On The Road Again:
Indian Motorcycles Make A Comeback

By Kevin Reed

They instantly grab your attention, catching your eye with a brilliant glint of chrome, trademark skirted fenders and classic logo which over 50 years ago stood for what many believe was the best motorcycle ever produced.

It's no phantom apparition, but the resurrection of the Indian Motorcycle Company, a quintessential american icon which is hoping again to cement it's reputation and status in an industry that has seen failed comebacks before.

A victim of self-destruction caused by a reliance on military contracts and a fading dealership base, the one-time leader of the pack in the motorcycle world which once manufactured more bikes than any other company in the field before going out of business in 1953, is betting that brand recognition and a renowned attention to inovation and quality will win over enthusiasts seeking an alternative in a market seemingly saturated with Harley-Davidson.

The road to prominence, however, could be an uphill ride.

Fan loyality must be earned, and the biking community is often wary of cycles that appear to be nothing more than clones of what is already available - a trap that Indian is working to avoid by developing their own engine to replace the current S&S Super Stock V-Twin, which bears a virtual likeness to the engine currently used by Harley-Davidson.

The reason behind the simularity was necessitated by a 1998 court ruling which permited the use of the Indian name as long as the company actually manufactured cycles in a timely fashion, giving no immidate opportunity for a lengthy research and development phase.

Apart from the engine, nearly every other component making up an Indian is forged at the company's 250,000-square-foot facility in Gilroy, California, where 18 cruisers are produced a day along the 160-station assembly line.

While Indian's reborn bikes incorporate the latest technology, the company hasn't forgotten it's roots - the symbolic looks of the skirted fenders and the famed Indian chief's head logo that adornes the sides of the gas tank.

That sense of visual flair and nostalgic looks helped move more than 5,000 Chief cycles last year. The $24,000 high-end model which weighs in at 650 pounds and comes with saddlebags and tasseled seats.

Less of a blow to the wallet is the $21,000 Spirit, a slimmed-down, less-skirted bike with the same frame and engine but fewer perks.

The lower end Scout, costing a more managable $19,000, fills out the company's small line-up of motorcycles.

Although Indian has a ways to go to catch industry leader Harley Davivson - which last year did $2.9 billion in sales compaired to Indian's $95 million - the company believes there is an untapped nitch of riders seeking something different and room at the top of the pinacle where they once stood supreme.

Article courtesy of www.suite101.com.