Indian Motorcycle Unveils Three New Models In Bid To Take On Harley Davidson

11 years, 3 months ago - 15 August 2013, Forbes

America’s first motorcycle company, Indian Motorcycles, came roaring back to life Saturday night at the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.

Dakota, where the company unveiled not just one, but three new models to challenge market leader Harley Davidson.

The new bikes combine Indian’s iconic styling with modern technology features like a new Thunderstroke 111 engine, keyless ignition, electronic throttle, Bluetooth smartphone connectivity and a windshield that powers up or down.

The ambitious rollout by parent Polaris Industries, the $3.2 billion-a-year maker of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles, comes after a series of false starts by previous owners in the 60 years since Indian went bankrupt.

One big difference is the price: Polaris repositioned the brand to go head-to-head with Harley by cutting thousands of dollars off the sticker of each of its new models.

The new lineup includes the Indian Chief Classic, starting at $18,999; the Indian Chief Vintage, at $20,999, and the Indian Chieftan, at $22,999. Until now, Indian bikes were priced as high was $37,000 but suffered from marginal quality. They will arrive in dealerships in September.

The new Indian Chief Classic is a pure, powerful cruiser featuring iconic styling like valanced fenders, leather saddle, classic tank-mounted instrumentation, tear-drop fuel tank design, and sculpted and lighted front fender war bonnet, along with bells and whistles like keyless ignition, antilock brakes, cruise control, throttle-by-wire and dual exhaust.

The Indian Chief Vintage offers soft-sided leather bags, leather fringe, chrome fender tips, vintage chrome badging on the front fender and a quick-release windshield for easy installation or removal.

The Indian Chieftain is the first Indian to offer a molded front end, or fairing, with integrated driving lights, and a power windshield. Standard features include hard saddlebags featuring remote locks and quick-release anchors, a high-output audio system featuring integrated Bluetooth smartphone connectivity, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

“Indian always has been thought of as a classic cruiser,” said Steve Menneto, Polaris’ vice president of motorcycles. “What we’ve been saying from day one is we are going to be true to Indian’s roots. They were very innovative and progressive back in the day.” Referring to the Chieftain, he said, “This bike exemplifies how we are going to go in new directions. It shows where we’ve been and where we’re going.”

“It’s been a grueling, exciting and very expensive 27 months,” said Polaris chief executive Scott Wine. The company spent nearly $100 m to develop the bikes, he said.

“When we acquired Indian Motorcycle two and a half years ago we set out to capture the heart, soul and legendary heritage of this iconic American brand and then infuse it with unparalleled design, engineering and state-of-the-art technology,” said Wine. “On Saturday night we revealed three stunning new Indian Chief models that represent the results of our journey and the future of this brand. It was a triumphant day for all of us.

The Sturgis motorcycle rally was a fitting location for the unveiling since the event, which typically draws 400,000 bikers a year, was founded in 1938 by a local Indian dealer, Clarence “Pappy” Hoel. “We wanted to connect to our heritage,” said Menneto.

The company is adding quickly adding dealerships, and expects to have 125-140 North American and 70 international dealers by year end. Demo rides will be available starting later this month.

Indian Chief Classic

The new Indian Chief Classic is a pure, powerful cruiser featuring iconic styling. like valanced fenders, leather saddle, classic tank-mounted instrumentation, tear-drop fuel tank design and sculpted and lighted front fender war bonnet.

Indian Chief Classic

It has bells and whistles like keyless ignition, antilock brakes, cruise control, throttle-by-wire and dual exhaust.

Indian Chief Classic

The model starts at $18,999.

Indian Chief Vintage

The classic Indian Motors emblem.

Indian Chief Vintage

The model starts at $20,999.

Indian Chieftain

The Indian Chieftain is the first Indian to offer a molded fairing with integrated driving lights and a power windshield.

Indian Chieftain

Standard features include hard saddlebags featuring remote locks and quick-release anchors, a high-output audio system featuring integrated Bluetooth smartphone connectivity, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

Indian Chieftain

The model starts at $22,999.