The new Indian Chiefs. WOW

captdanwh · Nov 18, 2013

i think maybe i phrased it wrong when i stated that i thought they would not make it. what i was trying to say was that i did not think that it would draw a lot of dedicated Harley riders to dump their rides and switch over to Indians no matter how good they look. there are riders that switch bike makers all the time and keep doing so until they find just the right one that suits them the best and then stay with that maker for a while. the name Harley is to me what American motorcycles are all about and do not look at switching makers no matter what.

I agree that the new Indian is one great looking ride and would love to have Harley make a bike that has those beautiful lines but as pretty as it is a Harley is still the bike that most riders always dream of having. i guess what i am trying to say in the end is , yes there will be many riders buying Indians but there will be 1000 times that many buying Harleys and in my opinion it will always be that way no matter how good the competition is whether it be Indians or Honda's or the other makers. again this is only my 2 cents and i have only been a bike owner for 47 years so i probably do not know what i am talking about.

Veritas44 · Nov 18, 2013

Your Presumptions and consequential opinion are true and valid as far as concerns Honda or any non-US based MC. However, Indian is NOT Honda (et al) now is it....
Indian IS direct competition for the hearts, minds, and souls of the "Harley" Owner/Buyer (Past, Present, and Future) in EVERY facet and on EVERY front.
It WILL compete quite strongly in the FLH segment. Obviously not with you individually but, It WILL.

i have only been a bike owner for 47 years so i probably do not know what i am talking about.

Don't sell yourself short... You know a lot. About YOU. ThumbUp

John Luciano · Nov 18, 2013

Once a Harley owner always a Harley owner. They lasted through the AMF years. They lasted through the leaking years. They lasted through the bad electric years and they will a also make it through the <br /><br />
The Indian years. I love the looks of the Indian. I would be one that would buy it over the Harley. I know Polaris can keep the bike rolling, unlike the last 2 that tried it. Gona be years before they make a dent in HD? If the $$$$$ is $1,000s lower maybe sooner. If it is close to the same price, welllllllllll ?<br />
<br />
Go to a rally, poker run, any event and the Harley outnumber any make 10 to 1.

Ride on the road and you pass 5 Harley's to every other bike .

Veritas44 · Nov 18, 2013

Lasted through the AMF years-Majority yes-NOT All by any means. <br /><br /><br />
Seeing Harley's 10 to 1 or 5-1 up to the Now-Targeted demographics, locales, and venues Yes. NOT true Overall<br /><br /><br />
Lasted through a bevy of &quot;gremlins&quot; and quirky issues-Yes.<br /><br /><br />
CURRENT Indian there for ANY of that to actually Compete-NO.<br /><br /><br />
Based on That ... Can ANY accurate prediction or extrapolation be made on the Here, Now, and Future regarding the Dynamic that now exists given the introduction of a true competitive &quot;Equal&quot;? <br /><br /><br />
NO. That would be,,, shall we say for PC sake: Un-Wise. <br /><br /><br />
<br /><br /><br />
Be honest,,, Just imagine what would be NOW had the current Polaris Indian been there for all or any of the above. Take that and apply that honest imagination to the present and the days/years to come.... THAT will give you an accurate peek into the future. <br /><br /><br />
<br /><br /><br />
Look, don't think for a second that I am not a HD fan.<br /><br />
<br /><br />
I AM.<br />
<br />
I have no desire to see HD go south.

All the same, I know better than to turn a blind eye to what exists now and it's inarguable and undeniable coming effects on the MC market specifically at the expense of the up to now &quot;One&quot; true American Classic. Make NO mistake about it Ladies &amp; Gents... There ARE &quot;TWO&quot; Now.

captdanwh · Nov 18, 2013

i owned a 1947 Indian back in the 60's and it was as unreliable as anything i ever owned way back then but do not blame everything on the bike itself as i was always tinkering with it and can honestly say i was not qualified to do so in all aspects of maintenance. i priced the new Indians and when you add any kind of toys on them they can get way up there in price, about $30,000. again i have to admit they do look great and i also agree with you about Polaris having the capital to keep them going as long as they want but the problem around here is there are no dealers close by to service it and there are not many places to buy the extra accessories we all want. in the future i am sure Indians will be sold nationwide in all the big cities but in order to have successful dealership you have to be able to sell a lot of motorcycles and i do not see that happening for a lot of years. believe me when i say i would like to see Indian succeed as i agree with you about the competetion factor and think it might awaken Harley to get their act together and start thinking about their future.

Veritas44 · Nov 18, 2013

Aye Aye Capt... you make some valid points there <img src="images/smilies/thumbup.gif" border="0" alt="" title="ThumbUp" class="inlineimg" /> <br />
The Dealer network is growing FAST. From the intel I was able to gather, the applications already in for consideration and yet undecided numbers well over 200. That's in addition to the original Grandfathered Dealers and the ones already approved and in varying stages of operation and pre-op. One Dealership that was in the first group to be approved and is up and running had sold & delivered over 40 and taken over 100 new deposits in the first half of this month alone. <br />
Gonna be fun to watch...

captdanwh · Nov 19, 2013

that's great, i am glad that another American motorcycle builder will succeed in our great USA. in the end it boils down to the fact that more Americans will be hired and more Americans will be working on these beautiful bikes. if successful, it also means more companies will be making and selling accessories and put more Americans to work. what needs to happen to turn the biker industry in the USA around is for companies like Harley and Indian to make smaller and more affordable bikes to compete with the foreign companies. there are a lot of riders out there that just cannot afford a expensive Harley or Indian right now but would love to own the most famous bikes in the world so the need for 500 to 700cc bikes is huge as gas mileage and affordability are so important now a days. not every rider out there can handle a large bike and don't want to so if Harley can get it's head sewed on straight, the benefits could be huge but we all know they hate to make changes even if it benefits them and the biker public. just my 2 cents, but i have been around the block a few times in my 69 years and could teach all of them a few things about the benefits of building bikes in the greatest country in the world. Capt Dan

msocko3 · Nov 19, 2013

<div class="bbcode_container">
<div class="bbcode_quote">
<div class="quote_container">
<div class="bbcode_quote_container"></div>

<div class="bbcode_postedby">
<img src="images/misc/quote_icon.png" alt="Quote" /> Originally Posted by <strong>Veritas44</strong>
<a href="showthread.php?p=202361#post202361" rel="nofollow"><img class="inlineimg" src="images/buttons/viewpost-right.png" alt="View Post" /></a>
</div>
<div class="message">Aye Aye Capt... you make some valid points there <img src="images/smilies/thumbup.gif" border="0" alt="" title="ThumbUp" class="inlineimg" /> <br />
The Dealer network is growing FAST. From the intel I was able to gather, the applications already in for consideration and yet undecided numbers well over 200. That's in addition to the original Grandfathered Dealers and the ones already approved and in varying stages of operation and pre-op. One Dealership that was in the first group to be approved and is up and running had sold & delivered over 40 and taken over 100 new deposits in the first half of this month alone. <br />
Gonna be fun to watch...</div>

</div>
</div>
</div>I do hope they succeed, Polaris has the capital and background to give Indian its best shot at survival more than it has ever had. I see in years to come their success will push Harley to up their game which is a win for everyone.

tfdeputydawg · Nov 19, 2013

<div class="bbcode_container">
<div class="bbcode_quote">
<div class="quote_container">
<div class="bbcode_quote_container"></div>

<div class="bbcode_postedby">
<img src="images/misc/quote_icon.png" alt="Quote" /> Originally Posted by <strong>captdanwh</strong>
<a href="showthread.php?p=202400#post202400" rel="nofollow"><img class="inlineimg" src="images/buttons/viewpost-right.png" alt="View Post" /></a>
</div>
<div class="message">that's great, i am glad that another American motorcycle builder will succeed in our great USA. in the end it boils down to the fact that more Americans will be hired and more Americans will be working on these beautiful bikes. if successful, it also means more companies will be making and selling accessories and put more Americans to work. what needs to happen to turn the biker industry in the USA around is for companies like Harley and Indian to make smaller and more affordable bikes to compete with the foreign companies. there are a lot of riders out there that just cannot afford a expensive Harley or Indian right now but would love to own the most famous bikes in the world so the need for 500 to 700cc bikes is huge as gas mileage and affordability are so important now a days. not every rider out there can handle a large bike and don't want to so if Harley can get it's head sewed on straight, the benefits could be huge but we all know they hate to make changes even if it benefits them and the biker public. just my 2 cents, but i have been around the block a few times in my 69 years and could teach all of them a few things about the benefits of building bikes in the greatest country in the world. Capt Dan</div>

</div>
</div>
</div>However, in 2010 Polaris relocated its utility and sport vehicle assembly to Mexico to save money.