Indian Motorcycle: A Legend Reborn The Scout Project Is Indian Motorcycle's First Custom Bike Design Competition
You can help an Indian® Motorcycle dealer win a trip for two to the Daytona Bike Week, all expenses paid, thanks to the brand’s worldwide success.
A hundred years ago, Indian brand motorcycles competed head-to-head with Harley Davidsons. If you watch American Pickers, you know how excited Mike Wolfe can get when he finds an Indian frame in a barn.
After a rough fifty years or so, in 2011 Polaris Industries (the Medina, Minnesota, company best known for snowmobiles) bought the brand, set up a plant in Iowa, and is repositioning the brand to compete with Harley again. The distinctive Indian style is back!
Indian motorcycles are sold around the world. For instance, this year in India, Indian expects to grow by fifty percent, double its sales network, and garner fifteen percent of the 1200 cc-plus market.
To celebrate that world-wide growth, Indian Motorcycle launched The Scout Project. Indian Motorcycle dealers around the world were eligible to compete in designing a custom bike. They had to start with an Indian 2016 Scout® and add at least three Indian Scout accessories.
A November article in Yahoo Autos quotes Steve Menneto, President of Motorcycles for Polaris Industries: “The Indian Scout has been a stunningly successful introduction for us, with balance, performance and maneuverability that appeals to a broad swath of riders here in America and around the globe."
The Scout and the Scout Sixty are midsize motorcycles. Nimble, lightweight, and inexpensive, they are attractive to entry-level motorcycle enthusiasts. More powerful Cruisers include the Chief Dark Horse® with its Thunder Stroke V-Twin engine and the retro-styled Chief Classic. The Chief Vintage, which combines traditional style with modern technology, and the Chieftain, with its distinctive modern style with just a hint of tradition, are Baggers; the Roadmaster is a Touring motorcycle that mates ergonomics with luxury for comfortable, long rides. With all Indian motorcycles, you design your ride by adding various accessories.
What those dealers did with the Scout is truly amazing. You’ll find all the entries here. There are 35 finalists from around the globe: the United States, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Austria and from cities large (such as Tucson, Arizona, and Bordeaux, France) and small (such as Sioux Falls, South Dakota). But every entry shows the pride, artistry, and expertise of the participating dealers and their crews.
Whether you’re a fan of Indian motorcycles or of one of its many competitors, the resurgence of the Indian brand is good news for the world of motorcycles. Join the celebration and see some spectacular bike designs. Then pick your favorite and vote. Let us know on the Eagle Leather Facebook page which one you like and why.
Yet, there’s no denying it: Unless you plan to ride exclusively around the Southern United States, you’ll face some chilly winters. And even before it...
