American Iron Magazine was a Stamford, Connecticut based American motorcycle magazine specializing in the coverage of American-made motorcycles including Harley-Davidson, Indian and Big Dog Motorcycles. American Iron Magazine[1] (or AIM) contained columns by Editor-in-Chief Buzz Kanter, Editor Chris Maida succeeded by Editor Steve Lita, and female motorcyclists Tricia Szulewski who also served as Creative Director, Genevieve Schmitt, Cris Sommer-Simmons, Marjorie Kleiman, and Stephanie Feld, as well as standard tech articles by featured writers Donny Petersen and Tom Johnson, plus skills and safety articles by Don Gomo. Typical articles included how-to stories on motorcycle repairs and maintenance, classic bikes, custom builds, motorcycle reviews, motorcycle product/accessory reviews, events, the Hog Helpline for tech questions, and recommendations on routes for motorcycle enthusiasts.
Launched in 1989 in California, the American Iron Magazine was purchased by magazine publisher Buzz Kanter and his TAM Communications in 1991 and moved to Connecticut, until it ceased publication in July 2020.[2]
In 2008 the staff of American Iron Magazine launched an on-line version for classic motorcycle enthusiasts named Classic American Iron Magazine. Limited to topics related to American made motorcycles pre-1984, Classic American Iron Magazine [3] features an on-line magazine format as well as an active bulletin board forum.
American Iron Magazine had several sister publications, including consumer-oriented magazines such as RoadBike,[4] a print magazine in similar style focused on the motorcycle cruising market, Classic American Iron Magazine,[5] an on-line magazine focused on classic American motorcycles like Harley-Davidson, Indian, Excelsior and others, and special print editions such as American Iron Salute that contained articles related to the American military, and American Iron Garage which focused on the technical aspects of American motorcycles. Another sister publication, industry-oriented magazine American Iron Retailer, with Editor Marjorie Kleiman at the helm and, in its final year, Bill Wood, was published from 2004 through 2008.
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression along with its historical rival, Indian Motorcycles. The company has survived numerous ownership arrangements, subsidiary arrangements, periods of poor economic health and product quality, and intense global competition to become one of the world's largest motorcycle manufacturers and an iconic brand widely known for its loyal following. There are owner clubs and events worldwide, as well as a company-sponsored, brand-focused museum.
A chopper is a type of custom motorcycle which emerged in the US state of California in the late 1950s. A chopper employs modified steering angles and lengthened forks for a stretched-out appearance. They can be built from an original motorcycle which is modified ("chopped") or built from scratch. Some of the characteristic features of choppers are long front ends with extended forks often coupled with an increased rake angle, hardtail frames, very tall "ape hanger" or very short "drag" handlebars, lengthened or stretched frames, and larger than stock front wheel. To be considered a chopper a motorcycle frame must be cut and welded at some point. I.e. the name chopper. The "sissy bar", a set of tubes that connect the rear fender with the frame, and which are often extended several feet high, is a signature feature on many choppers.
Buell Motorcycles is an American motorcycle manufacturer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1983 by ex-Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell. Harley-Davidson acquired 49 percent of Buell in 1993, and Buell became a wholly owned subsidiary of Harley-Davidson by 2003. On November 17, 2006, Buell announced that it had produced and shipped its 100,000th motorcycle.
A custom motorcycle is a motorcycle with stylistic and/or structural changes to the 'standard' mass-produced machine offered by major manufacturers. Custom motorcycles might be unique, or built in limited quantities. While individual motorcyclists have altered the appearance of their machines since the very first days of motorcycling, the first individualized motorcycles specifically labeled 'Custom' appeared in the late 1950s, around the same time as the term was applied to custom cars.
A café racer is a genre of sport motorcycles that originated among British motorcycle enthusiasts of the early 1960s in London. Café racers were standard production bikes that were modified by their owners and optimized for speed and handling for quick rides over short distances. Café racers have since become popular around the world, and some manufacturers produce factory-made models that are available in the showrooms.
The Triumph Rocket III is a three-cylinder motorcycle made by Triumph Motorcycles Ltd. At 2,294 cc (140.0 cu in) it had the largest-displacement engine of any production motorcycle until 2019 when Triumph released the Triumph Rocket 3.
ATK is an American motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle company founded in 1985 and located in Centerville, Utah, USA. As of 2016, it has been operating primarily to support previously sold models through parts and service manual distribution. While ATK was initially founded on in-house chassis designs and modified sourced engines, the brand has primarily focused on acquisition and badge-engineered models from multiple companies worldwide since 2004.
The Harley-Davidson Sportster is a line of motorcycles produced continuously since 1957 by Harley-Davidson. Sportster models are designated in Harley-Davidson's product code by beginning with "XL". In 1952, the predecessors to the Sportster, the Model K Sport and Sport Solo motorcycles, were introduced. These models K, KK, KH, and KHK of 1952 to 1956 had a sidevalve engine, whereas the later XL Sportster models use an overhead valve engine. The first Sportster in 1957 had many of the same details of the KH including the frame, fenders, large gas tank and front suspension.
A cruiser motorcycle is a motorcycle in the style of American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, including those made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, Excelsior and Henderson.
Riding Into History is a non-profit vintage motorcycle event founded in 2000 by Billy Aldrich. It was created in order to celebrate the heritage and history of motorcycles, and also to raise money for charities. It has now become one of America's premier motorcycle events and the attendance figures have increased every year.
Harley-Davidson FL is a model designation used for Harley-Davidson motorcycles since 1941, when F referred to the new large capacity 74 cui (1200cc) variant of the V-2 Overhead valve engine (″Knucklehead″) that was introduced in 1936 as Model E with 61 cui (1000cc). The presence of an additional letter L indicated higher compression, offering more power but requiring higher octane gasoline. In 1950s, the low compression version was discontinued, and in 1952 also the low capacity EL, making FL the standard engine and model designation for decades to come.
Arlen Darryl Ness was an American motorcycle designer and entrepreneur best known for his custom motorcycles. Ness received acclaim for his designs, most of which are noted for their unique body style and paintwork.
American IronHorse was an American motorcycle manufacturer based in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area that was founded in 1995 by Tim Edmondson and Bill Rucker. At one time, AIH was the largest factory producer of custom motorcycles in the USA. Their 224,000-square-foot (20,800 m2) factory was located in Fort Worth, Texas, and housed the complete manufacturing process under a single roof. Although most (305) parts for the bikes were made in-house, such as the seats and wheels, all American IronHorse motorcycles were built with S&S engines and were assembled in-house. By 2006, the company had sold around 10,000 motorcycles. In Spring 2008, American Ironhorse ceased production on all motorcycles and most company assets were liquidated at auction.
The Harley-Davidson XR-750 is a racing motorcycle made by Harley-Davidson since 1970, primarily for dirt track racing, but also for road racing in the XRTT variant. The XR-750 was designed in response to a 1969 change in AMA Grand National Championship rules that leveled the playing field for makes other than Harley-Davidson, allowing Japanese and British motorcycles to outperform the previously dominant Harley-Davidson KR race bike. The XR-750 went on to win the most races in the history of American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) racing.
Buzz Kanter is the editor-in-chief and publisher of American Iron Magazine, American Iron Garage and American Iron Salute magazine, and was inducted into the American Motorcyclist Association Hall of Fame in 2002. Buzz was also inducted into the National Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Bill VanTichelt ; born February 17, 1935, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is the creator of VanTech Motorcycles.
Vivian Bales (1909–2001) was the first motorcycle cover girl. Vivian was known for several long-distance motorcycle rides and stunts around the US, in the 1920s and 1930s.
The Harley-Davidson Model W, also known as the Sport Twin, is a motorcycle made by Harley-Davidson from 1919 to 1923. Unusually for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, the Model W had a flat-twin engine and a trailing link fork. The Model W set speed records on runs from New York City to Chicago and from the Canada–United States border to the Mexico–United States border. Slow home market sales led to the end of production after four years.
Iron Horse, sometimes written Ironhorse, was a motorcycling magazine dedicated to biker culture, published between 1979 and 2011.
Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader was a motorcycle magazine begun in 1978 by motorcycle enthusiasts and swap meet organizers Buzz and Pixie Walneck. The first issues were flyers that listed motorcycle parts for sale; demand for parts and complete motorcycles subsequently resulted in the publication growing into a large, full color magazine that contained over 120 pages during its peak. In 1997 the Walnecks sold the magazine to Trader Publishing, which enabled international distribution. In 2012, it was sold again to Causey Enterprises LLC, who redesigned the magazine extensively, however ceased publishing in 2014. The magazine was established and originally headquartered in Woodridge, Illinois before it was sold to Norfolk, Virginia-based Trader Publishing.
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