RIDE REVIEW I KING OF THE BAGGERS INDIAN CHALLENGER
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to-one. So, jumping on this with
a one-to-one throttle map was
quite an eye-opener, to say the
least.
"We worked closely with the
calibration guys. They quickly got
a handle on how to transfer all
that torque to the rear tire. Then
over the day, we made such big
steps in progress that I kind of
wanted to come back and do
some more. When you see the
bike developing quickly it gives
you some extra motivation."
Chukwalla's turns also allow
the factory Indian's incredible
turn speed and agility for such a
big bike to be put on full display.
Charging into turn one's left kink
and hard right, the Indian rips
from upright on the brakes to on
its side in an instant. O'Hara's
racer is loose compared to
McWilliam's more stable setup,
but it's not loose to the point of
nervous. The chassis doesn't
so much as talk to you as it
does scream at you, especially
when everything gets flexy on
those first few seconds when
the throttle is picked up. How-
ever, you're never in doubt as to
what's happening beneath you,
and it's a feeling I can only imag-
ine is increased when running
the real race-spec Dunlop slicks
used in MotoAmerica.
It's quite remarkable what
Indian Motorcycle and, for that
matter, what Harley-Davidson
has achieved in creating the
King of The Baggers class,
because this has easily become
one of the most popular classes
not just in America but, judg-
ing from the YouTube numbers,
around the world.
After riding Tyler's and Jeremy's
bagger at Chuckwalla, I take my
hat off to these men and women
because although spectacular
and oh-so-American, these are not
easy machines to ride. Big, heavy,
brash, these are bad-ass motor-
cycles, but I'm glad to have been
given just a small glimpse into
what makes them tick and just
how trick they really are.
CN
O'Hara with the spoils.
MotoAmerica King of The
Baggers has become the
most popular class in
only three years.
