It is one of the most legendary battles between two giants. Sadly, unlike the Ford vs GM rivalry that also grew around the same time, one of the big brands eventually did get defeated. Indian went under by the early ’50s and left something of a void for many years, but as much as they were down, they were far from out. After several failed attempts to resurrect the company, they finally found a home with a company better known for their snowmobiles.
First American Motorcycle
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In 1901, The Hendee Manufacturing Company started producing Indian motorcycles, making it the very first legitimate motorcycle manufacturer in America.
They beat Harley by a good three years, and got a minor leg up on them in those early years, but still struggled to make the business profitable. By the ’20s, they were renamed The Indian Motocycle Company (no “r”), but unfortunately, their success was fairly short-lived and like many other businesses, went under post-war.
Flat Track Heritage
Between the ’20s and ’50s, flat track racing took the U.S. by storm, and had become the most popular motorsport at the time.
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For that period, it was a two horse race between Indian and Harley-Davidson, and the two manufacturers exchanged titles right up until Indian won their last title in 1953. Unfortunately, they succumbed to bankruptcy that same year. It comes as no surprise that they want to tap into that heritage with their FTR (above).
Owned By Polaris
Between 1953 and 2010, the naming rights for Indian motorcycles changed hands several times, and on every occasion, any hopes for a revival were quickly dashed.
In 2011, all that changed when Polaris bought the company. They were determined to do it right and as time would eventually tell, they did.
Embrace Technology
Unlike their direct competitors, they were willing to adopt new technology and incorporate it into the traditional designs.
It gave their bikes a unique advantage for quite some time, and as their market share grew, it forced movement out of the competition. Unfortunately for some of the smaller brands, it was indeed the end of the line.
Alternative Option
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The patented V-twin thump of Harley-Davidson was never going to be something they could imitate or re-imagine. The V-twin is very much a modern machine, and it’s actually something that represents the future for bikes like this.
It was believed that nobody would buy an American cruiser or tourer if it wasn’t a Harley, but Indian has indeed proven the doubters wrong in that sense, and the company has established itself as the official alternative.
Modern Engines
The love for the V-twin runs deep at Indian. Right from the early days, they had seen its value and pretty much stuck to it right up until the end.
When the company relaunched under Polaris, that was one of the main focal points, and thankfully they did not disappoint. The torque rich V-twins are made in the U.S. by Polaris, and while they look pretty old school, they are very much modern engines.
All Torque
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Over the years, Indian’s powertrains have proven to be the real difference between them and the direct competition. In the right state of tune, that Thunder Stroke engine makes as much as 120 pound feet of torque.
More recently, they launched the PowerPlus engine for their new Challenger bagger that makes closer to 130 pound feet, and also around 50 more horsepower than the Thunder Stroke.
Reliable Cruisers
The only way they are able to compete in a market driven by tradition, is by offering high quality products that simply have to be better in every aspect.
Such is the nature of the business they have gotten into. For buyers that have been willing to switch, the one thing they lose is tradition, other than that, Indian offers superior reliability, build quality, and technology.
Impressive Value
No bike in their lineup better illustrates their value than the Scout range, which offers incredible bang for buck.
Few metric cruisers offer as much value, yet you still get a V-twin that has an authentic feel to it, albeit smaller in displacement.
The Real Deal
Objectively speaking, Indian is a rising star in the industry. The company has harnessed the soul of a once dead brand and breathed new life into it with a selection of high quality products.
Unfortunately, it will take more time for people to realize that it isn’t just all marketing hype as some would want you to believe. The only way to make an informed decision is to take one of their bikes for a ride…
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