When it comes to buying a new motorcycle, the choices can seem daunting at times. There are so many models built by scores of different manufacturers, all trying to entice Joe Motorcycle Buyer to toss some cash their way. From the custom shop down the street that might build one or two customs a year to the folks in Milwaukee pumping out somewhere in excess of 325,000 motorcycles each year, the sky's the limit when it comes to making a buying decision.
There are so many factors that influence this decision, including style of bike (Pro Street, chopper, or retro), tire size (fat or skinny), horsepower ratings, price, and warranty. While these are all excellent points to consider when bike shopping, many people never even give a thought to the company that built the bike and its business philosophy.
Off the get-go this may seem like a trivial aspect of the sale, but when you look at it logically, the way a company views the proper way to conduct business can spell the difference between the company succeeding or failing.
Saxon Motorcycles is a relative newcomer to the business of building production custom motorcycles. The company actually refers to them as "semi-custom motorcycles." This small, privately held company was started and is still run by four partners. While all four are avid motorcycle riders and have been for years, they come from a background far from the motorcycle business. The majority of their business expertise comes from running Pulte Homes, a large developer of homes in the Phoenix, AZ, area. While home building and motorcycle building may seem like strange bedfellows, there are certain similarities in regards to how to most effectively run a successful business.
Prior to establishing Saxon, the principals did their homework. They studied what was taking place in the existing motorcycle-building arena and found areas that they knew they could improve upon. Many of the new ideas came in the form of how to do business more efficiently, not just how to build a good motorcycle. And while the company builds the best bikes it can, Saxon realizes that without the proper philosophy steering the company, it might not make it in the long run. As far as Saxon was concerned, that was never an option.
Saxon's strategy includes investing on the front end to keep from incurring higher costs on the back end, a solid infrastructure on which to build, producing high-quality products that are offered to buyers at a fair price, continued product improvement, superior customer support, and a lifelong relationship with its customers.
The '05 model year saw Saxon produce 400 motorcycles from its 40,000-square-foot facility located in Casa Grande, AZ; this was quite a feat for the fledging company. For '06, Saxon is on pace to build 600 motorcycles, all of which will be sold through a growing dealer network that boasts 33 dealers in 20 states. In addition, Saxon has certified approximately 2,000 service centers across the country that have the ability to take care of most any issue which may arise with one of the company's bikes.
Buyers have a choice of five models, including three choppers (Griffin, Warlord, and Black Crown) and two Pro-Street models (Sceptre and Firestorm). As with other companies, Saxon has many features that span the entire line, such as a driveline consisting of a 96-inch S&S Evo-style motor, chain-drive enclosed primary, and Road Max right-hand-drive six-speed transmission. Other features include Thunder Heart four-piston calipers and hidden shocks.
Saxon's Firestorm begins with a proprietary frame, designed and built to Saxon's specs by Frameworks. The Arizona-based company builds the Firestorm's skeleton with dimensions that include a 4-inch backbone stretch and a neck rake of 40 degrees. The A-style swingarm, also produced by Frameworks, is designed to carry a 260/40/18 Metzeler rear tire fitted to an 8.5-inch-wide spoked wheel. Up front, Saxon went with a beautiful Mean Street 41mm 4-inch-over frontend. The 5-degree trees are designed to give the bike the proper trail numbers for both nimble handling and smooth steering. The front DNA 21/2.250 spoked wheel anchors a 21/90/90 Metzeler tire. Rotors are supplied by RC Components, and four-piston calipers are compliments of Thunder Heart.
One of Saxon's missions is to provide its bike buyers with a good value, and this becomes apparent when you look at the Firestorm's powerplant. The 96-inch S&S Evo-style engine boasts bore and stroke numbers of 3-5/8 inches by 4-5/8 inches, with a compression ratio set at 10.1:1, thus giving it the ability to run easily on a variety of pump gas. Unlike some manufacturers, Saxon buys the motors assembled at S&S's plant in Viola, WI. It makes no difference whether you opt for a motor with an optional black ($250) or polished finish ($1,500), or decide you just can't live without the larger 111-inch motor ($1,600, plus the cost of an optional finish)-they are all assembled by S&S employees in S&S's plant. All of Saxon's bikes are carbureted for '06-carrying an S&S Super E air/fuel mixer and electronic compression releases. Also from S&S is the ignition, while the two-into-two exhaust pipe is a piece built specifically for Saxon.