There are certain aspects of the design of a production custom American V-Twin that always do well with the riding public, and Saxon seems to know this very well. The Casa Grande, Arizona, manufacturer's recipe involves reliable power, flashy paint, and predictable handling, culminating in the company's flagship model, the Warlord.
When the Warlord arrived at our offices, we were excited to see that Saxon took the extra time thinking about the details of the machine. We immediately noticed the hidden tank and fender mounts; the right-side-drive transmission for the 260-series tire; and the matching billet wheels, rotors, and pulley. The sheetmetal was positioned at aesthetically appealing angles, and the paint job was of incredible quality-but we would have gone with a gold pinstripe on the flames instead of green (we're just nitpicking, though).
As a production bike that has to meet EPA standards, the Warlord has more than adequate power with the standard 96ci S&S, and it's extremely reliable. Saxon offers a 111ci upgrade, but, like all production bikes, this one could benefit from a hotter cam. We did like the black wrinkle finish of the motor (an upgrade from raw cast aluminum), and the company also offers a polished version for a few bucks more. As for the transmission, the standard RoadMax six-speed shifts smoothly, and it's easy to find Neutral. It also allows the rider to easily achieve speeds in excess of 100 mph.
The great handling and ergonomics of the bike aren't evident until you swing a leg over it and log a few miles. The 6 inches added to the downtubes and 2 inches in the backbone, coupled with the 45-degree total rake of the frame, the right-side drive, and an 11-inch-over frontend, equal a chopper that thinks it's a stock bike. We only say that because it's nimble at slow speeds and balanced at high speeds, and it has a decent lean angle to get through the corners quickly. When you're riding it, the Warlord is about as comfortable as a bike can get. The seat combines good looks with wonderful padding-it doesn't look like a lounge chair, but it's easy to ride hundreds of miles at a time.
Surprisingly, the Warlord base model retails for $24,595, and the bike we tested goes for $26,720-a lot of bike for the money! Total upgrades included billet wheels, upgraded paint, and black wrinkle-finish motor, which were definitely worth the cash for the looks we got riding it. Overall, we were very impressed with the bike and can't wait to get another Saxon to test!