Indian is going to be offered with a new engine built by Polaris but it is not the Victory engine.
It is one of the most beautiful V twins I have ever seen. It captures the spirit of the old Chief.
It should make a superb sidecar tug.
https://www.indianmotorcycle.com/en-us/introduction/video/pages/new-engine.aspx?WT.ac=IND-camp-home
The next one offers an even better look.
So far it's just a 110 year old Logo that has had many attempts for success in different countries the last 60 years. Like many other marques (Norton, Henderson, etc.) they keep trying for a comeback.
Maybe this time someone will get it right. Time will tell.
Lonnie
I have seen all about the new engine and in my opinion is the first Indian motor since they closed the doors in 1953 in Springfield. Being Polaris and Victory is who owns them I think things are going to change if Indian builds a good looking bike around the engine. Up till now all they have been building is a custom bike with the Indian name on it. This is the first time Indian has gotten my attention since I have been alive. They closed just before I was born. Just my 2 cents.
I'm with Lonnie on this one. I do hope they manage to resurrect the brand, though, and keep it reasonably priced.
nice looking motor . hopefully Indian will do well with Polaris .
horrorguy - 3/13/2013 11:18 PM
nice looking motor . hopefully Indian will do well with Polaris .
I think they will do to having a good all ready established company not like all the others that have tried.
As poor as Harley s are made now and as poor as the dealers treat customers I hope they give them a run for their money. And that is coming from a person that has been riding and working on Harley s none stop for 42 years.
I've had Harleys (and many others) for over 57 years. Early ones were primitve and took a lot of TLC, AMF models were junk, I loved the Buell framed FX's, not nuts about the more flexible FXDs. My 2010 Street Glide works fine now after some early problems. The Motor Company is no worse than the rest of them. I still prefer (some of) their bikes, but not all of the new stuff.
All Marques have QC problems and are off the charts as far as pricing of bikes, parts and service go. No Exceptions. They are all world market products using the most reasonable (cheapest) vendors for the most profit.
Lonnie
The biggest problem with the Twin cam is the cranks particularly after 02 as that was the last year for forged cranks and the good Timken dual cone motor sprocket bearings they have been basically using from 1955 to 02. The new cheaper bearing on 03 and up was not done to make it better it was done as it is cheaper and faster to install in the cases. Yes HD did come up with a better bearing but still not as good as the Timken. This is why all the people like S&S and other folks that make after market cranks will not warrinty the crank unless you run a Timken bearing set up. The balancing is figured into the casting and how many castings weight the same? Then the true is JUNK and why so many have crank problems. Being I work on them I keep up with all this.
They do not even check the true after pressing them together and I have pulled NEW cranks out of the box that where .003 to .006 out new out of the box. The service wear limits is .003. I have never let a crank I build out unless it was under .002. This is why so many work on pressed cranks now and if you want a good crank you have to do something to the stock one.
At this point I can build Evo and earlier cranks including but not limited to balance rebuild rods and so on. But working on making what I need to do pressed cranks. Have 3 Harley motors I am building right now. On my 02 ultra I have over 92,000 on it and only problem I had was cam chain tensioners and I fix that with a SE cam plate up date. I do all my own work other then the pressed cranks but that is coming including but not limited to all my own machine work.
I owned two new AMF bikes and both where really good bikes. Yes the quality control was not the best when AMF had them but it is not very good now either. But I thank God for AMF as with out them Harley would not be in business now.
It my take some years but in my opinion Indian will put the squeeze on HD like they did many years ago. At least now we have 4 USA motorcycles to choices from and how long has it been since we had that many options? YEARS
Yes I will keep riding Harleys but will never buy anything 06 dyna and up or anything 07 and up. But ride what makes you happy like I do.
4 mototorcycle producers in US? HD, Buell, Polaris, Rakon?
So the 1920ties must have been fun. Only in Berlin were over 23 motorcycle producers and about 150 something in Germany. I still laugh about Yamaha in 1988 pulling out as a new invention a front fork with paralell front suspension for competition. That was standard in the twenties, only they didn't have then needle bearings in the pivots.
Or when someone was so proud about the radial burning chamber around 1986. that was working in 1923 in France with 4 overhead valves heading into the head each with another angle.
No, we are in a design wise point of view in a sad time. What we have now is fine materials, 3D models, CNC machining, fabulous electronics and all kind of Schickimicki.
I'd love to have nowerdays materials and production possibilities and get the old fashioned engineers to life again. That's the same in motorcycles as in precision machinery where I have years of comparision in designs and hands on trouble shouting.
With HD I had no experience since 1988 but until that time hey were only causing pitty. It looks they are now much more reliable then before I left Germany.
Sven
i have been running Harleys for 40 years .i have been happy with the bikes .I had one Victory .it was a good bike so i think Polaris will be good for the Indian .the new motor is a step in the right direction .
Harley, Victory, Indian and Buell.
didn't Buell stop production ?
horrorguy - 3/15/2013 2:10 PM
didn't Buell stop production ?
Harley did but Eric Buell is back bigger and bader then every!!!!!!!!!!!! Check out his race team. The street bike 173 HP. Race bikes 230HP.
http://www.erikbuellracing.com/
i see Buell was taking orders for 100 bikes .i also see no dealerships listed .hopefully Buell will continue .
i do want to see new Indian when they put out the new motor .hopefully Polaris will be able to get the cost down a little . plus they need to bring back the Indian sidecar [maybe liberty can do that ]
