The other half of the AIH stable consists of stretched-out, pro-street
cruisers—radical masterpieces of motorcycle art and technology. Again, there are
two softails and one rigid, all available with AIH’s limitless customization
options. The Tejas and the Outlaw are gorgeous and wonderful bikes but, when it
came to the cruisers, my eyes were elsewhere.
 Photograph by Cordero Studios/ www.corderostudios.com. (Click image to enlarge)
You know how, once in a while, something just jumps up and grabs your attention
with a possessive and irresistible appeal, becoming something you simply have
to own because, for a combination of indefinable reasons, it’s just … you. My
black and chrome ElectraGlide classic, my stainless steel and gold Rolex
Submariner, my Nikon D2X—they all affected me that way the first time I laid
eyes on them. I became obsessed and unsatisfied until they were mine and, since
acquisition, they have given pleasure and pride of ownership that goes beyond
their utility. Saving it for last, I had resisted the temptation to take out
the IronHorse that (surprisingly) strongly affected me in this same way: the
bike gracing the front cover of this magazine—the radically redesigned, 2007
American IronHorse Slammer. Whether dressed-out in the most simple and gorgeous
white luster pearl or the candy red radical tribal graphic scheme “Thrust”, what
a beautiful beast she is. The Slammer appealed to me on a visceral level and I
just knew it would simply feel great, before I ever sat on the bike. She did not
disabuse that notion one bit when I finally gave in to temptation, kicked my leg
over her, and settled into the deep and low saddle with Yello’s eponymously
named “OOOH YEEAAH!!” booming in my head (just as it did for the fictional
Ferris Bueller, as he hopped into a Ferrari 250 GT California). The Slammer is a
bike that comes with its own sound track—cool!
 Departing or arriving, the Slammer exudes style, power, craftsmanship and grace. Photograph by Cordero Studios/ www.corderostudios.com. (Click image to enlarge)
From a great first impression, things just got better. Firing up the Slammer
dead cold with a quick stab of the starter was ensured by the standard
electronic fuel injection, an AIH first on this bike. She feels solid,
comfortable and, well, fast, even when just sitting there. Like all the
IronHorses, she sounds great, too. The 2-into-1, dyno-tuned exhaust system is
deep, throaty and satisfyingly loud; loping along sexily at idle yet without the
annoying high frequency bark that many high performance V-Twins have when you
really get on them.The first time, I pulled away without a shudder, setting my feet onto the
far-forward pegs and perfectly positioned controls. The first Slammer I rode had
the big powerplant and, despite its 124 cu in and 130 hp, the insanely wide
300mm tire gave sure rubber-to-road contact, never once getting squirrelly. I am
positive she will spin/burn that big tire in multiple gears if desired, but you
would have to really want to do so. It will not get away from you unexpectedly.
The sure feel of throttle and clutch was just the first of many pleasant
surprises.  This IronHorse is blazingly fast, of course, but the six-piston, dual front
discs stop you from speed as quickly as it got you there. The Progressive
adjustable air suspension gives a firm-but-comfortable ride in the deep saddle,
on which I could see putting in long days of hard riding. I thoroughly, but
unintentionally, tested the frame and suspension to their limits when a
Texas-sized road divot jumped out of a shadowy nowhere and bunny-hopped both
wheels, and me, high into the air. The twisted landing was hard, but controlled,
and I could actually feel the solid frame work to help me straighten the bike
around and keep her upright. It could have been an ugly incident, and I on a
lesser bike it might well have been, but the Slammer handled it with grace and
strength. (Click image to enlarge)
Wildly enjoying the adrenaline rush every time I cracked the throttle; I was
impressed with the Slammer’s speed and power. I did not, however, expect to be
as or more impressed by her handling. A 130 hp, 45-degree raked, 300mm rear tire
shod, pro-street cruiser that was nimble? Nimble! How could it be? The Slammer
cut deeply into curves and laid over with a sure and controlled line that
inspired confidence the first time. My experience with wide tires is that they
want to throw you upright and out of the curve, but the Slammer hung in there on
my chosen line every time. The Slammer positions the drive belt outside the
frame, allowing the rear of the frame to be narrow, which permits much deeper
lean angles than one might think possible. A 21-inch front wheel with a wide
120mm tire finishes the job of giving the AIH Slammer surprisingly confident
performance in the twisties. I rode Texas Highway 6 to the American IronHorse factory, following the route
of an historic cattle-drive trail that ran from Galveston on the Gulf of Mexico
up to Red River. I sat on my cushy pillow seat, behind the full fairing,
listening to my favorite riding tunes blasting from the on-board sound system of
my well-experienced, full-dress, 65 hp, 900-pound motorized BarcaLounger, and I
wondered: My last hard-tailed chopper trip down to Monterey, Mexico was 25 years
and 60 pounds ago. How would I fare during two days of riding the brand new long
and lean, 130 hp, much lighter chopper and pro-street thoroughbreds from AIH? It
gave me pause. That pause is over, and I now expect to be setting aside a spot
in my Harley-centric garage for the Slammer. With across-the-line six-speed transmissions, hydraulic clutch and brakes,
distinctive high performance headlight, and absolutely flawless paint jobs,
American IronHorseleaves little to wish for in a high performance, factory
custom motorcycle. As in days of old, the brand on a cowboy’s horse told much
about him—how and who he rode for, what kind of person he was. At American
IronHorse, it seems things have not changed all that much. www.americanironhorse.com | 817.665.2000
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