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This is a story that any custom bike manufacturer would love to hear. Jason Longnecker, who lives near Davenport, Iowa, bought this 2005 American Ironhorse Slammer brand new five years ago and has been riding it trouble free in both good and bad weather ever since. Jason’s wife Cindy rides with him on her Sportster purchased in 2000. Jason bought one as well around that time and the two rode together for three years. After a year off, Jason decided to go for it and ordered the Slammer spec’d out exactly as you see it here. This bike came with a 117” engine, 280 rear tire, right side drive, six-speed transmission, and the killer paint job. When I first looked at it, I thought that Jason must have modified it a little and it looked slicker than I remember them being. But Jason explained, “I purchased the Slammer because of the super looks. I didn’t want a chopper, and the Slammer had the most custom, integrated and sleek look I was after.”

Believe it or not, over half of Jason’s rides end up being in the rain and he thinks the Metzeler tires really pay off there. He knew wide tire bikes were going to be much harder to turn than his Sportster with a 140 rear, but he said that once he was used to it, it wasn’t that bad and that the Metzeler handled the water pretty well, much better than he expected. We discussed starting, and Jason said his bike had automatic compression releases so it has always started well unless it was cold out. “The battery is kind of small but works well in normal weather. But I get anxious if it is cold, because it uses every amp,” Jason explained. The big 117” motor is a shaker when romped but is smooth enough at highway speeds. It has taken out a couple pair of mirrors, though.

Jason plans to keep the bike forever; he had done his homework before purchasing and nothing else has popped up that has turned his eye. I asked if at least checked nuts and bolts, if anything had loosened up. He said only one nut had backed off and when he added a little extra loctite, that one has stayed put as well. Kind of remarkable for such a huge motor rigidly mounted. Jason admits he doesn’t hot rod the bike, and that probably explains his super good luck with reliability. Normally, at a minimum custom bike riders end up with a lot more nuts and bolts backing out, or an electrical gremlin or two. With this bike exactly like he wants, Jason’s next project is modifying the daylights out of his wife’s Sportster. We look forward to seeing that project when it is done.