Not Your Father's Indian
(or His, or His)
Motorcycle
Unless you're a cat or a plumber named Mario, you've never seen anything with
as many lives as Indian Motorcycle. In its first incarnation Indian went from the
largest bike manufacturer in America to bankruptcy over a five-decade period.
Since the manufacturer first closed up shop the 1950s, various people have tried
to breathe new life into the brand, either as mini-bikes or Harley-Davidson clones
with swoopy fenders, fringe, and different logos. However, it wasn't until Polaris
took over that the patient was successfully revived.
Drawing on the lessons learned from its Victory motorcycles, Polaris scrapped the
Indians of its predecessors, researched the original machines that made the com-
pany famous, and incorporated some of that style into not just the ThunderStroke
111 motor but the overall designs of their new bikes. Under its parent company,
Indian's design philosophy has embraced its heritage and history while bringing
modern engineering to the table. Indian has also been anything but timid in its
marketing, embracing pretty much every aspect of the cruiser side of the moto-life-
style, from comemmorating their own history on the salt with the Spirit of Munro
to hooligan racing to veterans' causes and touring.
In the very short time that Indian Motorcycle has been revived (again), they've
introduced more new models than any of its previous incarnations except the
original company's run from 1901 to 1953. Obviously a lot has changed techno-
logically since then and the new Indians reflect that. They're a very different animal
from the Harley knock-offs that passed for Indians twenty years ago, let alone the
originals your grandpappy knew about back when the Cold War was in its infancy.
From the mid-sized Scout to its larger Chief and Chieftain kin, there's a modernized
Indian cruiser for any fan of American motorcycles.
Still, a lot of riders are waiting on the company to take the street-legal FTR1200
out of Concept Motorcycle Purgatory and into production. Get crackin,' Indian,
these folks don't have all day.
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