I ran into a Saxon rep at LifeStyle Cycles in Orange County, David Schwam (he's now the VP of sales and marketing). He was showing the boss, Junior, his new line- up. It smacked of another Big Dog, and then I spied the Black Crown designed by Gard of LA County Chop Rods. My interest was piqued and we offered to run a road test in HOT BIKE. A relationship was sparked. I love to watch these companies and work with them, if I feel they’re on the right track, have the heart, desire, and resources and are prepared to build a quality product. I’ve been watching Saxon for a year now.

I look for signs, sometimes-small elements, like the way they treat their people that show class, integrity and creativity. This company displayed several positive aspects, in a time of extensive competition, new EPA regs, and manufacturing challenges. It’s going to be interesting to watch what happens over the next few years.

The crew behind this operation consists of four partners, all from the construction industry. They grew with the 14-billion- a-year Pulti-home industry, so they began as working stiffs and made their way. The Saxon company is entirely privately funded by the partners. But it’s their desire for quality and perfection that impressed me the most. They look hard at each bike and study it for defects. The partners are actively involved in all elements of the construction of each model. The team consists of Mike Gaber, in charge of finance (CFO Pulte Homes), Jerry Petty, who owned a window business in Phoenix. His main customer was Pulte Homes when he sold the business in ’96. He oversees the construction. Steve Seymoure organized the group. He came from a history at Pulte Homes (President of the Western Region) assisting its rise from $250-million a year company to multi-billions and 300 homes a year. That’s a lot of crash pads. There’s another Mike, I call him Detroit, since he still lives there. He was the Chief Administrative Officer of Pulte.

Another key element was the desire to reach out of the box with the Black Crown, which are selling faster than cold beers at a hot ball game. Personally, I believe that thinking unique is going to make or break several of these companies. They need to deliver excitement as much as anything else.

Speaking of fireworks, I received a call from Schwam recently, “Let’s ride,” he said and sent me an invitation to ride their new model line-up for 2006 from Phoenix to the nearest beach in Rocky Point , Mexico, 3.5 hours due south. Sounded like fun, so I caught a flight to Phoenix, in the heat, while hurricane Rita pounded the coast of Texas. As I stepped off the plane Dain Gingerilli, of Iron Works magazine said opening the door to the Southwest lobby, “They call it dry heat.”

It’s sorta like someone poured gasoline on your Levis and set you on fire as you walked out the door. The difference between Phoenix and Chicago in the summer is the humidity factor. I can’t take it back east. It’s reminiscent to being dipped in boiling water. I’m not sure which choice is more life threatening, but we were in Phoenix so we snorted “Dry Heat,” and smiled.

Three other Saxon team members gave presentations at the Golf Club Resort banquet room, Gary handled Q &A, Jessica, with a delightful smile, works warranty claims and John redesigned their manufacturing facility to be an assembly line configuration. Of course David Schwam rocked the room as the marketing guru.

I’ll run through some of the elements of their presentation, but you’ll find that the bottom line is your ultimate interpretation of the motorcycle and the company behind it. Saxon’s goals for 2006 include building reliable motorcycles with a low price point to compete with Big Dog and American Iron Horse.

Their first year challenges included Brand recognition, developing a reliable supply chain, dialing in their manufacturing process, refining quality issues, supplying financing, new product launches including the Royal Crown and the wide tire (300) Griffin, developing a retail distribution network through dealers and federal and EPA compliance.

Saxon Motorcycle Company introduced four models for the 2005 line, with price points starting at $21,995. Each of the four models included an S&S engine, 6-speed transmission, a fat 250 rear tire, a Softail suspension and a choice of 8 colors.

The kick-off Saxon line included the Warlord, Saxon’s radical flagship chopper, the Firestorm, a long and low pro- street, the Broad Sword, a great looking and easy to ride beach cruiser, and the Sceptre, a classic sport cruiser.

In addition to the four models, Saxon planned to launch two additional highly anticipated models for 2006, the Black Crown, a retro-modern chopper and the Griffin, an aggressive signature series pro-street. Mike O’Brien, co-founder added “Our 2005 line is designed to appeal to a broad group of American motorcycle enthusiasts looking for an affordable bike that is sure to turn heads”.

Saxon’s commitment goes far beyond building and selling motorcycles. “We believe that our dealers and consumers deserve a level of customer service that should go along with any premium product purchase” said O’Brien. Saxon has developed a proprietary Dealer Extranet system and numerous internal processes and procedures to ensure that issues can be resolved quickly and customers can be made to feel like the central focus of a growing company.

In addition to the motorcycle line, Saxon launched the Saxon American Armor line of motorcycle lifestyle apparel. O’Brien commented, “The American Armor line was designed to appeal not only to Saxon Motorcycle owners, but to the huge group of custom motorcycle enthusiasts. We believe that through a well designed apparel program we can broaden Saxon’s appeal and increase our customer base”.

Highlights of the 2005 Saxon line included:

• S&S 96 CI engines and 6-speed transmissions standard on all models
• Powdercoated color-matched Softail frames and 250 rear tires standard on all models
• Eight color choices: Black, Pearl White, Silver, Orange, Chrome Yellow, Candy Red, Black Cherry Candy and Pearl Blue
• Digital speedometers on the Warlord and Firestorm models
• Custom seats embroidered with the Saxon logo
• Three levels of graphics packages, including a fully custom option
• Upgrade options including an S&S 111 engine, billet wheels and a chrome package

The Saxon production goals included 400 bikes in 2005, 770 in 2006, 1190 in 2007, 1670 in 2008, 2100 in 2009. Here’s the rundown on the 2006 line from the factory:

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