thank god I got my bike at an ARLEN NESS shop………hahahahaha the warranty is still honored there. Oh yeah can you guess the model????????

By: doug erickson

doug erickson — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:13:48 +0000

hey i bought the 04 stalker this this bitch is bad except for the fucking speedo ive sent it to brooke @ thunderhart still no luck i found a loose wire under the bike but cant find were it goes. any you guys had the same problem there is no conection to the tranny it sucks it reads zero all the time. hey also in everyone trashing scott he bought at a bad time don’t blame him . you’d do the same thing if you were in his shoes. hes sunk millons in aih i hope every thing works out .you guys that got em love em. we need to stick together. and help each other with our problems.thanks i had a couple micros tonite and had to vent aih forever doug 406-465-0168 i need my speedo weres the pick up on the y2kframe

By: HD4me

HD4me — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:24:11 +0000

Thanks bongo, Damn we look good! For the rest of you, I just got the word from Thunderheart, that for $200, they would update your fuel injection. you getit back with the necessary usb cable and software cd, to fully program your fuel injection. These guys are very friendly and seem 100% supportive. Thier number is 615-616-1129.

By: Slick

Slick — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:27:52 +0000

I have an 07 Texas Chopper. THe only problem I’ve had was the speedo and Thunderheart took care of that for just the cost of postage. I bought it used 1 yr old with 800 miles. The guy I bought it from paid around 36k for it. I got it for 18k . Chrome pkg, diamond cut heads higher level paint, matching wheels & brake rotors. I couldn’t have built this bikemyself for what I paid for it and it sure wouldn’t have come out as nice looking. Everywhere I go I get Thumbs up from little kids , hot chicks and grandma’s & grandpa’s. I’d like to see more aftermarket parts for them in my area. (Detroit). Theres not even a dealer in the area. I have to go to the middle of the state and that place just was doing warranty repairs. No aftermarket stuff.

By: Rock

Rock — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:26:24 +0000

I own a 2006 Ironhorse Legend and love the shit out it. No problems what so ever and it is not a trailer queen. I ride the crap out of it and enjoy the hell out of it. Great bike! I would like to see the company make a come back.

By: Hawgr60

Hawgr60 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:56:14 +0000

Haveing not owened but done a fare amount of off site testing for many year’s with AIH it has always been a company that strived to make a good product. Not always making the mark but the mark has been set pretty high if you dont think so look at Victory and HD testing programs.

It is agreed that the real issue has always been greed and mis management. I have been stuck with several test vehicles since the Bankruptcy each of which have a excess of 60K on each unit, very early fuel injected units with highly experimental parts on each and the only problem incurred other than the usual brake isues has been the TPS which is a direct replacement from HD.

One of the Outlaws actually put out 113 hp at the rear wheel at pikes peak, if that isnt inpressing I dont know what is for a 117 motor. bottom line from me is if you own AIH ride it be proud of your bike and dont expect ever to get what you think it may be worth because the bike will not be able hold any value in the face of what has happen, I just like many of you are out alot of your investment, oh yea did I mention they owed me 75K now I’m stuck with bikes that I can ride and enjoy but I’d had much rather been able to pay the tuition.

By: Grayhawk

Grayhawk — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:11:56 +0000

Hey Bongo, I never saw a bike I didn’t like something about, just waded in on the Duece comparison,lol. Enjoy the ride

By: Bongo

Bongo — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:24:15 +0000

Hey, Grayhawk — loved your message! You sound like you’re tons of fun. But it’s like I said before, man: I don’t care what anyone thinks of my bike — or of me, for that matter …

By: Grayhawk

Grayhawk — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:45:14 +0000

Bongo, I do not know if your a fool but you do seem to have quite the imagination that most do not have. Bongo is for sure a fitting name for one that beats his own drum to ones self invisioned beat.

Those that who, long ago bought Duesnburgs are dead now or have not the recall and the dead are hard to get info from but if they could talk they may talk with you about their hand made parts made with their hands and the art of craftsmanship and time to achieve the excellance of their craft at the time, a far cry from an assemblance of parts from thru out the world at a pricepoint determinate of the end product.

Enjoy, not all can live life in your world.

By: Bongo

Bongo — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:25:35 +0000

Many thanks to JC, Tyler, Frank, HD4me and LiveFreeOrDie for their comments; it’s interesting to compare the opinions of admitted AIH owners with those who seemingly are not. Since taking delivery of my 2004 Slammer four years ago this month, it has not given me a single performance or maintenance issue — even the much-maligned speedo has functioned flawlessly. Aficionadoes may today see the passe in designs that pulled down awards when they first appeared, but I can tell you how John Q. Public still reacts every time I pull out of the garage: they treat my scoot like it’s some kind of movie star. I’ve had everyone from Banditos to cops ask me if it’s okay to touch it. Staring at it sparkling in the summer sun, one young woman could think of no words to express her reaction — so she just pulled off her halter top. This is all very nice, but what really binds me to my ride with an affection that is immune to shifting biker opinion and corporate ups-and-downs is the feel it gives me when I’m on board: its “I’m with you, man!” torque response, its lusty power-up curve, its King of the Jungle voice in a high-speed cruise. Riding an AIH can be like hanging on to a thoroughbred horse that’s decided it just wants to run. The HDs I owned pretty much did my thinking for me; my AIH demands that I assert my will over it every minute we’re on the move, or it will start riding me. Love isn’t logical; it just is. I grant AIH’s critics all they say about depreciating value and corporate ineptness, about today’s better deals and tomorrow’s better bikes. I don’t care. I’ve got something that no one else ever will, and AIH’s demise only intensifies that sense of the unique. Am I a fool? There’s a good chance that I am. Let’s go ask those people who, long ago, bought Duesenbergs.

By: tyler

tyler — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:28:45 +0000

the way i see it i own a classic production custom now ; a fading one of a kind. lets face it. anything can be fixed or fabricated or reolaced with other parts. iron horse owners dont panic. my 06 texas chopper runs fine. things break yeah but so what. stop moaning and find a way to fix it. what do you think indian owners do.everybodys custom bike is like a hi maintenance woman needs constant attention……thats why we by them cause when they’re right theirs nothing like them. i can keep mine running cause im pretty mechanical and if i cant fix it i’ll find a small repair shop who can. the bike has decent components: daytec frame,s&s 111,metzler tires,progressive suspension,rivera clutch,roadmax tranny,dual front rotors, led and so on. some of the components are cheezy but when they break upgrade them. 20 years from now when you pull the cover off your bike or it shows up at a rally it will still turn heads and there will always be a buyer for a custom bike who enjoys working on them as well as riding them. iron horse bikes always stand out. there are so many harleys now that they just all blend together. i see some of these occ bikes (theme bikes) great work, but the clearance of a bottle cap. not functional to ride at all. too much tv and too much money.they best get focused on making money or they coul be next. build us a custom that we can ride with more dependability and the custom worl will turn.

By: HD4me

HD4me — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 03:13:57 +0000

I just called a great guy named Jack, from the Ironhorse dealer in Connecticut. He says they are still in business but, are not honoring warranties prior to the 2010 models soon to come out I guess. He did help me with my bike over the phone. My Slammer was running strange, (low idol, spitting, pinging and popping). He suggested resetting my sensors. He ran me through the easy steps, and now it runs great. To reset your sensors, all you have to do is:
1.) Turn ign. to run w/out starting for 60 sec’s. then turn off.
2.) again, turn ign. to run w/out starting 3 times in concession. each time for 15 sec’s.
…..on 15 secs./ off……3 times.
3.) from off, start it twice. each time running 10 sec’s.
4.) last step is to start it again cold and leave it running until HOT!
I know I’m a little off topic, but, this seems to be very valuable info. for AIH fuel injected bikes. And it’s free!!!!

By: FRANK

FRANK — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:15:21 +0000

SOME OF YOU, NOT ALL OF YOU SHOULD START CRANKING YOUR CACULATORS INSTEAD OF YOUR MOUTHS. I DARE ANYONE TO PURCHASE A FRAME ,MOTOR, TRANNY, CUSTOM WHEELS&PAINT SUSPENSION AND ALL OTHER HARDWARE NEEDED TO COMPLETE A SHOW ROOM READY TO SELL TEXAS CHOPPER. AND THEN YOU CAN PAY SOMEONE TO PUT IT TOGETHER. THOSE COSTS ALONE WILL WELL EXCEED THE AVERAGE SELL PRICE OF THAT BIKE. HD HAS SOME GLARING ISSUES RIGHT NOW AS WELL. THE RIGHT PERSON CAN MAKE THIS CO. FLY. SEE SMALL COMPANIES PAY ATTENTION TO COSTS BECAUSE THEY NEED TO MAKE MONEY. GUYS WHO CAME FROM MONEY 9 TIMES OUT OF 10 COULDNT RUN A FEVER. THEY DONT PAY ATTENTION TO THE PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT. IRON HORSE MAKES A GOOD BIKE. THEY NEED TO SUPPORT THEIR DEALERS,CLIENTS, AND SELL EXTENDED WARRANTIES ON THEIR BIKES.