Indian Motorcycle Will Not Build an Entry-Level Bike, Says New CEO

You'd be hard-pressed to look at a motorcycle manufacturer these days and not find an entry-level motorcycle. It is, after all, the hottest segment within the industry, and it's not hard to see why, as the economy is trash, worker pay is stagnant while inflation booms, and just about everything costs a trillion dollars. Small bikes, ones that are cheap to buy, insure, and fix up, make a whole lot of sense. 

Hell, even Harley-Davidson is getting in on the trend in 2026. 

So you may be surprised to hear that Indian Motorcycles, which just went through an ownership change and is looking to achieve further growth after its separation from Polaris, ain't barking up that tree. In fact, when RideApart asked newly minted CEO Mike Kennedy about the future, and specifically about entry-level motorcycles, it was an emphatic "No" on entry-level, small-displacement motorcycles. The future, however, is in Indian's strengths, which are its past. 

"So in 2025, the US marketplace on highway motorcycles down 6.5%. Indian's market share grew. It grew in touring. It grew in cruisers.  And by the way, there's a ton of market share left to be gained, right? And so when I analyze the market, it is not a factual statement to say that only the $6,000 bikes are the ones selling. That just isn't true. And again, we have a bike that sells for under $10,000, which is a very accessible bike," Kennedy replied to our question concerning his stated focus on middle and heavyweight cruisers, baggers, touring, and a forthcoming trike. 

He added, "And by the way, one thing that we don't talk a lot about, as an OEM, we don't talk a lot about it, but the pre-owned product is a great gateway for riders into the brand." But that's not a true entry-level motorcycle, as price alone doesn't account for being entry-level, to which RideApart countered, asking how Indian aimed at attracting newer riders, those who maybe weren't well-versed in motorcycling, and those getting into motorcycle ownership for the first time.

His response was that, basically, Indian isn't for them. But the brand's push toward licensing and merch could be. 

"We're not going to be that entry-level motorcycle because of size," stated Kennedy, adding, "Right, I have a daughter who's a nurse. She has her motorcycle license. She sat on my 101 Scout the other day, and she's a small-framed human being, right? And she can ride a motorcycle. But there's no way she's riding that 101 Scout. It's way too much physical of a bike for her. So we're not the answer for her, unfortunately. But I think we're an aspirational brand. And one of the things that the Carolwood team is really excited about is on the apparel and licensing front. What things can we do to keep the brand aspirational to a wider audience so that as people come in, maybe on other brands or other pre-owned brands, and they're looking at the Indian product line as an aspirational brand."

When pressed on that, asking if Indian sees itself as a Porsche or Lamborghini-type aspirational marque, Kennedy told RideApart, "Yeah, I don't like Lamborghini. I'm to reject that one [laughs]. But I get where you're going. And by the way, if I could do everything under the sun, would I want a $6,000 bike that's on a smaller-built frame with a 650cc or 750cc? Of course I would. Absolutely. But that will be a distraction for this company. In this context, and I think most importantly from a business management perspective and from a growing rider perspective, there is significant market share in middle and heavyweight cruisers, baggers, and touring. So we can continue to grow, and we can continue to grow our share [of those markets]."

Kennedy finished with, "But at the end of the day, when we lay out our product strategy, we're focused on our DNA, our styling cues." And that, for the time being, are Indian's cruisers, baggers, and touring machines.

So if you were holding out hope for an FTR revival, you might as well stop holding your breath.