Indian Motorcycle has begun making noise about its 125th anniversary and concurrent split with erstwhile parent company Polaris, announcing a bold new… uh… slogan.
That slogan is “Never Finished,” which Indian describes as being part of “a year-long campaign that pays tribute to the pioneering spirit of founders George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom, while declaring that Indian Motorcycle will never stop challenging limits.”
For those of you just showing up, Indian Motorcycle was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1901. Hendee and Hedstrom had been competitive bicycle racers and the company’s very first motorcycle was effectively a bicycle with an engine.
The company rose to prominence pretty quickly, with racing wins and feats of derring-do, such as in 1914, when Erwin “Cannoball” Baker crossed the country on an Indian in just 11 days (this was at a time when the United States had no cross-country roads; five years after Baker’s feat – in 1919 – it took the U.S Army 56 days to move a convoy of trucks from Washington, DC to San Francisco).
But signs of the unsteadiness that would plague the brand throughout its history also appeared early. Hedstrom walked away from the company in 1913; Hendee walked out in 1916. The company went through all kinds of financial challenges after the Second World War, before eventually going bankrupt in 1953. The name spent the next 60 years being claimed and fought over by charlatans and dreamers before eventually being resurrected by Polaris in 2013.
Polaris sank real money into the brand but got a little gunshy when the return on that investment wasn’t immediate. In hindsight, signs of the corporation’s disinterest in the brand were evident even four years ago. In late 2025, it announced that it was selling its majority stake in Indian Motorcycle and, by extension, wiping its hands of the motorcycling business.
A deal to shift majority ownership to California-based private equity company Carolwood LP is set to have been completed round about nowish. At the same time that Indian was announcing its Never Finished campaign this week, it published a longish post on Instagram that reflected on Indian’s success under Polaris and concluded:
“Now, the iconic American company enters a new chapter under new leadership. Indian Motorcycle will continue operating with its existing facilities (including manufacturing plants in Spirit Lake, Iowa and Monticello, Minnesota) and its workforce, roughly 900 engineers, designers, and factory staff. The path forward will be led by industry veteran Mike Kennedy.
For riders, dealers, and fans, this leadership transition isn’t a disruption, it’s a launchpad into a new era.”
Reflecting on the Never Finished campaign – which, in light of the Polaris split, feels as much like a plaintive “We’re not dead yet” insistence as it does a bold declaration of intent – Nate Secor, director of marketing for Indian Motorcycle, said: “The Never Finished campaign isn’t just a celebration of our 125-year history, it’s a commitment to our riders that we are always innovating, always competing, and will always be pushing forward.”
Outside of a clever slogan, however, Indian hasn’t actually offered up anything new. Yet.
In fairness, though, we already know that Indian appears to be on the verge of offering a more powerful Scout Bobber, and… watching what I say here… I was recently invited to an Indian Motorcycle media event. I can’t tell you where or when the event is, nor what it’s about. But, you know, it’s an event. And companies don’t host events if they don’t have anything to show.
“With 125 years of road behind it, Indian Motorcycle’s legacy serves as a launchpad, shaped by its rich history and driven forward by competitive spirit, grit, and determination,” declares a media release. “Throughout 2026, Indian Motorcycle will celebrate its 125th anniversary through a variety of products, programs, and rider promotions.”
Dancing the Polka is a good place to stay informed of whatever those “products, programs, and rider promotions” end up being. I’ve long been a (somewhat fickle) fan of the brand and am eager to see where it goes.
Leave a Reply