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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va |
A lot has happened in the last 110 years since those first Indian Motorcycles hit the streets. So it seems appropriate to review how this legendary all-American motorcycle has evolved into today's ultra-premium American cruiser.
Indian was America's First Motorcycle, launched in 1901 in Springfield, Massachusetts. For at least four decades, Indian was the leading motorcycle in the U.S. and the #1 choice of law enforcement and experienced riders. Indians held numerous racing records, both on pavement and in the dirt. It was the brand that everyone loved and revered.
Indian's well-documented decline began during WWII, when the U.S. military opted for purpose-built Harley-Davidson machines for a huge military contract. Almost immediately, Indian production slowed. And as GIs returned home, they bought motorcycles they knew best---H-Ds. Indian closed its doors in 1953.
45 years later, a group in California resurrected the Indian brand and began producing Indian Chiefs, Roadmasters, Spirits and Scouts until 2003 when investment group funding dried up.
A few years later, Stellican Group purchased the rights and spent four long years optimizing design and engineering details before launch of the new 2009 Indian Chief. The result was well worth the effort. Today's Indian motorcycles are extraordinary in every way and embody both a reverence for classic Indian design, and a commitment to high technology components that deliver powerful, reliable performance.
The evolution will continue under the guidance of Polaris, but the spirit and essence of Indian will remain unfiltered. Indian will never be a mass-produced motorcycle. It will always be hand-crafted for the discerning few who appreciate the value of exclusivity. For that reason, Indians will always command a premium price comparable to fine limited production motorcars.
Everyone it seems, has an Indian story to tell--of a father, uncle, aunt, grandfather or great-grandfather who lived the joy of Indian. With great reverence for our ancestors, the new Indian motorcycle story continues to being written. Perhaps you'd like to experience that singular joy. We invite to join the Indian nation. Visit us soon.
also...
Exclusive: 2012 Anniversary Edition Indian Chiefs!
We just learned that Polaris is planning to build 110 Special Anniversary Edition Chiefs with 109 offered for sale. #110 will stay with Polaris as one of the first Indians built at Spirit Lake, Iowa. Each historic bike will come with a special leather jacket and other items to be announced. Indian Motorcycle Charlotte is now taking Advance Orders with a deposit of $1,000 for December delivery. More details to come.
Another note:
Indian will remain a limited edition ultra premium motorcycle. It will not compete at the lower end of the market. Consider that Volkswagen also owns Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini and you begin to get a glimpse of the long term strategy.
We will not see 2012 model Indian Chiefs until December-January and there will be fewer models and color combinations. (Only three 2-tone paint combos will be available, plus solid black and solid red.) |
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Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | Cap: I only hope it has a ulta premium engine to go along with the rest. Those "evo clones" just don't cut it for a rebirthed Indian........... |
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Tourer
Posts: 494
Akron Ohio area | My dealer had an Indian Chief waiting for service when I was there last Saturday.
I think that with the exception of the tires, everything else was chromed and fringed.
Absolutely beautiful!
The mechanic that worked on my bike said that he gets a higher rate of pay when working on Indians.
$30,000 initial costs plus higher shop rates when you need service simply means that this niche motorcycle is simply a toy for the rich.
Nothing wrong with that, at least it's an American made toy.
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Cruiser
Posts: 277
Apopka, FL | Thanks for the history lesson.
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | bigfoot - 2011-08-01 7:32 AM
My dealer had an Indian Chief waiting for service when I was there last Saturday.
I think that with the exception of the tires, everything else was chromed and fringed.
Absolutely beautiful!
The mechanic that worked on my bike said that he gets a higher rate of pay when working on Indians.
$30,000 initial costs plus higher shop rates when you need service simply means that this niche motorcycle is simply a toy for the rich.
Nothing wrong with that, at least it's an American made toy.
In general terms ALL motorcycles are toys. For some of us though, they are not toys. Personally, if my Vision was a toy or whim I would have never gone back to riding. I'll never be rich, but I've sacrificed to just to be able to ride and to continue to ride. I'm looking further to see where I could sacrifice and be able to own an Indian, be it old or new, it doesn't rightly matter. I would prefer a pre-1953 or a post 2009, both would have about the same price tag and would mean the same to me. The post-2009 have hit the mark as if Indian had never folded, just my opinion. |
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Tourer
Posts: 432
Gettysburg, 2008 Tour Premium | My 2003 Indian Chief Vintage in Indian Red was beautifull and absolutly the most unreliable piece of @#$% of any product I have ever owned. It was nearly untunable if you did any mods and I have fond memories of removing the carb in a Mew Mexico rest stop to try a jetting change. Bulbs, relays, head gaskets were among the many things that needed replaced after A FOOLISH 5,000 mile trip to Arizona. How is that for a little recent history!
Edited by wroman 2011-08-01 12:09 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | wroman, even Indian enthuiast regard the "gilroy" years a black-eye to the brand. It wasn't until it was too late that they realized what they had done wrong and the investors bailed out. The King Mountain and post 2009 Indians' are not the same Indians. Recently I was looking across the parking lot and saw an Indian. Well at first I thought it was one of those Kawaski drifters but then I wasn't sure so I went over to it. It was badged Indian and had all the familiar characteristics. I realize it was a Gilroy and wasn't as enthused when along came the owner. He was proud to own an Indian, but he really didn't know a lot about them, to include the newer ones and didn't even know, or seem to care that Polaris had just bought them.
Put personally I felt the Gilroys looked tinny and cheap. I stopped by the dealer in Charlotte on the way to Georgia a few weeks ago to see the good stuff and they had some Gilroys on the floor. Comparing them Gilroys to the KM was night and day, not in new looking, both were as shinny as a new penny, but the appearance in quality was night and day. I mentioned this to the dealer who informed me of the dark history of the gilroy. As he put it, it was an Indian, and they got it closer to right in the last year of that era, but by no means was it a coveted Indian.
You are part of that history, Walter, maybe one day we can share some Indian stories while out riding our Vision.
Edited by Cap'n Nemo 2011-08-01 12:14 PM
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Tourer
Posts: 432
Gettysburg, 2008 Tour Premium | I have no idea if they ever figured out how to avoid the having the crankshafts implode. Seriously there is no way I would ever consider one. I purchaed mine with an extended waranty that had a clause that somehow precluded failures that were the result of a manufactures inability to design a properly engineered product and the warranty and bike was not worth the cubic feet of space it occupied. Seriously, if Polaris builds them for a few years and the decides to close production everybody again is left hanging in the wind. I think the brand has been jinxed. |
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Tourer
Posts: 599
New Mexico |
Gilroy = AMF?
Edited by Boots 2011-08-01 5:54 PM
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Tourer
Posts: 432
Gettysburg, 2008 Tour Premium | I had a 1980 and 1981 AMF Harley tour glide (the first one was stolen.) Those bikes were dead solid reliable. They were no HP king but a friend who bought one after I did still talks how well they ran with a S&S carb and the baffles punched out of the mufflers. They would pull the front wheel when you hit second. I do not think anything sounds as good as a shovelhead and a S&S. 52 MPG also, of course we both had to drop the compression with the addition of base gaskets. Were much simpler times. I had 36K on my 81 when I sold it prior to a move out of state-it still had the original rear tire. If My Gilroy Indian was anything like the old AMF shovel I would still have it. |
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Tourer
Posts: 523
seattle, wa | wroman - 2011-08-01 4:19 PM
I had a 1980 and 1981 AMF Harley tour glide (the first one was stolen.) Those bikes were dead solid reliable. They were no HP king but a friend who bought one after I did still talks how well they ran with a S&S carb and the baffles punched out of the mufflers. They would pull the front wheel when you hit second. I do not think anything sounds as good as a shovelhead and a S&S. 52 MPG also, of course we both had to drop the compression with the addition of base gaskets. Were much simpler times. I had 36K on my 81 when I sold it prior to a move out of state-it still had the original rear tire. If My Gilroy Indian was anything like the old AMF shovel I would still have it.
I still have my 81 Tour Glide. Very comfy and fun. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | Very interesting time line about the History ( good and bad ) of Indian. http://www.indianchiefmotorcycles.com/ Tells about the very early models, the Indian/ Henderson four cylinder the scouts, powerplus, chief and big chiefs also one I never heard of a Indian/Vincent hybrid. Now there was a ultra premium engine ( for the time ) that would have set the chief way ahead of all it's competitors.
(Indian Vincent Vindian.jpg)
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 Indian Vincent Vindian.jpg (25KB - 0 downloads)
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Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | One of the big concerns at the time was the Indian/ Vincent ( Vindian ) would be too fast !! Aproximately 110 mph back when a 74 & 80 inch flathead Chief would go no faster than 85mph. Remember back in the late 40's & early 50's more than half the nations roads were not paved and there was no interstate highway system .........Funny, a KM Indian ain't much faster than the last flatties 98mph when last tested by Cycle World.
Edited by XRsteve 2011-08-02 11:46 AM
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | thanks for the lessons Steve, it makes me want to look even more in the brand. My admiration of the machine has primarily been the look and knowing the history that it gave our nation in road freedom. I just never got into the details. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | There is alot to the whole story Cap. Some points good and some not so good. They were a real leader in the industry at some points of the time line and languishing at others. I hope Polaris can make it a leader/modern premium brand again................... |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 965
New York State | I think that premium Brand thing is a streach for Indian as of late because they have not been available in many places.
Most think of the Kit bike years completed with SS motors.
They need to get bikes out in dealerships |
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | There may not be a lot of dealers, but they are there. Indian was looking at market areas so you won't find them on every corner, ever. The one in Charlotte, NC is the flagship dealer, at least when production was just 5 miles down the road at Kings Mountain. There will be confusion over time because when Gilroy had it they did the same thing. I was in Scranton PA and the dealer there had the sign still up so I thought they were a current dealer. When I asked where the new Indians were he began to cuss and rant about how bad they were about support. When I talked to the Charlotte dealer and told him about that he knew about that dealer from the Gilroy days, which is what he was referring to. Kings Mountain never approached him about the new Indians knowing his attitude. That dealer primarily catered to the ricers with a few used HD's on the floor. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | All dealers have different stories too....... No matter what brand they are carrying, some good and some bad AND it goes both ways, dealers can be asses and so can customers, throw in extended warranty support/non support and you have a real shit storm brewing sometimes......... |
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Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | Heres some pics of other " modern" Indian designs since 1980.............
(Indian IMMC.jpg)
(Indian Eller Corporation.jpg)
(Indian Dakota 4 cylinder.jpg)
(Indian Gilroy.jpg)
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Indian IMMC.jpg (25KB - 0 downloads)
Indian Eller Corporation.jpg (12KB - 0 downloads)
Indian Dakota 4 cylinder.jpg (14KB - 0 downloads)
Indian Gilroy.jpg (32KB - 0 downloads)
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A little Indian History... and future...
