As of 2006, American IronHorse Motorcycles finds itself among some pretty elite motorcycle companies. Back in 2005 when the company announced its '06 model lineup, the Fort Worth, TX, manufacturer of high-performance, luxury custom choppers and cruisers began a celebration of its 10th year in business. Anyone who has followed the American V-Twin market lately can attest to what an accomplishment that is these days.
Over the past few years, under the leadership of the company's management team, including CEO Wil Garland, CFO Bob Krause, VP of Design Jeff Long, VP of Engineering and New Product Development Scott Waters, Director of Warranty James "L.T." Little, VP of PSO (production) B.W. Clark, and Director of Sales Gary Sipes , the company has positioned itself in an enviable position in the industry. The aforementioned team has sharply focused its sights on the future, and in doing so has come up with a strong plan to help realize those goals. While IronHorse's focus is on the upcoming years, in no way has the company forgotten its humble roots; past and current employees; and, most importantly, all of its customers, way back to the very first one.
IronHorse's '06 models include four chopper-styled bikes and three Pro Streets (IronHorse considers them "Cruisers"). Without a doubt the Legend is included with the choppers-there's no denying that-but the Legend is not as radical as the Texas Chopper or rigid-framed LSC, although the bike certainly has very definite chopper roots. Acting as a bridge between the tall choppers and the shorter Pro-Street bikes, the Legend finds a unique place in IronHorse's lineup. While this may not be immediately apparent at first glance, it makes more sense as you look at the bike's specifications, then throw a leg over it and go for a ride. You would be doing yourself a disservice if you walked past the Legend on the showroom floor, only to check out another bike sporting a larger rear tire or a frame with more upward stretch. This bike is the real deal; there are more things to consider when purchasing a bike than trying to find one with the largest rear tire.
Where the Texas Chopper and LSC each have 8 inches of stretch in the dual downtubes, the Legend has only 6 additional inches. The backbone shares the same dimensions, with 4 inches added when compared to stock measurements. This allows all the choppers to utilize IronHorse's patented Super Stretch Chopper Tank, which became an instant classic when it debuted on the Texas Chopper back in 2002. Another major factor differentiating the Legend from the rest of the chopper family is this year's introduction of a new set of handlebars designed exclusively for this model. The bars and their integral risers are designed to pull back to the rider 2 inches farther than the bars on other models. This, coupled with the shorter frame, doesn't just make for better ergonomics-the bars add to the bike's overall ridability and control.
The Legend shares many common features with other '06 AIH models. As with the entire lineup of AIH bikes, the Legend begins with a frame manufactured exclusively for AIH by Daytec. One of the industry's premier manufacturers of frames (both suspended and rigid), Daytec will be providing all the frames used by AIH in 2006. Manufactured from DOM tubing and other high-quality components, the powdercoated frame unites an A-frame Softail-style swingarm tethered to the frame via a pair of Progressive manually adjustable shock absorbers. Out front, the neck is raked to 38 degrees and comes with a set of AIH's own 4-degree raked anmensions, with 4 inches added when compared to stock measurements. This allows all the choppers to utilize IronHorse's patented Super Stretch Chopper Tank, which became an instant classic when it dd polished triple-trees, complete with internal fork stops. Leveling out the front of the bike is a set of 10-inch-over fork tubes with polished lower legs.