AIH CLOSES THE DOORS
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Joined: Apr 2008
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RE: AIH CLOSES THE DOORS
Well, they gave it a run. Although there are many out there who will say their quality checks & balance were just not up to par. Hell, even HD struggled with that one. Still, I dislike seeing any veteran company going out of business.[&:]
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,763
Likes: 371
From: North of Hell, South of Heaven
RE: AIH CLOSES THE DOORS
ORIGINAL: pjb
I'm not implying that you need to be able to work on your own bike to own one. I'm just saying that if you can't, and you have to return it to the dealer for every little thing, don't cry about it being in the shop. My experience, and the experiences of other AIH owners I know, are not like yours. I'm sorry about your luck, but I don't agree with your assesments of AIH quality. I still think that most people's troubles are due to crappy dealers, not a crappy product. I happen to have a great dealer and have recomended him to many people. Not flaming anybody, just trying to show there is a different side of the story to the people who say AIH sucks. I'm glad things have worked out for you. Ride safe.
I'm not implying that you need to be able to work on your own bike to own one. I'm just saying that if you can't, and you have to return it to the dealer for every little thing, don't cry about it being in the shop. My experience, and the experiences of other AIH owners I know, are not like yours. I'm sorry about your luck, but I don't agree with your assesments of AIH quality. I still think that most people's troubles are due to crappy dealers, not a crappy product. I happen to have a great dealer and have recomended him to many people. Not flaming anybody, just trying to show there is a different side of the story to the people who say AIH sucks. I'm glad things have worked out for you. Ride safe.
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 340
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RE: AIH CLOSES THE DOORS
Not to beat a dead 'horse'.....but the Mark Long AIH dealership in Sterling, VA is closed up tight. Signs off the building and a for lease sign on the door.
Can't speak as to his Fredericksburg, VA location.
It was always my understanding that his dealerships were amoung the few that backed up the product 100%, always heard great things about his customer service and warrenty coverage.
Can't speak as to his Fredericksburg, VA location.
It was always my understanding that his dealerships were amoung the few that backed up the product 100%, always heard great things about his customer service and warrenty coverage.
4th Gear
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 8
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RE: AIH CLOSES THE DOORS
In late 2005, I was told "Dwayne's hiding money in the Caymans" by his personal secretary at a family get together. I've notified every local, state, and federal form of gov't including IRS AND Securities Commission etc.in writing and in person.
If had a $50k bike, broke down without a warranty, I'd behis front porch.
Let's play.... "Where's the money?"
Do Xponetial investors care?
How many employees did you see when touring plant? 35 0r 400+?
Couldany hidden cashbe used in purchasing dirty bombs or margaritas?
With sales of atleast $95 million in 05' could banks help hide $30 million+ ?
Was the bankrupcy planned all along?
Were the books altered with so many management changes?
Do you love your country?
If had a $50k bike, broke down without a warranty, I'd behis front porch.
Let's play.... "Where's the money?"
Do Xponetial investors care?
How many employees did you see when touring plant? 35 0r 400+?
Couldany hidden cashbe used in purchasing dirty bombs or margaritas?
With sales of atleast $95 million in 05' could banks help hide $30 million+ ?
Was the bankrupcy planned all along?
Were the books altered with so many management changes?
Do you love your country?
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,008
Likes: 464
RE: AIH CLOSES THE DOORS
I spoke to Mark Long just yesterday. He did close his Dulles (Sterling) store and has consolidated to his original shop in Fredericksburg VA. He said he is not selling as many bikes as he would like to, but his paint and graphics shop is busy. What you have heard about Mark's customer service is right on. I've never met a nicer dealer. I bought my first Ironhorse from Mark on late 03 and right away I felt like I had a new friend. I still feel that way now and Mark has gone above and beyond for me numerous times, often when he has no financial gain (lets face it he is a business man) to hope for. Great guy. Anybody remotely close should check him out. His paint work is top notch.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,891
Likes: 54
From: Mansfield, MA
RE: AIH CLOSES THE DOORS
American IronHorse, the Fort Worth maker of custom motorcycles seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, will again honor service warranties on new bikes now being sold by its dealers, Chief Executive Buck Hendrickson said.
Hendrickson acknowledged that some dealers had not been reimbursed for warranty work.
"When we're out of bankruptcy, we'll honor the warranties; we'll do the right thing," he told us. "At worst, I think we'll be out [of bankruptcy] by the end of May and get everyone covered."
It might be very necessary.
Former employee David Osburn said models he rejected after he test-rode them were shipped to dealers "over my objections."
How many? "I lost count because I worked for them nearly seven years. Certainly hundreds."
Osburn, employed at IronHorse full time from 1999 until 2007 and part time before that, said superiors told him, in effect, "Ship it, and we'll warranty it later."
Hendrickson, who became CEO after Osburn had left but had served as a consultant earlier, disputed the man's allegations, insisting that the North Texas-made bikes had a lower warranty claim rate than rivals Big Dog and Big Bear. The latter, he said, recalled several hundred bikes with frame problems.
"Our biggest warranty problem is an electronic speedometer -- a design flaw," he said, adding: "There are still 1,000 bikes out there with this one issue."
Hendrickson acknowledged that some dealers had not been reimbursed for warranty work.
"When we're out of bankruptcy, we'll honor the warranties; we'll do the right thing," he told us. "At worst, I think we'll be out [of bankruptcy] by the end of May and get everyone covered."
It might be very necessary.
Former employee David Osburn said models he rejected after he test-rode them were shipped to dealers "over my objections."
How many? "I lost count because I worked for them nearly seven years. Certainly hundreds."
Osburn, employed at IronHorse full time from 1999 until 2007 and part time before that, said superiors told him, in effect, "Ship it, and we'll warranty it later."
Hendrickson, who became CEO after Osburn had left but had served as a consultant earlier, disputed the man's allegations, insisting that the North Texas-made bikes had a lower warranty claim rate than rivals Big Dog and Big Bear. The latter, he said, recalled several hundred bikes with frame problems.
"Our biggest warranty problem is an electronic speedometer -- a design flaw," he said, adding: "There are still 1,000 bikes out there with this one issue."
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 340
Likes: 1
From:
RE: AIH CLOSES THE DOORS
ORIGINAL: pjb
I spoke to Mark Long just yesterday. He did close his Dulles (Sterling) store and has consolidated to his original shop in Fredericksburg VA. He said he is not selling as many bikes as he would like to, but his paint and graphics shop is busy. What you have heard about Mark's customer service is right on. I've never met a nicer dealer. I bought my first Ironhorse from Mark on late 03 and right away I felt like I had a new friend. I still feel that way now and Mark has gone above and beyond for me numerous times, often when he has no financial gain (lets face it he is a business man) to hope for. Great guy. Anybody remotely close should check him out. His paint work is top notch.
I spoke to Mark Long just yesterday. He did close his Dulles (Sterling) store and has consolidated to his original shop in Fredericksburg VA. He said he is not selling as many bikes as he would like to, but his paint and graphics shop is busy. What you have heard about Mark's customer service is right on. I've never met a nicer dealer. I bought my first Ironhorse from Mark on late 03 and right away I felt like I had a new friend. I still feel that way now and Mark has gone above and beyond for me numerous times, often when he has no financial gain (lets face it he is a business man) to hope for. Great guy. Anybody remotely close should check him out. His paint work is top notch.
4th Gear
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From:
RE: AIH CLOSES THE DOORS
Hee hee ....He clipped the City of Ft. Worth for half a million. Nobody else saw it coming
SHLACHTER, PEROTIN, FUQUAY & CO.
Ironhorse leaves city spinning its wheels
By Barry Shlachter, Jim Fuquay, Maria M. Perotin[/align]Star-Telegram Staff Writers[/align]
Among the losers in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by American IronHorse is its landlord, the Fort Worth Local Development Corp. The entity was established by the city, and City Council members just happen to be its sole board officers, but it is nonetheless considered autonomous.
The odds are not good that the LDC will receive much, if anything, from the custom motorcycle maker, which owes $377,157.57 in back rent and taxes as of Feb. 6. The corporation is an unsecured debtor.
The total includes six months' rent on the 224,800-square-foot facility, the former Fruehauf Trailer assembly building, that had been deferred in exchange for IronHorse's pledge to repave the sprawling parking lot at 4600 Blue Mound Road.
IronHorse never got around to it.
And, somehow, the up-market bikemaker slipped up when it came to paying property taxes -- to the tune of $97,488 in 2006, which includes some penalties, and $82,071 last year.
LDC made good on the overdue taxes to avoid paying even more penalties and interest if the whole mess fell into its lap, said Cynthia Garcia, an attorney who administers the development corporation.
Paying the rent, said Buck Hendrickson, who took over as IronHorse's chief executive in mid-2007, "wasn't a big issue. We certainly had a lot more pressing problems than that."
Besides, Hendrickson said, "the city wants to see us there because it wants us to have jobs there. And property taxes to me are not an issue -- we are in bankruptcy."
The LDC agrees.
SHLACHTER, PEROTIN, FUQUAY & CO.
Ironhorse leaves city spinning its wheels
By Barry Shlachter, Jim Fuquay, Maria M. Perotin[/align]Star-Telegram Staff Writers[/align]
Among the losers in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by American IronHorse is its landlord, the Fort Worth Local Development Corp. The entity was established by the city, and City Council members just happen to be its sole board officers, but it is nonetheless considered autonomous.
The odds are not good that the LDC will receive much, if anything, from the custom motorcycle maker, which owes $377,157.57 in back rent and taxes as of Feb. 6. The corporation is an unsecured debtor.
The total includes six months' rent on the 224,800-square-foot facility, the former Fruehauf Trailer assembly building, that had been deferred in exchange for IronHorse's pledge to repave the sprawling parking lot at 4600 Blue Mound Road.
IronHorse never got around to it.
And, somehow, the up-market bikemaker slipped up when it came to paying property taxes -- to the tune of $97,488 in 2006, which includes some penalties, and $82,071 last year.
LDC made good on the overdue taxes to avoid paying even more penalties and interest if the whole mess fell into its lap, said Cynthia Garcia, an attorney who administers the development corporation.
Paying the rent, said Buck Hendrickson, who took over as IronHorse's chief executive in mid-2007, "wasn't a big issue. We certainly had a lot more pressing problems than that."
Besides, Hendrickson said, "the city wants to see us there because it wants us to have jobs there. And property taxes to me are not an issue -- we are in bankruptcy."
The LDC agrees.
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