Indian Motorcycle Company Back in Business has New Home

[High_Side]

The last re-birth Indians were nothing more than jobber Harley parts assembled with valenced fenders and a 50% premium over a properly engineered and constructed Harley. Their first engine of their own design never saw the light of day, and thus was never proven to be anything worthy of owning. So I just have to ask WHY would anyone buy one for anything other than the name? Help pull me from under my rock and explain to me what I am missing......

[totalmotorcycle]

The last re-birth Indians were nothing more than jobber Harley parts assembled with valenced fenders and a 50% premium over a properly engineered and constructed Harley. Their first engine of their own design never saw the light of day, and thus was never proven to be anything worthy of owning. So I just have to ask WHY would anyone buy one for anything other than the name? Help pull me from under my rock and explain to me what I am missing......

I do agree with you that the first models were indeed more of a customized Harley-Davidson, but as the company started evolving they wanted to get away from that and start making Indian motorcycles, not Harley-Customs. The Powerplus 100 engine is/was their own design and they started making all their own parts for their bikes, BUT that was 2002 and doom and gloom was just around the corner. It was only in 2002/03 that Indian's spark was catching a flame that could ignite the nation. Unfortunately a $1,000,000 investor got nervous and pulled on them at the worst time possible (when they were tooling the 2003 line up) and that was all she wrote. 2003 was going to have even more models in the line up.

Mike

[jstark47]

Mike,

I think someone got their wires crossed up in that 2004 model report on the Indian 4. That picture looks very much like a Dakota 4, ("Indian 4" in the UK) produced by a completely different company run by Alan Forbes in Scotland. The Dakota 4/Indian 4 had nothing to do with the 1999-2003 Gilroy Indian company. The UK was one of the few places where the Gilroy company did not own the "Indian" name.

This website provides some more details about various post-1954 companies & bikes named Indian: http://www.indianchiefmotorcycles.com/currentline.htm

I do agree with your other points on the Gilroy Indian company. Hopefully Stellican has done homework that the previous backers didn't do, and has their eyes wide open about the amount of cash it takes to kick off a new major brand motorcycle company. Been done twice in recent years: Triumph (with John Bloor's millions) and Victory (with Polaris' millions). Lesson learned: bring lotsa money.

Jonathan

[totalmotorcycle]

Mike,

I think someone got their wires crossed up in that 2004 model report on the Indian 4. That picture looks very much like a Dakota 4, ("Indian 4" in the UK) produced by a completely different company run by Alan Forbes in Scotland. The Dakota 4/Indian 4 had nothing to do with the 1999-2003 Gilroy Indian company. The UK was one of the few places where the Gilroy company did not own the "Indian" name... Jonathan

DOH! I'll change my post there.



Mike.

[CentralOzzy]

Ya get that Mike-
...........................................

Those U.K. Indians look really sweet.

A bit confusing though....U.S. & U.K. Indians???

[totalmotorcycle]

Those U.K. Indians look really sweet.

A bit confusing though....U.S. & U.K. Indians???

They sure do. And it's amazing how you can have the Indian name in two countries, make bikes that carry the same logo and not get into copyright infringement.

I really do like the look of that UK Indian, maybe the US Indian will make something like that.

Mike

[CentralOzzy]

Those U.K. Indians look really sweet.

A bit confusing though....U.S. & U.K. Indians???

They sure do. And it's amazing how you can have the Indian name in two countries, make bikes that carry the same logo and not get into copyright infringement.

I really do like the look of that UK Indian, maybe the US Indian will make something like that.

Mike

Yes, you'd think the copywrite War would be ON!

I thought the new Indian would pick up where the old one left off??

[totalmotorcycle]

I thought the new Indian would pick up where the old one left off??

From what I see of their 2006 (proposed?) models they look identical to the 2003 ones they were bringing out. I think when they purchased the company they also purchased all the tools, dies and part bins. It makes sense at the start to remake/reintroduce the models that made the 2nd generation successful* then change/introduce new models as they go.

Mike.

* Remember that it wasn't the models that brought down the company, the models were really good and original. It was financial.

[High_Side]

* Remember that it wasn't the models that brought down the company, the models were really good and original. It was financial.

If there was a quantifyable way of proving this, I would bet you a bottle of Red-Stripe that you are wrong buddy........

[Ninja Geoff]

I'll take the Chief! - In Red of course. (Or Black)

definatly red, ecspecially if it's the red on the side of the spirit's tank.