Owning an authentic cruiser bike is a dream come true for every ardent rider. The heavy-muscled, chrome plated and strongly built motorcycle is a treat to the eyes and its grunt sound is soothing to the ears. Auto aficionados only had the options of British muscle maker, Triumph and American bison manufacturer Harley-Davidson. But soon, a new contender will be marking its advent in India under the heavy-weight motorbike segment. American legend and Harley-Davidson fierce rival, Indian motorcycle is expected to arrive in India in late-January. The Polaris owned company will be embarking on a new journey soon and will certainly strive hard to appease prospective buyers.
Indian was the first bike manufacturing brand of America with its origin dating back to 1901. it was an optimal choice for proficient bike lovers in its early days but failed to carry its legacy in mid-1950's. It was then acquired by American industry Polaris, which revived its glory once again. Interestingly, Polaris is present in Indian auto market and is renowned for its all-terrain vehicles. It should be noted that Indian Motorcycle brand has been featured in a Hollywood flick called 'The World's Fastest Indian', in 2005.
The company is truly obliged to its performance oriented motorcycles and has an aim of “Honouring the past and Powering the future”. It will be incepting with the auto market with its legendary Chief series comprising, Chief Classic, which is the base model, Chief Vintage being the mid-model and Chieftain as the high-end model. All these variants are powered by the company's newly designed 1,819 cc Thunder Stroke 111 V-Twin engine, developing massive torque of 161 Nm.
Provisions of key-less entry, Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), cruise control and chrome finishing are standard in all the models. The entry level Chief Classic does not seem to be basic model for it is a complete package of technology and modern features. It has newly developed front fenders and the provision of push start engine button can also arrive along with this bike. Also, the saddle bag at the rear side compliments the bike in all aspects. Chief Vintage on the other hand has a quick-release windshield and leather saddle bags mounted on the side, which actually give this bike a vintage look. The high-end Chieftain is equipped with modern features of electrical windshield, hard anchored saddle bags, speakers with Bluetooth connectivity and additional driving lights.
After its arrival, the bikes are expected to be offered in a range of Rs. 18 lakh – Rs. 27 lakh as they will be brought as a Completely Built Unit (CBU). Also, the existing facilities of Polaris might come handy on later stage of production. Indian Motorcycles is expected to face stiff competition from Triumph Rocket 3 Roadster and Harley-Davidson models like V Rod, Road King and Street Glide. In this price bracket, domestic auto market is still in a phase to gain acknowledgement. Notably, customers shed their money diligently and these high-performance speed cruisers become the premium choice of elite class. In such a scenario, it will be compelling to see what strategies are implemented by Indian Motorcycle to make its advent successful in the Indian auto market.
