We've all heard the saying before, "If I have to explain it to you, you just wouldn't understand." Nowhere is the case more apparent than with American IronHorse's '05 Tejas. This bike shouts from its being, "I'm powerful, I'm beautiful, I'm fat, mean, and nasty, ready to take on all comers." The Tejas is to a stock Harley-Davidson what a '65 GTO is to a Volkswagen Beetle, full of raw, nasty power.
One look at this bike and it's apparent this sled means business, fromits fat-tube rigid frame design, to the powerful 111-inch fully polishedS&S motor, to the extra-wide 280mm rear tire, this bike not only hasthe obvious show, its got an awful lot of go to go with it. If you'rein the market for an everyday cruiser, you might want to look elsewhere,but if you have a hot rod in your future, you might want to givethe Tejas some serious consideration.
Now there's no way around it, this bike is setup on a rigid frame. Ifyou suffer from a bad back or are looking for a bike to pile up majormileage on, be forewarned. If these issues don't concern you, you maybe checking out www.americanironhorse.com sometime soon.
The Tejas' attitude starts out with a 38-degree raked neck designed tosupport a 41mm, 4-degree raked tree arrangement. Suspended from thetrees are 3-inch-over fork tubes straddling a 21-inch front wheel (10styles to choose from) complete with a Metzeler 80/90/21 tire. Out back,the Tejas really gets your attention. Not to belittle any other part of thebike, but the Metzeler 280/35/18 tire has some serious in-your-face attitude.Mounted on a polished billet wheel measuring 18x10.5 inches, theinterplay between the fat tire and short fender is flawless. Terminatingaround 11:00, the fender is set just high enough off the tire to allow forroad debris to pass through without damaging the sheetmetal, while stillbeing low enough to give the bike that serious custom look.
Braking on the Tejas is handled with a pair of left-side mountedfloating rotors and AIH four-piston calipers. We were surprised athow well the front brake decelerated the bike at both high and low speeds. As good as it is, keep in mind the21-inch tire has a small contact patch with the pavement. Translation: Under hard breaking it can break loose and have a tendency skid, making it imperative to use the rear brake inconjunction with the front to take advantage of all the rubber and weight out back.
The heart of the Tejas most certainly lies with the AIH polished and assembled S&S 111-inch carbureted engine, complete with S&S's electronic compressionreleases. AIH makes an option available to upgrade to either a 117-inch or 124-inch S&S motor with up charges of $1,000 and $2,000 respectively. Prior to our returning the Tejas, we tossed iton a Dynojet and made a few passes. The bike put out a very respectable 112.3 lb-ft of torque and a maximum hp of 103.8.
These numbers may seem unimpressive to some, but when you consider our test bike met all current EPA requirements and is legal in all 50 states, that's something to crow about.
Adorning the polished powerplant is a goodlooking 2-into-1 exhaust system that gives out a good sound for a pipe on a production bike. As sharp as the pipe is visually, this bike screams fora more traditional 2-into-2 setup. Also new this year are a highly stylized air cleaner cover and ignition cover, both sporting the AIH logo.
This year AIH rolled out a right-hand-drive sixspeed transmission across the line. A few years back this setup was quite unique in the industry,but not any more. AIH, along with other big bike manufacturers, understood how moving the final drive from the left side to the right side could help not only in handling, but increase the lean angle on the left side of the bike. The movement of the transmission on theTejas goes a long way in helping the bike run down the road in a straight line. Gone are the slight left lean concerns of previous models, although the traditionally located kickstand still hits the pavement sooner than we would like to see.
Back this year with slight cosmetic changes is the beautiful AIH instrument cluster, sandwiched cleanly between the V-shaped handlebar/riser combination. The cluster provides the rider with all the information needed, including tachometer, speedometer with resetable trip meter, turn signal indicators, neutral indicator, oil pressure light, and high beams. The remainder of the bike is decked out with a barrage of polished billet and chrome parts, including rubber-banded-style forward controls, stylish rear fenderstruts, rear fender bracket, front fender mount, and chromed 5-3/4-inch headlight. Other finishing touches include a thickly padded seat that not only looks good with the linesof the motorcycle, but also helps absorb bumps transmitted through the rigid frame, along with Harley-style chrome hand controls and mirrors, set on short stems.
Riding the Tejas is a kick in the pants. From the moment you settle into the seat this bike just feels good. The controls are in a comfortable position, although some taller riders would be better served adding extended foot controls. The bike is well balanced, andwith some coaxing, it turns well for a motorcycle with a 280 series rear tire. All of us who rode it had the same impression of the handling, it takes a lot of rider input. You can't just give this bike a gentle lean to go through turns, you need to let it know whothe boss is, plant your feet on the pegs and lean hard. Once you've mastered this, you've got it licked. Other than a few fit and finish concerns, such as the seat to gas tank fitmentand wire routing, the guys in Fort Worth have done a good job on this bike. Checkone out at a dealer near you.
SpecificationsWheelbase......74.25 inchesLength......100 inchesSeat Height......25 inches (280-lb rider)Ground Clearance......4.25 inchesDry Weight......580 lbsFuel Capacity......5 gallonsTorque......113 lb-ftHorsepower......103.8Engine......Air-cooled V-twinBore X Stroke......4-1/8x4-1/8 inchesDisplacement......111 inchesCompression Ratio......9.5:1Induction......S&S G-seriesOiling System......Dry sumpPrimary Drive......Enclosed chainTransmission......Six-speed RHDClutch......RiveraFrame...... Steel perimeter doubledowntube, 2-inchbackbone, MIG weldedFork......41mm, 3 inch overTriple-Tree......4 degreeFrontWheel......21 x 3.5-inch RattlerTire......Metzeler 90/90/21RearWheel......18x10.5-inch RattlerTire......Metzeler 280/35-18Price as tested......$25,950Optional paint......$1,650-$4,500See your local American IronHorse dealer or www.americanironhorse.com