AMERICAN IRONHORSE DEAD, Without Honor

Way back when…  A new Harley was not so easy to get, it was common to wait up to 9 months to get a new ride.  Then some folks had a brilliant idea, American Ironhorse and Big Dog hit the scene.  Top shelf Harley alternatives.  More bang for your buck although it cost a few more bucks.  Beautiful customized V-twin motorcycles sitting on the showroom floor just waiting to be ridden that day.  Who could resist.  Times were good bikes were sold and AIH became a leader in a whole new segment of the industry.  Accessory manufacturers found an emerging market too.  OEM!  The bikes were awesome.  The Original Texas Chopper and Slammer are still my favorites to this day.  Times weren’t just good, they were great.  We made some parts for both camps, the orders came in, the parts rolled out, and the checks arrived on time.  ”Can do” was the phrase of the day, communication was good, and a few times a year one could meet up with their AIH counterparts at some event, talk face to face and kick the tires on some beautiful iron. 

    Soon hordes of “Want to Be’s” came out of the woodwork, everyone wanted a few minutes of fame, pictures in the mags, maybe a few cable TV bits. Things were changing.  For me, it was when AIH came out with a series of custom “signature” builds.  Over the top machines with zero production value.  I remember one was a complete rip off of Bourget’s unique look with a 145″ FI motor, another was some kind of Medieval themed bike that could serve no other purpose than for a WWE wrestler to ride around the ring.  I wondered “to what end?”  There was an air of arrogance, a waste of time, and resources, and most important, the hard eared money customers paid to the company.  But still times were good.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Somewhere along the line it became acceptable to renege on purchase orders, heck there were plenty of vendors in the world, they needed to move fast, make changes on the fly, shoot they could even make all their own parts!  So vendors large and small were stuck with inventory and unpaid bills.  I remember one time we received a couple of containers of parts for warranty.  It contained hundreds of parts that had never been removed from the original packaging.  Much more than what the paperwork showed.  After two years they decided they needed the parts back.  Things changed even more.  A endless stream of new financing, management changes, industry icons came and went.  They made their parts, then they didn’t make their parts, then they said they did but really didn’t.  The bikes were OK but the competition was fierce and the EPA is nobodies friend.  Three hundred and beyond tires, upside down this, inverted that, everyone looking for an edge. Times got harder.  I guess it is fitting that in the end the company was associated with the pawn brokers (Xponential).  One conjures up the image of loan sharks running around strong arming people.                                                                                                   So it occurs to me, “without honor”.  From Willie G to the guy kicking the tires at his local dealer planing his first real motorcycle, there is a certain sense of community in our bike world.  More than most, everyone contributes to the community in their own way, the community will give back more than most also.  It does not ask for much or judge, just a few demands.  It requires loyalty, honesty, and integrity to your brand, your shop, your mechanic, your customers, and business associates. I don’t pretend to know what is in the heart of any person, but I have been around the block a few times and I know a little about human nature.  I think AIH has been spreading one BS story after another and the actions are less than honorable.  They had to be dragged into bankruptcy all the while they were trying to liquidate millions of dollars of merchandise, some of which was never paid for in the first place.  It is perfectly clear to me that they wanted to gather up some cash and be free to use it as they please.  Then there are the potential buyers who can’t be identified.  It all stinks too much to me.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         One might be led to believe that AIH owes me something.  Not true, in fact I owe them.  I owe for the good times and the lesson learned.  You may think “without honor” is harsh, it is, but outside the community business is business.  

~ by vtwinshow on Friday,March 28, 2008.