Like several of its custom bike-builders brethren, American IronHorse had a rather short life. Start-up in 1995 was heralded with an innovative multi-choice chopper design. And those choices were amazing, in the then-new radical chopper fashion. All the tin and leather was designed and fabricated in-house. The S&S engines were modified in the factory, and the transmissions were made by Baker. The custom bikes were all hand-built in a state-of-the-art, 224,000 square foot factory in Fort Worth, Texas. Sadly, even building one of the best custom choppers out there, it became one of those businesses that just got hit hard by the turn of the economy. By spring 2008, production ceased and its assets were sold at auction. There are still plenty of these great looking bikes available if you're willing to do some searching. Most have been upgraded from the originals.
Engine options on the IronHorse bike-line include S&S 110 ci, 117 ci, and 124 ci. The radical Legend has the 111 ci or the huge 124 ci, with a sweet 130 horsepower. They're chromed out to the max and feature diamond-cut, powder-coated barrels. Pair the 124 ci engine up with a Baker six-speed transmission and the IronHorse clutch; the package is impressive, to say the least.
The powder-coated frame was specially designed by Daytec for the American IronHorse line-up. An A-frame softail-style swing-arm, with a pair of Progressive manually adjustable shock absorbers, provides a much gentler ride than appearances would indicate. The telescoping front forks are raked at an impressive 42° (38° frame plus 4° raked triple trees). Top that with AIH's patented Super Stretch and the 3.5-gallon fuel tank, you've got an amazing looking bike. A fat, 240 rear tire finishes off the modern chopped look. Instrumentation is simple but efficient, with a speedometer, odometer, trip meter, tachometer, hi/low beam, turn signals, and Neutral-light all housed together and easy to read.
With five inches of ground clearance and weighing in at 610 pounds dry, the 111.5-inch long bike has an acceptable turning radius, considering it’s a chopper. The solo leather seat puts the driver at 25.8 inches off the ground, and the forward controls combined with the rake is far more comfortable than expected for a variety of riders' sizes. Not as extreme as the Texas Chopper, the Legend is reputed to be the most comfortable ride of all the choppers. Pair the comfort with the enormous array of IronHorse's options and there are very few of its Legend bikes that look the same. You really will have your own custom look with the choices given–or least fairly close.