#IndianMotorcycles

Have you ever wanted a time machine? Well, this might be the closest we're going to get. Up for grabs is a 1930 Indian Four that comes to us from Bring A Trailer and was kept in storage for seemingly ever. It even carries that all-important patina to show for it – hence the caption at the top, which was taken from one of the comments on the BAT listing. The current owner acquired it in 2020 and had it put back into running order with a working carburetor and magneto. Other than those two items and a fresh set of tires, this Indian Four wears the marks of having been on this earth for 94 years – and counting!

You don’t get a name like Elite without earning it (or buying it in this case), and today Indian has introduced two model lines to get the Elite treatment: the Pursuit Elite and Chieftain Elite. What makes these models Elite? All you have to do is look at them to figure out what sets them apart from the standard models. For the Pursuit, this is the first time it will be getting Elite treatment, which consists of Super Graphite Metallic and Black Metallic paint schemes nicely offset with bronze details throughout to exude an air of exclusivity the base models can’t touch.

Fresh off of winning the 2022 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers championship, Indian has gone and done it – Indian is offering a super-exclusive opportunity to actually buy yourself a Challenger RR. This is an exact replica of the bike Tyler O’hara used to win the KotB championship. Yes, an exact replica. Meaning if you had the skill that Tyler has, you could go and win bagger races with it. This is a full-on, non street legal, racing machine that just happens to look like an Indian Challenger (well, loosely…).

Indian pulled no punches and left no doubt when it came to the bike it had in its crosshairs when developing its latest model. Usually at press intros, we all know what other model(s) could be considered competition, but it’s very rare to have the host manufacturer come out and say it. They usually resist the urge to talk about their competitors by name – and especially won’t mention a specific competitor model – when hyping up their new product.  

Different is good. Change is good. Not fitting precisely into a predetermined category is good. That was the take-away from many when the Indian FTR1200 hit the market in 2019. Made in America with naked bike styling, a flat-track-esque wheel combo, and a rowdy performance-focused V-Twin engine, the FTR was unlike anything to come from an American manufacturer for quite some time – and arguably the best culmination of its mass-produced parts ever assembled Stateside. 

Let’s say you like the Indian Scout Sixty. It’s really not that hard of a stretch, considering its 78 hp, 999cc V-Twin is a bit more manageable than the big boy 1133cc Twin, and it comes in at a really respectable $8,999. But what if you’re the type who thinks there’s just something missing with the Scout Sixty; maybe there’s not enough black.

For the 2020 model year, Indian is giving its ultimate touring bike, the Roadmaster Elite, a few significant updates – a bigger engine, more powerful audio system, and custom paint sure to stun. Here’s the catch: Indian is only making 225 units. However, if you’re one of the lucky 225 who shell out the $38,999 retail price in time, what you’ll get is the cream of the crop in the Indian Touring lineup. Let’s highlight the major changes.

There are a lot of ways to go for a long distance tour. These days, offerings are plentiful when choosing a steed to gallop your way across the country. There are even a few liter bikes that come equipped with cruise control, if you’re into that sort of thing. From dedicated six-cylinder sport tourers, to Dakar inspired adventure bikes, there has probably never been a better time to choose a touring motorcycle.

Harley-Davidson announced Monday it would move some of its production overseas to avoid a dramatic tariff increase imposed by the European Union. The EU tariff comes In response to the United States implementing a tax on aluminum and steel to several countries, including EU nations. The EU has responded in kind, levying a tariff on several American products. The most notable for the Motorcycle.com audience is the tariff on American motorcycles 500cc and larger. This is clearly targeted at Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson, though Indian Motorcycles (and parent company Polaris) will also be impacted. Electric motorcycles are not affected by this tariff, leaving Zero Motorcycles out of the conversation.

Building and customizing motorcycles is an art form with freedom of expression like any other, but there’s one catch: More than just something to look at, these rolling works of art have to function properly, too. Indian Motorcycles has created a totally unique custom build-off competition that celebrates undiscovered, small-time builders with big-time skills – The Wrench: Scout Bobber Build Off.

It’s been about six weeks since the departure of MO‘s former Editor-in-Chief, Kevin Duke, who has been toiling at his new gig at The Brand Amp, a SoCal-based PR agency. As a production manager for the agency’s content department, Duke has primarily been working on behalf of Indian Motorcycles to produce video content used across Indian’s various channels. All the while, making us jealous of his close contact with the Indian FTR750. 

You know what they say, “Bad news travels fast,” and a few months ago, it seemed like the motorcycle industry was full of it. Every day felt like there was a new report painting a gloomy portrait and claiming the motorcycle industry was doomed if we didn’t do something about it. How could something so awesome as motorcycling be destined for failure?

When motorcyclists think of the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats, I’d bet most would envision either Rollie Free aboard a Vincent in his bathing suit or Burt Munro, whose historic land-speed record was immortalized in the Anthony Hopkins film, The World’s Fastest Indian.

After seeing the new 2018 Indian Scout Bobber on Friday, I called Editor Duke to brief him on the new model. After explaining that it was, mechanically, very similar to the original Scout with mostly cosmetic changes, he asked me a simple but important question: “Well, would you rather buy this one or the old one?” The answer was easy: I would definitely rather have this new Scout Bobber.

Today I found myself stepping off of a plane in Minneapolis, MN, with a few other journalists. While the X Games are currently in full swing here in the “Twin Cities,” we were in town for the launch of a new Indian Scout. The 2018 Indian Scout Bobber is a minimalistic, low-slung, blacked-out version of its predecessor. Looking at the bike once the covers came off, the word muscle comes to mind. The kind of motorcycle that kicks sand in your face and takes your girlfriend. I like it.