The storied Indian Motorcycles brand will enter a new era this August at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with the debut of the 2014 Indian Chief. Powered by the  all-new Thunder Stroke 111 engine, the new Chief will be the first new Indian motorcycle introduced after the company was acquired by Polaris Industries in 2011.

To prepare for the launch, Polaris has released a new image and video of the new Chief, and announced it will be available in North American dealerships later this year with prices starting at $18,999.

The teaser images offer up some details, though nothing not entirely unexpected. We already knew about the Thunder Stroke 111 engine and the Indian head fender light has been a long-time feature on Indian motorcycles. We can also see the silhouette of the headlight with smaller, auxiliary driving lights. The studs on the rider and pillion seat stand out clearly in the teaser image, as does the long, straight exhaust pipe. Continue Reading »

Polaris Industries reported a 26% increase in net income over the first quarter of 2013, but a 2.9% decline in on-road vehicle sales (comprised almost entirely of Victory and Indian Motorcycles).

The company’s first quarter filings report a net income of $75.5 million, up from the $60.1 million reported over the same period in 2012. Much of the increase can be attributed to a 217% increase in net sales from its snowmobile division, spurred in large part by increase in snowfall across many regions of North America.

Unfortunately, the prolonged snowmobile season also means a delayed start to spring which had a negative impact on motorcycle sales. Polaris’ on-road division reported net sales of $62.9 million over the opening quarter of 2013, down from $64,7 million reported in the first quarter of 2012. Unseasonably warm weather last spring also helped buoy sales in the first quarter of 2012, further affecting the percentage decrease. Continue Reading »

Polaris has added another brand to its growing list of acquisitions, buying out Aixam Mega S.A.S., a French manufacturer of light-duty commercial vehicles and quadricycles – small four-wheeled enclosed vehicles that can be driven, in some markets, without an automobile driver’s license.

Aixam Mega joins Polaris’ portfolio which already includes Victory Motorcycles, Indian Motorcycles, electric vehicle makers Global Electric Motorcars and Groupil. Like GEM and Groupil, Axiam Mega produces small vehicles, though its products include both electric and diesel-powered vehicles. The company sells quadricycles under the brand name Axiam, as well as commercial vehicles under the Mega brand. Its vehicles are sold primarily in Europe with sales reaching US$110 million in 2012. Continue Reading »

To mark the unveiling of its new Thunder Stroke 111 engine, Indian Motorcycle revealed a custom-built streamliner motorcycle dubbed the “Spirit of Munro“, equipped with the new Indian engine.

The “Spirit of Munro” is a tribute to the Munro Special, the 1920 Indian scout that set a new land-speed record in 1967 at the Bonneville Salt Flats for under-1000cc motorcycles. The Munro Special was famously depicted in the 2005 film “The World’s Fastest Indian“, starring Anthony Hopkins.

The streamliner is fully operational, designed from the ground up around the new Thunder Stroke engine. The engine is paired with a custom exhaust and intake system as well as a chain drive conversion for the tall gearing required of a motorcycle built to set speed records. Continue Reading »

Indian Motorcycle revealed its all-new Thunder Stroke 111 engine, the first engine developed under its new Polaris Industries ownership and the powerplant for the 2014 model year. According to Polaris, the Thunder Stroke 111 engine has already undergone over a million miles of testing, including thousands of miles of on-road testing.

Polaris deserves some credit for developing an all-new engine for Indian Motorcycle instead of just re-using the 106ci Freedom V-Twin engine used in the current Victory Motorcycles lineup. Instead, Polaris worked to develop a whole new engine in less than two years after the acquisition, providing modern engine technology to the 112-year-old Indian Motorcycle brand.

At 111ci (1811cc in metric) Thunder Stroke 111 engine is larger than the Freedom engine, while its 49-degree V-Twin configuration is just a tad narrower than the Freedom’s 50-degree V. According to Indian, the fuel-injected new engine is air-cooled with an integrated oil cooler and delivers more than 115 ft-lb. of torque, whereas the Freedom engine claims up to 110 ft-lb. of torque. Continue Reading »

Bike Week! Motorcycle.com will have our boots – and wheels – on the ground. Will you?

In addition to the sun and fun, there are plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained, and  Daytona International Speedway is the epicenter. AMA races include: Supercross on March 9; Flat Track on the 14^th and 15th; and the Daytona 200 on Saturday the 16th. In addition to the races, demo rides from ALL the major manufacturers will Continue Reading »

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Filmed at the 2013 Progressive International Motorcycle Show in New York City, the “Indian Motorcycle Summit” press conference featured celebrity panelist Mike Wolfe and top executives from Indian Motorcycle including Steve Menneto, Gary Gray and designer Michael Song. Moderated by Robert Pandya, panelists discussed everything from Mike’s favorite picks to the company’s exciting plans for the upcoming launch of the all-new Indian Motorcycle – one of the most anticipated and historic events in motorcycling history. Continue Reading »

Indian Motorcycles is continuing its rebirth under new owners Polaris Industries with a big showcase at the New York City stop of the International Motorcycle Shows, Jan. 18-20 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

The storied American motorcycle company is trying to re-establish its brand this year ahead of full product revamp for 2014. To that end, Indian Motorcycles will have its entire 2013 lineup including the Indian Chief Vintage Final Edition (pictured above). Executives from both Indian and Polaris will also be on-hand to meet visitors and discuss the future of the brand.

Indian will also continue its partnership with Mike Wolfe of the History Channel’s “American Pickers“. Wolfe will join a panel of Indian executives for a press conference at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 18 to answer questions from the public as well as appearing at the Indian display for an autograph signing. Continue Reading »

Polaris Industries offered the first preview of the next generation of Indian Motorcycle, releasing an audio clip of the new engine that will power an all-new model.

Indian is offering a a line of 2013 Chief models but all of them are continuations of  models offered by Indian’s owners. The new Polaris-era Indians are still a year away, but Polaris decided to start promoting the brand and teasing the new models ahead of a 2014 re-launch.

Unsurprisingly, the engine has a throaty V-Twin rumble; V-Twins have been powering Indian motorcycles since 1905, and the brand’s new owners Polaris have extensive experience with V-Twins as well, with Victory Motorcycles. Continue Reading »

Polaris Industries has acquired motorcycle and snowmobile gear manufacturer KLIM. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The KLIM brand will continue operating as a standalone business alongside Polaris’ existing apparel labels. KLIM staff will continue operating at its existing headquarters in Rigby, Idaho. In fact, Polaris plans to make KLIM’s Rigby facility its new apparel “Center of Excellence”, using the company’s expertise and capabilities across all Polaris apparel brands.

“I built KLIM with a passion for the category and a commitment to the world’s adventure snowmobile and motorcycle riders,” says Justin Summers, KLIM founder, president and CEO.  “We had a vision of making products that mattered, that solved problems and that were the best they could be. I am very proud of what we have built at KLIM, and I am fired up that the next chapter of the KLIM story will be written through our exciting partnership with Polaris. KLIM will now have the resources to reach the next level as we continue to innovate and lead into the future.” Continue Reading »