Indian Motorcycle Set for India in the First Quarter of 2014

Polaris has confirmed the launch of Indian Motorcycles in India by the first quarter of 2014. Currently, Polaris Industries has All terrain vehicles (ATVs) in India and it is the only ATV seller of the Indian market. The company has a wide range of ATVs and doing well in the absence of competitors.

Polaris purchased Indian motorcycles in 2011, which was founded in 1901 in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA as Hendee Mfg. Company. Indian Motorcycle develops a cruiser range called Indian Chief, which has three variants named Indian Chief Classic, Vintage and Chieftain. All the variants come with the same Thunder Stroke 111 heart and differ through the cosmetic changes.

Thunder Stroke 111 is V-twin engine with a displacement of 111 cubic inches or says around 1818.9cc. This bulky engine delivers a peak torque of 161.6Nm at 3000rpm, and its low rpm and high torque makes it a good cruiser on the highways. The bikes use a 7 speed transmission case which ranges between 9.403:1 to 2.2:1. The bike comes equipped with all the convenience and safety features including 119mm front telescopic forks, 94mm single-shock rear suspension, Dunlop American Elite tyres, dual floating disk brakes at the front, single floating disk brake at the rear, Antilock Braking System (ABS) etc.

The cosmetic changes that make Chief Vintage different from the Classic are a large windshield, beige coloured seats and beige leather saddle bags. While Chieftain comes with a fairing in front of the large windshield and hard material saddle boot compartments. 40 spoke wheels are also replaced by 10 spoke alloy wheels in the Chieftrain. Price of these bikes ranges between $18,999 to $22,999 (US MSRP). Right now, the biggest competitor of the Indian Chief in India is Harley Davidson. H-D has a wide range of cruisers starting from 5.7 lakh, but its top-end variant are priced quite higher than Indian motorcycles. H-D is also going to launch a more affordable cruiser in the Indian market in sub 500cc segment. And the upcoming competitor is triumph, which is going to launch 7 motorbikes including its Rocket III cruiser. All these facts clear one thing that the Indian Motorcycle has a tough competition and will be a ride for big pocket guys in India.