I’m beginning to think that we’ll never see an adventure bike from Indian Motorcycle. There may have been plans for one in the before times, but the models that Indian is set to reveal on 24 January will not be off-road focused.
That’s despite the presence of quite a lot of dirt and dust in the 18-second teaser video that Indian released earlier this week. That video, with its John Lee Hooker-esque blues riff soundtrack, features close-up shots of tattooed dudes in leather and wayfarer sunglasses, with only a quick glimpse of an actual motorcycle.
What we know
That glimpse is of a stylized Indian “war bonnet” on the front fender of a bike. Which is actually enough to tell us quite a lot.
Indian only uses the war bonnet on its touring models (I suspect Indian’s marketing team would say that it uses war bonnets on baggers and touring models, but, really, those two categories are the same). Meanwhile, the more stylized war bonnet seen here (as opposed to the chunky, old-school one seen on, say, the Springfield) is the same that you’ll see on existing Challenger and Pursuit models.
Both of those bikes are driven by Indian’s 1769cc liquid-cooled PowerPlus V-twin engine, which, according to a Cruiser magazine dyno test, delivers roughly 103 horsepower and 113 lb-ft of torque. That’s less than what Indian claims (they say 122 hp and 128 lb-ft), but it’s still more than you’ll get from the big oil/air-cooled Thunderstroke V-twin used to drive Indian’s Chief, Chieftain, Springfield, and Roadmaster models. It’s more than you’ll get from the equally oil/air-cooled Milwaukee Eight V-twin engines that drive all of Harley-Davidson‘s big cruisers and touring bikes.
Of course, I didn’t need to piece together all these clues to know that the Indian models revealed on 24 January will have a PowerPlus engine. Indian’s already told us that. A marketing email publicizing the launch declares: “Join us for an unveil of the new PowerPlus family. Redefine what you expect in an American V-twin where power, distinctive style and next generation performance come together.”
What it means
All this makes sense to me. The PowerPlus engine sets Indian apart from Harley-Davidson, offering something the MoCo simply doesn’t have. As a fan of Indian, I find myself frustrated that it too often positions itself as a brand that offers bikes that are very much like those from Harley-Davidson, but which are moderately more expensive and lacking the vastness of H-D’s dealership and community networks.
Why not focus on what makes you unique: bikes like the FTR 1200 and the Challenger?
In a media release about the forthcoming launch Aaron Jax, vice president for Indian Motorcycle, is quoted as saying: “More than a decade ago, when we relaunched Indian Motorcycle, we made a commitment to innovation, just as our original founders did back in 1901. Innovation powered their success, and it is still driving us today. It’s all part of our ongoing commitment to innovating with features and options that enhance the riding experience for our customers and for generations of riders to come.”
More emphasis on PowerPlus models can show that.
At present, Indian has six models that use the PowerPlus engine: Challenger, Challenger Dark Horse, Challenger Limited, Challenger Elite, Pursuit Limited, and Pursuit Dark Horse. But I still say the platform is underutilized. That is especially true because the differences between most of those models are nominal. It’s basically just a question of bling; performance, handling, and overall riding experience is exactly the same.
What we’ll probably get
It’s been half a decade since the first PowerPlus models were introduced, so I would expect a boost in peak power and torque outputs across the board. We’ll probably see fancier electronics, as well. Whizzbang infotainment. Improved rider aids. That sort of thing. But that’s not really new.
One thing that seems obvious to me would be a model that uses fork-mounted fairing. This is the main difference between Harley’s Street Glide and Road Glide models. The former has fork-mounted fairing, which moves when you turn the bike, and the latter has frame-mounted fairing, which doesn’t move. For Indian, the Challenger’s fairing is frame mounted; the Thunderstroke-driven Chieftain’s fairing is fork-mounted. So, deliver a PowerPlus version of a Chieftain; voilà, new model.
The same trick could be repeated with a fairing-free model. I’d actually like to see that: something with the aesthetic attitude of the Springfield Dark Horse but which hustles. Indian’s take on the Honda Valkyrie F6C, I suppose.
Another totally obvious move would be to offer a King of the Baggers Race Replica model, capitalizing on the brand’s success in bagger racing.
Truth is, whatever we get, it probably isn’t going to blow us away. Polaris, Indian’s parent company, is traditionally not a ‘big swing’ organization. And, arguably, now is not the time for anyone to take big swings in the motorcycle market.
I’m sure that whatever Indian produces next Friday will look good, and I’ll want one, but it won’t be probably won’t be game-changing. And it definitely won’t be an adventure bike.
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