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 »

American motocross pioneer, race team manager and motorcycle industry executive Mark Blackwell is getting another honor: being recognized as an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend. Blackwell, who was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2000, will be feted alongside the 2013 induction class during AMA Legends Weekend, Oct. 18-19 at the Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa and Casino in Las Vegas.

Blackwell will be honored alongside Torsten Hallman, another member of the of 2000 class, who will be recognized as a Legend for helping introduce motocross to America and for founding gear maker Thor. Like Hallman, Blackwell excelled at several different facets of the motorcycle industry.

As a racer, Blackwell was one of America’s first motocross racing stars, competing in the late ’60s and early ’70s. In 1970, Blackwell was hired to ride for Husqvarna and traveled to Sweden to train with the factory riders. He came back to the U.S. the following year and raced in the Trans-AMA series, winning the American class title by beating Brad Lackey by a single point. In 1972, Blackwell won the prestigious Daytona Motocross before returning to international racing in Europe. 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 »

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 »

Polaris plans to bring its Victory Motorcycles brand to India by the end of the year, says Pankaj Dubey, managing director of Polaris India.

“Yes we have decided to launch in the market by the end of 2013,” Dubey tells the Press Trust of India.

The American company entered the Indian market in 2012 at the New Delhi Auto Expo. Polaris displayed a Victory Vision at the Expo, but the launch was primarily focused on the company’s off-road product lines. Polaris ATVs and UTVs have since been available at Indian dealerships and the company now appears ready to introduce its motorcycles. Continue Reading »

For the 2012 year ending December 31, 2012, Polaris Industries, Inc., (NYSE: PII) reported record net income of $4.40 per diluted share, a 38% increase compared to $3.20 per diluted share. For the fourth quarter of 2012 Polaris reported a net income of $1.24 per diluted share, up 38 percent from the prior year’s fourth quarter net income of $0.90 per diluted share.

Reported net income for the full year was $312.3 million, up 37 percent from the previous year’s net income of $227.6 million. Sales for the full year totaled $3,209.8 million, an increase of 21 percent compared to sales of $2,656.9 million for the full year 2011. For the quarter Polaris reported a net income of $88.1 million, up 38 percent from the previous fourth quarter’s net income of $63.9 million. Sales for the fourth quarter 2012 totaled a record $900.6 million, an increase of 15 percent over last year’s fourth quarter sales of $782.0 million. 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 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 »

Polaris reported a record third quarter including a 78% year-on-year increase in on-road vehicle sales, most of which is from Victory Motorcycles.

According to the Minnesota company’s third quarter report, Polaris recorded a profit of $94.3 million in the three months ended Sept. 30, 2012, compared to a profit of $67.6 million reported in the same quarter of 2011. Off-road vehicle sales continue to drive Polaris’ sales, but the on-road division, consisting of the Victory and Indian motorcycle brands as well as electric vehicle brand GEM and Goupil, continues to make gains.

On-road vehicle sales generated $63.4 million in revenue for Polaris, with a bulk of that coming from Victory. That represents a 78% increase from the $35.7 million reported in the corresponding quarter of 2011. Demand for Victory motorcycles was strong in all of Polaris’ global markets, including North America. Continue Reading »