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IronHorse Custom Choppers Cruise Texas Roads

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May 8, 2006 7:27 pm US/Central

IronHorse Custom Choppers Cruise Texas Roads

by Shannon Hori
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ― Motorcycle sales reached their peak in 1973 with 1.5 million sold. The numbers dipped for decades, but are once again soaring.

One place sales are really revving up is American IronHorse and these bikes are made in Texas.

American IronHorse motorcycles roared onto the scene ten years ago and today the Fort Worth company is really cruising.

"American IronHorse is the largest custom motorcycle company in the world right now," said Charles Strand. That translates into 150 motorcycles made a week in a 250,000 square foot plant.

"It was a pretty crazy dream for someone to have early on, to think of building such a big motorcycle company. We painted it, made it look good, and here we are," Jeff Long, an American IronHorse designer said.

So what is an IronHorse? It's a custom bike. There are 6 models, a thousand paint schemes, different types of mirrors, wheels and seat covers. That means there are five hundred thousand possible combinations.

"You can order one, and it's going to be one of a kind by the time you're done with it," Strand said.

These Texas born motorcycles aren't cheap. They're about twice as much as Harley's, but they say they go twice as fast. It's fun, for an average price of $30,000.

Loretta Fester is engaged to one of the founders, but bought her first motorcycle long before that.
"Being a single girl always had to be invited to go on a ride. Can't go unless invited."

Women make up 15 percent of IronHorse' sales and on her bike, she gets lots of attention.

"It's the motorcycle, not me," Fester jokes.

"Custom market every year changes and people want to see news, something cutting edge," Strand said.

"The biggest thing that has changed is they are getting more radical. People want the bikes more stretched out, the designs are getting pretty crazy like with skulls," Long said.

IronHorse made 125 Texas choppers to celebrate its 10 years in business. They're already planning what the next anniversary edition will look like.

(CBS 11 News)

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