10/06/2008 by info.

BOURGET’S Bagger Group, Inc., the company set up by Roger Bourget to build production Baggers, will be holding Demo Days on June 19 and 20 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Those attending the event will be able to ride the new Drifter Bagger and see the prototype Entourage. Factory tours and the opportunity to meet Roger Bourget will also be available.

The Drifter is a custom production Bagger which uses an S&S X-Wedge engine and matching six-speed transmission. The bike is 50-state legal and is currently undergoing testing to assure it is also legal in Canada.

Talking about the concept for the Drifter, Roger Bourget said: “I’ve got the Chopper thing done well and decided that I didn’t want to be like everyone else and simply convert a Chopper into a Bagger. We’ve been working on this for two years, and over the past six months we’ve had regular Bagger riders out on prototype Drifters so that we can get the ride totally dialed-in.”

To ensure the ride of the Drifter is the best it can be, the motor is rubber mounted and the suspension has been developed with the help of former off-road racer Walker Evans.

Dealers stocking the Drifter will have the option of 10 paint finishes and three billet wheel styles. In addition, because of the bike’s modular design, dealers can buy a base model Drifter and offer upgrades to meet their customers’ budgets. A complete parts line will be offered within six months, and will include hard bags, fairing options, chin spoilers and a tour pack.

Anyone interested in attending the Demo Days should contact Brigitte Bourget (brigitte@bourgets.com).

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03/06/2008 by info.

Brian Laine’s Harley GB1200R is one man’s vision of the perfect bike, with parts that originate from America, Japan, Germany and England. The bike won a third place trophy in the Mild Custom class at the May 18, 2008 Old Snohomish Motorcycle Show in Washington.

Read how Brian put together this interesting bike at his web-site

Link: Brian Laine’s website

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27/05/2008 by info.

Scott Meyers completes American IronHorse deal: “I want us to be the best, not the biggest”
The troubled Fort Worth, Texas, custom motorcycle manufacturer American IronHorse has been bought out from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by Scott Meyers, an American IronHorse dealer with custom shops in Montana and Minnesota.

Meyers is a former senior defence industry executive with an impeccable business career record and all the corporate credentials needed to indicate that he has the experience necessary to successfully rescue the business.

However, he is also a lifelong rider who hails from a family that has ridden since the 1920’s, and he became a custom shop owner five years ago with American IronHorse and Arlen Ness franchises.

With two dealerships, Rocky Mountain Choppers at Bozeman, Mt., and BlackWater Choppers of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Mn., Meyers comes at the acquisition from the position of being a dealer who is both committed to the brand, and has an insider’s experience of the difficulties the company encountered.

Within hours of his deal being approved by the bankruptcy court, Meyers gave AMD an exclusive interview that will be published in full in the July edition. Meyers said: “American IronHorse swamped the market with bikes in 2005 and when inventory started to stick they agreed to pay for the flooring. In my view this is what ultimately caused the bankruptcy”.

Meyers says his aims are simple: “I want to create a sustainable, profitable business; I want to make the transition into it being so as quickly as possible, and as easy as possible for the firm’s dealer network. We are fully committed to supporting the American IronHorse brand in every way possible”.

“We will slim down the dealer network,” Meyers went on to say. “Those dealers who wish to stay with us will be asked to agree new dealer contracts, but the level of commitment we have to ensuring that their business dealings with American IronHorse are profitable is absolute”.

Meyers says that his dealerships spent a six-figure sum on flooring finance interest in 2006 alone, “so we fully understand the position that American IronHorse dealers have been in. We are fully committed to establishing American IronHorse as the premium brand in manufacturing highly profitable custom motorcycles. My aim is that American IronHorse should be the best, not the biggest”.

Meyers cites the cycle of Harley’s own experience, with authorized Harley dealers seeing their businesses move from wait lists to discounts on MRSP’s in less than a decade. “We need to return exclusivity to the American IronHorse experience, and we can’t achieve this without supporting the profit objectives of our loyal dealers”.

Meyers has said that he is making ‘Good Faith’ offers to dealers in respect of warranties and finance. “We have agreed terms with Textron for them to continue to offer flooring programs to American IronHorse dealers. While dealers themselves, rather than the company, will have to pay for that finance, our manufacturing policies will ensure that inventory can be financed profitably and moved quickly”.

“In terms of standing behind the motorcycles built since the company started, we are going to honor warranties on all unsold bikes, and provide factory warranties for all bikes already on the road that have not yet had warranty claims”.

At this time the plan is for the existing management team to continue. Meyers went on to tell AMD that “the transition to our ownership will have been completed by the end of May and we will be in a position to make substantial capital available immediately to enable the business to re-start trading activities as soon as possible”.

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21/05/2008 by info.

INDIAN Motorcycle is rapidly approaching the official launch of its new line of 2009 motorcycles and, in anticipation of this, has released the specifications of the new models.

The initial line-up of new Indian motorcycles will comprise of four Chief models; Chief Standard, Chief Deluxe, Chief Roadmaster and Chief Vintage. The bikes will be differentiated by trim levels, seating configurations, fender design, paint combinations, and included accessories.

The brand new Indian Chiefs are the result of development and tests led by VP of Engineering Nick Glaja, who was Principal Engineer of Powertrain Technology at Harley-Davidson before he joined the Indian project. He said of the preparatory work done: “Our goal was quite simple: to focus on the premium nature of this brand and build the finest Indian motorcycle ever. We took a ‘clean sheet’ approach to the engineering of this world class American legend to ensure a solid engineering platform. Benchmarks were set high, and we believe our customers will be very happy.”

At the very center of the development work by Glaja and his team was the redesign of the classic PowerPlus motor. The new PowerPlus has 105ci capacity and closed loop sequential port fuel injection. Internally, the engine’s cylinders are Nikasil plated, a new crankshaft eliminates “scissoring”, and the exhaust system is a new design with an integrated three-way catalytic converter and oxygen sensors.

The drivetrain is completed by the use of a Baker six-speed transmission and belt drive to a 16in wheel. Braking is taken care of across the range by dual Brembo four-piston calipers and 11.5in discs at the front and a single two-piston Brembo caliper and disc at the rear.

Overseeing the preparation of the new models ready for their launch has been General Manager Chris Bernauer, who previously spent eleven years with Harley-Davidson. He said: “We’re very excited about the new Indian Chiefs which are, in every way, both true to the legacy of the Indian brand and representative of the highest level of engineering expertise.”

Given the premium nature of the Indian Motorcycle brand, the company will be very selective in judging the quality and number of dealers it will supply. A new stand-alone dealership design of 10,000sq ft will be the flagship in major markets, although it is likely that these new structures will not be completed until some time in 2009.

At present, Indian dealers are already staged for opening at Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Minneapolis and Los Angeles, with an additional twelve applications being processed.

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE
Kings Mountain, North Carolina, USA
Tel: 704 937 7333
Fax: 704 937 7776
E-mail: info@indianmotorcycle.com

www.indianmotorcycle.com

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07/05/2008 by info.

American Performance Cycles (APC) has added an additional bike to its 2008 model line-up.

The Hustler is a drop-seat cruiser FLH style Softail. The frame features 34 degrees rake in the neck and 3 degrees in the trees giving a total rake of 37 degrees. This is combined with a 3in stretch to create a 93in wheelbase.

Motive power for the Hustler comes from a 96ci black and chrome S&S engine fitted with an S&S Super E carb and Santee 50 CAL exhausts. This is backed by a Baker six-speed/RSD and billet closed primary. Wheels are forged one-piece billet by Forge-Tec or 80-spoke wheels. The rear 18in wheel carries a 240-section tire.

In addition the company has revealed plans to launch a lowered and stretched bagger model which will roll on either a 280 or 300 section rear tire. This as yet un-named bike will go on sale in the summer.

AMERICAN PERFORMANCE CYCLES
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Tel: 702 314 5272
Fax: 702 314 528
E-mail: apccycles@aol.com

www.apccycles.com

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25/03/2008 by info.

TRIROD Motorcycles has launched its F3 Adrenaline, a radical three-wheeled motorcycle which features two wheels in front with Formula-One type suspension.

When developing the bike, TriRod Motorcycles set out to create a radical new vehicle that would combine advanced technologies from Formula-One racing, aerospace, and motorcycles.

The F3 Adrenaline is said to be exceptionally stable and corner aggressively due to its low center of gravity and a wide track. TriRod’s engineers chose the 2-1 layout (two wheels in front, one in back) over the traditional 1-2 trike configuration for its superior handling, stability, and rollover resistance.

Carbon fiber body panels are used on the F3 Adrenaline, and the high-tech feel is continued with fully adjustable racing shocks.

Robert Miller, TriRod Motorcycles’ Co-founder and Chairman, says: “TriRod’s platform offers increased safety and stability over traditional motorcycles while adding a whole new level of thrilling performance.”

TriRod’s F3 Adrenaline is the first of a line of tandem seat three-wheel performance motorcycles under development. The company is taking orders now for the 2008 F3 Adrenaline, which is scheduled to start shipping during the 2nd quarter of 2008.

TRIROD MOTORCYCLES, INC.
SanDiego, California, USA
Tel: 858 547 9545
Fax: 858 547 9030
E-mail: paul@trirodmotorcycles.com

www.trirodmotorcycles.com

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05/03/2008 by info.

The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum has announced details of Awesome-Ness, a new exhibit honoring master motorcycle designer and builder Arlen Ness.

Ness, who was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1992, will join colleagues and friends at the Museum in Pickerington, Ohio, on July 24, 2008, for the grand opening of the exhibition.

This, the fifth in a series of Legends exhibits at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, will feature machines and memorabilia from Ness’ personal collection. Curated by photographer Michael Lichter, the exhibit will delve into the stories behind Arlen’s influential career, with Lichter, author of Arlen Ness: The King of Choppers, using his unique perspective on Ness to provide visitors an in-depth look at the celebrated customizer.

Awesome-Ness will open at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum on July 24, 2008, and run through June 2009. The ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Ness, and other motorcycling heroes, will begin at 6 pm and be open to the public.

For more details on the grand opening of “Awesome-Ness,” as well as a complete biography of Arlen Ness, visit www.motorcyclemuseum.org

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05/03/2008 by info.

Creditors are trying to force American IronHorse into bankruptcy after it failed to make any payments since January. Investors are currently negotiating to buy the company.

Some American IronHorse dealers have stated they will not sell bikes in stock due to questions about warranty coverage.

Founded in 1995, American IronHorse, based in Fort Worth, Texas, makes custom motorcycles in the $25,000 to $40,000 price range.

Link: Star Telegram

via: http://thekneeslider.com/

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28/02/2008 by info.

Big Dog Motorcycles used the annual V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati to provide dealers with a ’sneak peek’ of the first of the new models for its proposed 2009 model range. Big Dog’s Wolf is due for an official release in September of 2008. However, at the time of going to print the final specification has not yet been clarified.

What is known about the bike is that the frame will feature a single downtube fit with a radical swingarm design. The tire sizes will be 130/60R-23 front and 220/50R-20 rear. The narrower rear tire follows a trend which company founder and CEO, Sheldon Coleman, outlined at the company’s recent dealer presentation in California, and which has been set by this year’s Mutt, with its 250-section tire deviating from the company’s more normal fitment of a 300.

Motive power for the Wolf will be provided by an S&S 121ci X-Wedge, with electronic fuel injection, mated to a six-speed BDM Balance-Drive transmission.

The company says an extensive chrome package will be offered as standard and there will also be an optional highly-styled saddlebag.

BIG DOG MOTORCYCLES
Wichita, Kansas, USA
Tel: 316 267 9121
Fax: 316 267 2597

www.bigdogmotorcycles.com

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18/01/2008 by info.

PRO-ONE has a line of four production motorcycles available for 2008. The range of bikes, now fully compliant for sales in Canada and Australia, is made up of two Pro-Street and two Chopper models.

The Pro-Street Dominator and Hyper 4 Chopper both feature the Pro-One Pro-Quad four link rear suspension system. Both the Vapor Chopper and Rogue Pro-Street use Softail style rear suspension. All four bikes have 300-section rear tires, and feature frames built from 1-1 /2in tubing. The Rogue and Dominator both have a 5in stretch in the backbone with 38-degree rake with an additional five degrees in the trees. The two Chopper models also have a 5in stretch in the backbone and 6in in the downtube, with 40 degrees of rake and five degrees in the trees.

All four bikes are offered with a 114ci TP motor with a no charge option of an upgrade to 121ci. A RSD Baker six-speed transmission and 3in open belt primary is fitted across the range. Buyer can choose from conventional or USD forks. In addition, all of the bikes feature Pro-One chromed billet aluminum wheels with matching pulleys and brake rotors. A wide range of paint and seat options are also available.

PRO-ONE
Pomona, California, USA
Tel: 909 445 4570
Fax: 909 445 0096
E-mail: sales@pro-one.com

http://www.pro-one.com

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