New Indian Engine
Original 1940's Indian Engine
It looks like the Indian brand is finally going to be treated with some respect. Polaris Industries has bought the rights to produce the Indian motorcycle and if the new engine is any indication, it is going to be something !
I have tried to get excited about the Indians that were produced in Gilroy and then in Kings Mountain, N.C. but they were just too clunky looking. I guess the thought was that you could slap large skirted fenders on a Harley clone and have an Indian, it never worked for me. Some were turned off by the extremely high prices, but I thought they were just plain ugly.
I have had quite a few Indians ranging from 1927 to 1948 and there was just no connection with the new bikes to their heritage. Harley Davidson and Indian were competitors not clones of each other. It looks like Polaris has done their homework and if the rest of the bike matches the engine, Milwakee had best get nervous. I have tried to talk myself into buying a new Harley Davidson but in my opinion they lost something over the years. When I was a kid the sight of a Harley was a big deal, now every other bike on the road is a Harley.
We will see. If they pull it off I plan on buying one in 2014 !
