Here’s our weekly guide to the upcoming motorcycle events and rides that are happening within the next thirty days.

Here’s our weekly guide to the upcoming motorcycle events and rides that are happening over the next several weeks.

Here’s our weekly guide to the upcoming motorcycle events and rides that are happening over the next several weeks.

Here’s our weekly guide to the upcoming motorcycle events and rides that are happening over the next several weeks.

I have to admit I’ve been around long enough to have ridden the original Yamaha Venture Royale, and quite a lovable beast it was. Then there was a Royal Star Venture in the intervening years, but it wasn’t so luxurious. Now there’s this all-new Star Venture, with which Yamaha says it’s officially re-entering the luxury-touring category.

Touring Europe on a motorcycle can be a trip of a lifetime, but how do you know where best to go? Well, here’s a thorough and easy to digest European motorcycle trip itinerary that will offer an unforgettable ride through five countries spanning two weeks. Many people wait for the perfect time in their lives to take a life-changing trip like the one below, but sometimes life gets in the way and it never happens. You may not have the time or you may not have the money. In my experience, sometimes you just have to go for it. Comparethemarket.com has compiled the hard part for you, bringing you one step closer to a trip never to be forgotten.

Begin press release…

Blessed with beautiful weather year round, weekend mornings at the Rock Store of southern California can rival the best bike shows around the globe. Eclectic characters come out of the woodwork every weekend to enjoy riding through some of the tightest, twistiest, off-camber, up- and downhill roads motorcyclists dream of. Their owners are pretty interesting, too. It’s not uncommon to see Jay Leno on one of his bizarre and rare machines or other celebrity motorcyclists such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Matt LeBlanc or Laurence Fishburne.

And while tourists and visitors may be enthralled with the celebrities, to locals there is nothing more enjoyable than an early morning cruise up Pacific Coast Highway, heading into the canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains followed by a hot cup of coffee at one of motorcycling’s most famous locales. That brisk early morning chill while moisture hangs in the air. The sunlight peeking its way through the oak trees as it rises in the east. The way the light hits the Rock Store just perfectly through the trees.

BMW announced its initial batch of models returning for 2018 with new colors and optional equipment. We’ve already written about the two most notable changes, a new ex works customization program called BMW Motorrad Spezial for RnineT and touring models, plus a new optional Bluetooth-connected 6.5-inch TFT display for the R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure, called the “Connectivity Option.” Several models also receive Emergency Call feature, though this will only be available in Europe. The rest of the announcement includes cosmetic changes and revisions to BMW’s various optional packages

One word of caution before we go into the details; these are preliminary updates and are not exhaustive. Like all manufacturers, BMW will announce further new models and updates through the year. Heck, last year at around this time, BMW announced the 2017 R1200GS would just get some Euro4-mandated updates and a revised instrument panel, and then went and announced revised fairings and two new Exclusive and Ralleye variants at EICMA. So, if your favorite Beemer got an update (or didn’t) announced, just bide your time.

Yamaha has the FJR1300 and FJ-09 to cover the sport-touring segment, and its Super Ténéré can add some adventure to a rider’s tour. Then there’s the V Star 1300s for cruisers with some touring amenities. But what’s missing is a luxurious tourer that can muscle in on Harley’s extensive touring lineup or even on Honda’s venerable Gold Wing.

Yamaha’s marketers note that touring customers are often forced into a traditional/emotional choice like a Harley or a modern/luxury mount like a Gold Wing or BMW. “We thought,” said Derek Brooks, Yamaha’s Motorcycle Product Line Manager, “Why not offer both?”

With the imminent introduction of the new Star Venture to the North American market, Yamaha takes a bold step into the luxury-touring category, what it terms as “Transcontinental Touring.” Helping make miles melt under its wheels are a touchscreen infotainment cluster, ride-by-wire cruise and traction controls, scads of stowage space, an electrically adjustable windscreen, heated grips and seats, and an electric motor to help maneuver the bike in parking situations, both forward and reverse.

When you notice the Venture is powered by an 1854cc V-Twin, you might think of the defunct Roadliner/Stratoliner’s air-cooled lump still employed in the Raider. You’d be right and wrong. The bore and stroke remain the same, but the Venture’s 113 c.i. mill is nearly a complete redo. It uses new cases to stuff in a six-speed gearbox and employs a new side-draft intake that creates extra space for fuel, a fairly generous 6.6 gallons.

With a consistently heavy volume of new stories and news items appearing daily on the Motorcycle.com homepage, it can become difficult to catch everything you’re interested in. MO‘s newsletter helps to solve that issue by delivering a digest of the latest bike reviews, comparison tests, and motorcycle news straight to your inbox every couple of days.

Dunlop Roadsmart III Performance-Touring Tire Review

In case that isn’t reason enough all by itself to sign-up for our newsletter, Dunlop Tires has stepped up to potentially make it even more worth your while. For a limited time, readers who sign-up to receive MO‘s newsletter will also be entered to win a new set of Dunlop ROADSMART III sport touring tires courtesy of Dunlop. So what are you waiting for? Get on the list and maybe get your baby some new dancing shoes in the process!

Click HERE to sign-up for the MO Newsletter and to be entered to win a new set of Dunlop ROADSMART III tires!

Father’s Day is looming on the horizon, and those of you who have motorcycle loving fathers are (hopefully) looking for a way to tell Dad how much you appreciate all he’s done for you and the family over the previous year. If he’s like most fathers, dad has probably avoided buying or doing things that he wanted to, just because the needs of the family outweighed his own desires. For families like that, you already know what to get him – just order that thing he decided not to get for himself. However, if Dad’s moto-needs are a mystery to you, take heart. We’ve put together a listing of stuff that’s bound to make your riding father quite happy. The prices range quite a bit here, so you’re sure to find something within the range of greenbacks contained in your wallet.

Yamaha announced it will introduce a new touring motorcycle during the opening ceremonies of the 2017 Americade Rally, June 5 in Lake George, NY. The presentation will also be streamed online at YamahaMotorsports.com.

“Everyone at Yamaha is very excited about what the future holds for all motorcycle riders who choose to experience the journey of a lifetime on two wheels, and we are looking forward to introducing a new model that embodies this spirit,” says Derek Brooks, Yamaha motorcycle product line manager. “We invite you to join us for the countdown to June 5th as we prepare to journey further.”

While we had hopes for a FZ-10-based model to be called the “Tracer GT” after Yamaha trademarked the name in Europe, indications are this new model will be a heavyweight touring cruiser instead of a sporty-tourer. The choice for the launch venue, in the U.S., is a strong indicator for something in the cruiser realm, but the bigger clue is the “Journey Farther” campaign Yamaha is using to hype the launch of the new model.

The model launch announcement came with the third in a series of videos for the “Journey Farther” campaign, all featuring stories from Star owners. The campaign’s landing page, as well as the three videos, all bear Star branding despite the company’s move to bring its cruisers back into the Yamaha brand.

You can watch part 1 and part 2 on YouTube. In Part 3, embedded below, the Star owners offer a wish list of features they would like to see on a motorcycle. These include an audio system, Bluetooth connectivity, built-in GPS, heated grips and seats and even a reverse drive, and their mention makes it likely the new model will offer all of these features.

What has dropped 10 pounds, gained larger wheels, honed down its seat height, and wields a kick ass new engine? If you said the Harley-Davidson Road King Special, you’d be right. So, what makes this Road King special?

2017 Harley-Davidson Milwaukee-Eight Engines Tech Brief

First there’s the new Milwaukee-Eight engine, an engine designed with two goals in mind: more power and better comfort. To that end, the Milwaukee-Eight grew to 107 cu. in., producing more power while, through clever engineering, maintaining similar fuel efficiency compared to the High Output Twin-Cam 103 engine. Additionally, comfort issues were addressed by reducing vibration at idle and employing clever heat management techniques. In addition to the increased engine output, the designers dropped 10 lbs. from the Road King’s previous weight, essentially delivering free horsepower, since the engine has to push around less mass.

Touring riders want it all: comfort, handling, big power, weather protection, and storage space. For years Harley-Davidson’s touring line of motorcycles, particularly the Electra Glides, have provided those requirements. The Ultra Limited carries the same batwing fairing of the ’Glides, but as the Limited designation implies, riders can expect more. Thanks to the Project Rushmore upgrades first seen in the 2014 model year, the Ultra Limited delivers first-class accommodations and the technological features touring riders expect. Just take a look at the infotainment system and the LED Daymaker headlight, if you’re unsure. The 2017 model year brings some big changes to the Ultra in the form of an all-new engine and upgraded suspension which combine to make the Ultra’s riding experience even more pleasurable.

Since Harley-Davidson has updated the engines of its entire touring model line, we thought we should check in with an example of each of the three variations of the Milwaukee-Eight. For years, the Street Glide has been Harley’s best-selling model – and a favorite here at MO – making it a natural choice for sampling the base-model Eight’s 107ci engine. Still, the engine isn’t the only news involving pistons on the 2017 touring models. In a normal year, the upgraded suspension components on the Street Glide would be big news, but with motorcyclists being power freaks, the new engines are stealing the suspension’s thunder.

Some may wonder why we’d bother to test a new motorcycle model that basically only includes stylistic changes from the one we tested previously. In the case of the 2016 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse, we last tested a Chieftain in November 2013 and felt enough time had passed that we needed to throw a leg over this Indian to remind ourselves what a great bike it is. Also, there was a battleship tour, in the form of the USS Iowa, involved as well as a chance to get out of the office for a ride.

Okay, right off the bat, Victory has a lot of nerve listing any Magnum X-1 as a Stealth Edition. The very idea of the Magnum X-1 is contrary to stealth in any form. First, the motorcycle in question is based the Victory Magnum, which is the tricked-out and slammed iteration of the venerable Victory Cross Country. Victory literally upped the volume with the Magnum X-1 by adding to the factory sound system already in the batwing fairing by mounting four speakers in the saddlebags. Yeah, these bikes are all about getting attention, despite having stealth in the model’s name. There isn’t any  better place than Daytona Bike Week to see how well a cruiser can strut its stuff, so we rolled up the Magnum X-1 Stealth Edition and sank our way into the hoards of people at motorcycling’s annual coming-out party.

Intelligent Cranium Helmets is developing a prototype helmet with more electronic functionality than any other smart helmet available or imagined. The iC-R features twin full-color heads-up displays, twin rear-facing cameras, a LiDAR rear collision alert system, an electronically tinting visor, built-in Bluetooth communications, phone connectivity, and a solar panel to help power all this equipment. Can a helmet with this much future tech be realized with current batteries? Get approved by DOT, Snell or ECE? ICH says yes, and that the company can do it for a retail price less than $1,600. According to the most recent update (1/6/2016) on the company’s website, ICH has entered into development agreements with:

File this one in the “They still make that?” file. We’ve been bombarded with so many cutting-edge sportbikes and go-anywhere, do-anything adventure-tourers lately that it’s easy to forget about the cruiser segment of the market. And even among the cruising set, the sub-liter middleweight category hasn’t been getting much love. The attention usually goes to the big-displacement crowd because, let’s face it, cruiser riders have an image to uphold.

So recently, as we were browsing through the Kawasaki and Star websites, we came across two models that had us asking, “They still make that?” The models being the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT and Star V Star 950 Tourer. Then, as we thought about the attention we’ve been giving to sporty bikes and adventure machines, we realized there are a lot of you who have a limited budget yet want a comfortable touring cruiser with enough guts to get out of its own way.

Piaggio revealed the new Moto Guzzi MGX-21 Flying Fortress bagger, the production version of a concept revealed at last year’s EICMA show. The design is a blend of Italian and American styling, born from the Piaggio Advanced Design Center under the watchful eye of Miguel Galluzzi (and yes, the Flying Fortress is coming to the U.S. as a 2016 model).

The MGX-21 is based on the California 1400 platform, sharing the same 1380cc 90-degree V-Twin producing a claimed 88.5 lb-ft. of torque. While the original California 1400 represented a classic style, the MGX-21 adopts a more futuristic look.

The Flying Fortress stays fairly true to the original concept, but with saddlebags rather than the wasp-like tail bodywork on the prototype that only hinted at potential storage space. The fairing is heavily sculpted, almost as if Moto Guzzi wanted to redefine the term “batwing fairing.”

Yamaha unveiled a few new models yesterday afternoon in Irvine, California, and told us to stand by, there may be another new street model yet to come later this year. We were kind of expecting the XSR700 that Yamaha teased back in July, so maybe that will be the missing model?

2016 Yamaha YZF-R1S Certified by CARB

The YZF-R1S, in the lead photo, is one of the new models it did reveal. The R1 and R1M were so well-received, says Yamaha, that it wanted to extend the reach of those highly track-focussed machines to riders who are a bit less track focussed. Substituting less expensive metals in a bunch of places means the weight of the S model goes up a bit, but the price goes down: Instead of titanium con rods it get steel ones, instead of Ti headers it gets stainless steel ones, instead of magnesium wheels it gets aluminum ones, etc. – and winds up nine pounds heavier than the standard R1, says Yamaha. It does get the six-way IMU and all the electronic aids of the R1 except the quickshifter (QSS in Yamalingo), which is available as an option. (We’d have definitely gone for some higher clip-ons on our S version, but that would’ve required a whole new fairing, so the riding position remains the same.)

The steel rods don’t let the S engine rev quite as far as the Ti-rodded engine, but peak power is supposed to be very similar anyway. Those extra nine pounds save you $2k; the S model will sell for $14,990, and only the discriminating Yamaha spotter will know you cheaped out, since there’s no S on the bike to identify it – especially if you go for the Matt Gray version, a paint scheme it shares with the regular R1.

Harley-Davidson cognoscenti are familiar with the hole in the Motor Company’s touring line up. Well, after two years absence, the Road Glide Ultra returns as a 2016 model. The vacation appears to have been good to the Ultra, which rejoins the model line tanned, rested, and with a new body to show off.

2015 Harley-Davidson Road Glide First-Ride Review + Video

The most obvious change from the previous generation of the Road Glide Ultra is the addition of the frame-mounted shark nose fairing which was introduced on the base Road Glide last year. While the fairing is sharp looking, the real purpose behind its redesign was to eliminate the buffeting that is, ironically, often felt behind the weather protection on motorcycles. Harley’s engineers solved this issue with its Triple Slipstream vent system. We loved it on last year’s base Road Glide, and a model year later, we are even more impressed with the exact same venting on the Ultra. The lower, central vents can be closed to keep air from hitting the rider’s chest in cooler weather, but as long as the top vent is left open, buffeting around the helmet at highway speeds is almost eliminated – at least for this 5-ft. 11-in. rider.

If you’re lucky, you’ve got at least one friend like this guy. You know, the one who’s always the ring leader, the one with the mad glint in his eye, always the center of attention, talking a little bit louder – OK, a lot louder – than everyone else, but unlike some people who behave the same way and seem obnoxious, this guy pulls it off. It’s the gravitational pull of his personality. Everybody gets along with him and goes along with him and, every so often, gets in trouble with him (though not as frequently as they did 10 years ago). Still, when it’s all over but for the storytelling, he wraps the narrative around all the participants, making the tale – and by extension, everyone involved – larger than life.

2015 Victory Magnum Review

Victory set out to build a bike for that charismatic guy. He wouldn’t ride a subtle bike. It would be flashy. And loud. And when necessary, it would kick some ass.

What we have here is a genetically altered motorcycle that used to be a 2012 Victory Cross Country. Given its 21-inch front wheel and saddlebag speakers, it can be seen as a transitionary mutation between the CC and the recently released Magnum. However, the characteristic we’re here to address can be found wrapped around the engine. (After all we’ve reviewed the 2015 Victory Magnum, in case you’re interested in the whole big front wheel and the kickin’ stereo thing.)

Almost exactly 14 months ago Yamaha jetted Motorcycle Courier Editor, Troy Siahaan, to San Francisco to sample the 2014 FZ-09, and he came back impressed. Just a little over two months later, MO gathered together four Triples to see how the new kid stacked up against the rest of the three-cylinder class. The results were quite favorable with the FZ-09 finishing second overall and being the editors’ choice if cost were the deciding factor. If it hadn’t been for its little sister, the FZ-07, claiming the Best Value Bike Of 2014, the FZ-09 would have been in a hard-fought battle for the number-one position in that category. That’s how much we love the FZ-09.

Moto Guzzi revealed three new California 1400 variants joining the returning Custom and Touring models. Taking the stage at EICMA were the Eldorado (pictured above), the muscle bike styled Audace and the California 1400 Touring Special Edition.

Every model year Harley-Davidson Custom Vehicle Operations offers a limited selection of factory customs for what the motor company considers to be its most discriminating customers.Traditionally, these limited editions have been used as a proving ground for new components or finishing methods before being added to the extensive factory accessory catalog. With this much on the line, naturally, H-D would only choose models that it thinks represent the best motorcycle models in production for the year. The Street Glide’s status as the best selling motorcycle the manufacturer produces makes it an obvious choice for inclusion in the CVO line.

If you’re at the Sturgis Rally in South Dakota or the National Bikers Roundup in Tulsa, Oklahoma, you’re in luck! If not, you’re probably reading this and wishing you were at one of these two rallies. Why? Because Harley-Davidson is revealing, and offering test rides on, the new 2015 Road Glide and Road Glide Special at each rally weeks in advance of announcing the company’s complete 2015 model lineup.

Harley-Davidson LiveWire First Ride

Recognizable by the new frame-mounted fairing, featuring triple splitstream vents (similar to the pressure-equalizing system introduced on the 2014 Street Glide), and dual Daymaker Reflector LED headlights, both Road Glide models benefit from H-D’s Project Rushmore  introduced last year.

Baggers are a big deal these days, making up something like half of the cruiser market according to Victory’s experts. Victory’s newest attempt to supply what the market demands is this highly customized version of its pre-existing Cross Country, dubbed Magnum.

Indian has said – repeatedly since its release of its first models under Polaris’ ownership – that it plans to expand its model line beyond just the Chief and Chieftain. Well, today, the company announced its latest addition at its dealer meeting. A few weeks ago, Indian invited a few members from the moto-press to visit the Polaris Product Development Center in Wyoming, Minn., to meet the people behind the development of Indian’s newest motorcycle, the Roadmaster.

The mid-70 degree air swirled past the cop-style windshield and gently around the riders while grips pulsed pleasantly under leather gloves. With the heat of the inland valleys behind and the promise of cool, slightly humid air along the beach, the Moto Guzzi’s chrome reflected a brilliant blue sky and wispy clouds that movies and television would have us believe make up every day along America’s southwestern coastline.

Harley-Davidson’s 2014 model-range was comprehensively overhauled, as part of the company’s “Project Rushmore,” which endowed many of their bikes with upgraded engines, suspension, brakes and infotainment.  When the 2014 bikes were revealed, the shark-nosed Road Glide – previously a popular model – was a glaring omission from the line-up.

According to a memo sent out to Harley-Davidson dealers, the Road Glide was taking a hiatus for 2014 as The Motor Company replaces the fairing tooling. But fear not as an overhauled Road Glide is heading back into the lineup – as we can see in these photos – and it will share many of the Project Rushmore technical updates given to its siblings 12 months ago.

We already knew Victory‘s Cross Country (and Cross Roads) were great bikes, comparing favorably with their big-inch cruiser rivals since their launch in 2009.

I was on the glorious Pacific Coast Highway aboard the new K1600GTL Exclusive when I had a thought that might be controversial. I imagined that Soichiro Honda, if given the choice, would prefer to be riding BMW’s new flagship rather than his eponymously named company’s iconic Gold Wing.

Cruisers have always been about the essence of motorcycling, stripping motorcycles down to their core: an engine, a seat, a pair of wheels and little else. Naturally, when thinking about the essential elements of motorcycling, thoughts of the open road come to mind. The dream of packing just what you need on your bike and pointing the front wheel towards destinations unknown looms large in many cruiser riders’ hearts.

The leather baggers segment of cruisers gives the purest physical form to that dream, presumably offering only what you need to live out that simple dream shared by all motorcyclists. When Triumph introduced the Thunderbird LT, we knew it was time to take a close look at these motorcycles since there were now a pair of new members to the category.

News flash: Women are physically different from men. Women also constitute one of the fastest growing segments in motorcycling. Consequently, motorcycle manufacturers want to find a way for their products to appeal to more members of the matched chromosome set. Since the average height for an American woman over the age of 20 is 5’4” (a good 5.5 in. less than the average American man), designing a bike that acquits itself to a woman’s shorter stature would certainly make it more appealing – and probably sell more to that up-and-coming market.

Harley-Davidson revealed the new SuperLow 1200T, adding a light-touring Sportster model to its already impressively growing 2014 product lineup. Equipped with a detachable windscreen and quick-detach saddlebags and a price starting at $11,799, the SuperLow 1200T becomes the smallest and most affordable touring model among Harley-Davidson’s current offerings.

“It’s been a fantastic six months for us,” said Matt Levatich, Harley-Davidson Motor Company President and Chief Operating Officer. “First Project RUSHMORE, then Harley-Davidson Street, now the new SuperLow 1200T and Low Rider models – all are the result of being customer led and delivering riders the technical prowess and rebellious spirit that they want infused in each and every new Harley.”

Rivalry (ˈrīvəlrē) n., Competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field.

In the early days of motorcycling, Indian and Harley-Davidson began a decades-long battle. The first Indian motorcycle was created in 1901 while the first Harley-Davidson was born in 1903. Somewhere down the road an intense rivalry developed. Insults went from good natured to downright nasty. Owners of one brand wouldn’t associate with owners of the other.

However, rivalries can be a force for good, a creator of tradition and ritual, a motivating force. Manufacturers embroiled in a heated competition regard each other as an opportunity to hone their industrial might. They use their enemy to push themselves to innovate and improve. The benefactor is ultimately you, the consumer.

We first reported on the new Indian Motorcycles after their introduction in Sturgis last August. We’ve shared with you our first impressions of the three Indian models after we experienced them in the Black Hills, and we’ve written about the design and development, detailing the tension of creating – from scratch – a thoroughly modern interpretation of a historic marque. With the Chieftain, the designers had the additional challenge of building Indian’s first motorcycle with a fairing while still making it look like a natural part of Indian’s heritage.

Just in time for the EICMA show in Milan, Honda has officially revealed the 2014 CTX1300 to the world press, and it looks exactly like the spy photos we posted on October 21st. While a bit of the surprise has been spoiled, the increased anticipation that has built around the CTX should offset any corporate disappointment from the snafu. Now, with official Honda documents in hand, we can tell you all you need to know about the CTX1300.

Watch our first impressions video of the 2014 Honda CTX1300

The CTX1300 is the second bike in the CTX series (Comfort Technology eXperience). Although there are some styling differences from its 700cc sibling, the new CTX clearly springs from the same gene pool, bearing an unmistakable family resemblance. The fairing shape with its shorty windshield and the integrated hard bags reflect the evolution of the CTX.

Forget Carnegie Hall; the best way to Sturgis is to ride, ride, ride.

In 2009, in the midst of the recession (or “economic downturn,” if you prefer), executives at Harley-Davidson Motor Company had an epiphany: Just because it’s not broken doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed.

Last weekend at its annual dealer meeting in Denver, Harley-Davidson pulled the wraps off the culmination of that enlightenment: Project Rushmore, a top-secret institutional overhaul that caught even most of its dealers by surprise. On Monday, in a flurry of press releases reported here on Motorcycle.com, Harley announced vast revisions to its Touring line, including a new batwing fairing featuring a state-of-the-art “infotainment” system and a new Twin Cam engine with precision liquid-cooled cylinder heads. Other press releases touted improvements to the Sportster line and a revamped Fat Bob.

The BMW K1600GTL has owned the Best Touring category since its introduction, and as of yet no OEM has been able to dethrone the amazingly capable Beemer. To make room for newly introduced models in other categories and because the GT and GTL are largely the same bike, we combined the two into the same category. The GT took last year’s Best Sport-Touring honors.

No matter which model, GT or GTL, a person purchases, you’ll be riding the best two-wheel touring motorcycle money can buy. In our shootout with Honda’s venerable Gold Wing the GTL’s combination of lightweight handling, a stellar inline-Six powerplant (one of motorcycling’s greatest engines) and modern luxuries left the GL breathing heavy and licking its wounds. With Honda currently focusing on more practical bikes such as its CB500 Twins, don’t look for the sexy and technology-abundant BMW K1600 to be usurped anytime soon.

Read More:
2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B Review
2012 BMW K1600GT Review
2012 BMW K1600GT Vs. 2011 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS [Video]
2012 BMW K1600GTL Review
2010 Kawasaki Concours 14 Review
2012 BMW K1600GTL Vs. 2012 Honda Gold Wing Shootout [Video]

Best Touring Honorable Mention Star V Star 1300 Deluxe

In what had to be one of the most anticipated reveals in motorcycle cruiser history, Polaris boldly used the backdrop of the world’s largest motorcycle rally to unleash the latest generation of Indians on the motorcycling community. On the steps of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and in the shadow of the Black Hills, notice was served with a loud and clear report: Indian Motorcycle is back.

As with all great expectations, the risk of anticlimax is real. But after spending a few days aboard the newest American cruiser, two things are as clear as a Sioux war cry: One, when it comes to disappointing its purists, Indian has no reason to worry; and two, that little motorcycle company in Wisconsin had better get busy acknowledging that it just might have a border war on its hands.

We’ve now ridden the new Indian Chief and confidently predict that it will make a massive splash in the cruiser market. Our full review will soon follow, but there’s a lot of ground to cover in telling the Chief’s story.

Who Is Indian?

Polaris Industries, owner of Victory Motorcycles, acquired the rights to Indian in 2011 and immediately set out to develop a premium new cruiser platform. Polaris’ 15 years of Victory experience has been used to good effect, creating in the Chief an amazingly refined motorcycle for a clean-sheet design.

And Polaris should not be taken lightly. With recent market domination in ATV and UTV markets from successful Ranger and RZR models, plus Victory Motorcycles, Polaris has become the number-one powersports OEM in North America in terms of market share, beating Harley and Honda et. al.

From these three main categories come hybrids, and this is where marketing departments have taken a few liberties. Dual-sport motorcycles, for example, are not sportbikes but standards that can be ridden, for the most part, on dirt and gravel roads. Then there are sport-touring motorcycles, a category created for the middle-aged rider who prefers a more aggressive bike than a cruiser or full dresser, yet is either intimidated by hardcore sportbikes like GSX-Rs and 916s, or after riding one for a few miles, finds it necessary to make an appointment with a chiropractor. An easy way to tell if a manufacturer intends a bike to fall within the sport-tourer category is to look for an "S" or a "T" somewhere in the bike's nomenclature.