I'm the same way, I love all motorcycles and find value in most of them. The Indian is proving to be a wise choice this time around and I hope to have it around for many thousands of miles. Thanks Tyler for stopping by the channel and leaving a comment!
Agree, I have a Harley and have kept it, it's an Evo. I was looking at getting something new, I got an Indian Chief Bobber Darkhorse. Same reasons, value. Harley are resting on their name, Indian make a nice looking bike, I think Harley still are more appealing to the eye. But I have cruise control, GPS, LED lighting, multiple riding modes, Bluetooth. Harley at the same bike (Streetbob) doesn't have any of that! I think Indian is doing good, Harley have to respond which is good for buyers. I will say, people (riders and non riders) are both a lot nicer when I'm on my Indian VS Harley, I'm in Australia though. Good review, agree!
I am with you that the Road Glide is expensive for what you get and I love that Indian but $40 grand? I just couldn't swing that!! I got the HD Road Glide basic model for $21K with cruise control, GPS Nav system, Apple car play. It's a great bike for the $ and having spent A LOT less than $40 grand I can afford some great aftermarket upgrades!
yup, I never thought I'd spend this much on a motorcycle...but here it is. I work from home so I dont drive much and I have no car payments so its doable but I think its kind of ridiculous despite how much I love the bike. there really is no difference in price between comparable models of Indian and Harley at the top end anyway but you just get more for your dollar at the top end with Indian. I agree....we'll see how long the love affair lasts. so far so good! thank you for the comment!
@io3010 yeah I considered going that route but I just wanted to go big on this one and at the time it was affordable with interest rates on the rise, I wanted to get out ahead of it. I agree with your thoughts though on this and you're correct, lots of room for stuff you want to customize with.
I've found it easy to justify $ for a bike but NOT a car or truck. My truck is 20yrs old & my Jeep is 13yrs old. I just bought my 24 Challenger July 30th & have 4700mi on her already.
I didn't realize how strongly Harley fans felt about Indian until I bought the Pursuit. I didn't choose Indian to irritate Harley only people but they have no problem sharing it with me at the gas pump. The annoying thing to me is that I might have chosen to buy a Harley if the dealer had been better. I think I would have been just as happy on a Harley or a Goldwing but I have no regrets and am very happy with the Indian.
I agree, I test rode a Road Glide about a month before I purchased the Pursuit. Had the dealer been a little more reasonable, I'd probably be riding that RG. Fortunately, that experience opened my eyes to Indian who I hadn't really considered before that event. I love motorcycles and my Goldwing was awesome, the Harley's I've had were awesome and this Pursuit is awesome...but these dealers and all retailers for that matter need to get back to a customer focused mentality. I'm loyal to those that treat me right and if I feel I'm being taken advantage of, it sours me very quickly and I just wont buy things from them. Hopefully having some competition in this market will force some change. I know there are some great Harley dealerships out there and I'm sure there are plenty of Indian dealers who are a$$hats as well but I figure our odds go up that we'll get better ones when there is good competition. Thanks Chad for stopping by the channel and leaving some feedback!! Much appreciated!
I would only have questions about the bike. How do you like it? What kind of gas mileage does it get? How far can you ride it before you start hurting? Things like that.
@spaceflight101 I really like the bike so far and I'm at 5k. About to go on a 1k trip. I'm getting about 40 mpg. My longest ride so far has been about 250 miles, but that's about to change. I'm not the best person to gauge pain because I always have pain due to multiple injuries. I did put kst comanche bars on it to improve ergonomics for my body.
@BILL H. it rides great. It feels much lighter than expected for its weight. I feel the handling is superior to many bikes. It has nice suspension, great breaks. As to needing all the things that break I can only guess at what your referring to. I think most new bikes have at least 2 or 3 computers in them. I think the ride command touch screen can be a bit much. I think it's one of the things I think needs the most work but I don't think it will break. Modern touch screens are pretty durable. Maybe you mean the adjustable windscreen. The only component that tends to break is the gear that runs it and that's usually due to misuse of people holding the switch after the windshield is already at its limit. I don't know much about the adjustable suspension but no other system that I have seen is more user friendly. I love it just push a button and it's done. I have always been an early adopter of new technology knowing it might not be perfected, or that it might break which is why I maxed out the coverage. I rode a bike with no bells or whistles (Honda Shadow 750 ACE) for 12 years and your right, only mechanical things to worry about but I wanted to experience the newer tech and so far I prefer it.
Good points all around. I was back and forth between a HD Road King Special or the Indian Springfield Dark Horse. VERY similar bikes, but the Indian won out for several reason. 1. ABS was standard on the SDH. 2. Remote Locking Bags on the SDH. 3. Suspension/Ride was noticeably better on the SDH. 4. Couldn't find Neutral on the RK with out trying 20 times. So many pluses to the Indian that I just couldn't overlook. The one think the RK had over the SDH was the standard Daymaker headlight, which I have already replaced with a Hogworkz. Keep up the good work Indian! You are helping all of us benefit!
yeah I'm a real big fan of the thunderstroke motor and think I'm likely to have one of those in the stable at some point as well. I think Indian is making some really good decisions and hope that continues. Congrats on your Springfield DH! Great looking bike!!
Been riding Harley's for 30 years that said I ride a 2023 Indian Pursuit now. When I looked at the value I got for my money I went with a new Indian It had way more bang for the buck.
110% everything you said about which machine represents a very high value. I feel that HD really started fixing bad mistakes when the 2014-15 Rushmore era began, and I love that era of HD Ultra, but I'm so glad that I unloaded my Ultra and purchased a demo Roadmaster. Purchasing HD is EXACTLY like purchasing a pair of Gucci jeans- You're paying above premium cash for an image. Indian represents a very high value, a more powerful machine, and far superior dealer service in the Western United States
I feel like I need to keep saying this but I have no ill-will towards Harley and I do love their bikes, styling, etc. I agree with what you are saying though and I can see, especially based on all the feedback I'm getting that there are some Harley fans checking out Indian and that is a good thing. Harley needs to get back to what they do best and bring more value and incentivize buying American Iron. I think Indian is helping them see their way now because I dont think you can just keep ignoring what Polaris/Indian is doing and survive it. Despite the insanity of the prices for their new CVO's coming out soon, it seems to me they're paying attention and to me that is a good thing for all of us regardless of brand. Thank you for the comment and I appreciate your contribution to the conversation!! Take care!
If you have never used an adjustable windscreen, ride a bike all day with one and then examine why HD doesn't offer this yet? It's a real life saver.. less wind on body, bug season and the unexpected down pour this is priceless. At 80mph in rain hou literally stay completely dry... road spray excluded. Love this feature.
100% agree, I do not understand at all why HD doesn't offer this at least as an option? My Goldwing had it, hell even my Ninja 1000 had a manually adjustable windscreen! This should be standard on any touring bike IMO.
@@stoundingresults bullshit - I have been riding an Indian with ajustable windshield for 5 years and been thru thousands of miles of rainstorms - not one issue
You make a great point about the value for the features. I'm a long time Harley rider and I welcome the competition from Indian. Polaris lit a major fire under Harley's asses and they have made some serious updates over the past few years because of it. Not to mention we get the King of the Baggers now lol
I couldn't agree more and I only wish the economy would do better so that more people could have access to these bikes. Have recently discovered King of the Baggers races and enjoy watching them.
We agree 100%. We came off a Road Glide Limited to this bike and everything he stated is spot on. We still love the Harley but having to put thousands into one after buying it just gets old to fix all the short comings they do not leave the factory with. IE Suspension and lack of power. Modern touring bike are well into the 130 plus range now from the factory in many other brands. I mean the BMW is 160 now and the Duck is 170 i think? Thats gobs of power and Harley need to take note of that. I hope it makes all the bikes better down the road.
@@jamesspencer406 Harley has known for years that the Evo Sportster as we knew it was coming to its end after over 60 years. The neverending hurdles of emissions regulations saw to that. Air cooled engines just can't maintain the temperature stability necessary to meet regulations. So, they took the engine out of the Pan American and adapted it to the Sportster S (1250) and the Nightster (975).
Everything you said was completely on point. I had several Victory bikes prior to Indian coming back. It was killer for Victory fans. I have finally gotten over the internal hate for Polaris, but can see they made the right decision. The bike Market is getting tight for everyone. But I see Royal Enfield is having very good success and selling well in the U.S.. I would never compare RE to Indian. But riders are for the most part downsizing to small displacement bikes and easy to work on. Great ride. enjoy .
I am a Harley guy, but it hasn’t always been this way. I have ridden Suzuki’s, Yamaha’s, and Kawasaki’s prior to riding Harley’s. I feel all brands have a certain uniqueness about them and this is what is great about the different offerings available these days, especially when it comes to technological advancement. You hit the nail on head about how much more of a value Indian is compared to Harley based on the features offered at nearly the same price point. I may buy an Indian at some point because they are very comfortable to ride compared to almost any Harley and they are feature rich, but I will never get rid of my 15 CVO SG because I love the sound and vibration of that twin-cam motor.
I had an urge to add a bike to the garage and thought long and hard about a Bagger/Cruiser style bike, (I have been and still have am a BMW fan) I thought at first to look at the BMW R18TC but found it to be very uncomfortable with the massive cylinder heads poking out the side and not having legroom for my 6’3” frame. So, my local BMW dealer said what about a K1600GA, they didn’t have one so we put in a spec order and waited till it arrived. During that time I took the liberty to look long and hard at the various bagger/cruiser bikes. Harley Road Glide, Street Glide, Honda Goldwing (same problem as the R18TC), and the Indian Challenger. Test rode the Harley’s at least 4 or 5 times, the Honda 1 time, and the Challenger a couple times. When the K1600GA came in took it for a ride and it was nice, the motor amazingly smooth and powerful 150hp. But dang BMW doesn’t have any decent colors for that bike, matte Green, Gloss Black and Psycho-Blue Purple with stars for an extra $2900 uff, no thanks. I might have bought the BMW if it came in a White with some Red and Black accents (BMW pearl white is awesome on its cars). Took the Harley RG ST out for a spin and man that was a great motor nice color Sand White, but had a horrible snorkel air intake and lacked the features that the Challenger comes with (especially the water cooled motor). I tried to buy the Harley but the first dealer thought the best price was MSRP plus, plus, plus and when I said I am ready to buy but not at that price they never even tried to get the business. The second Harley Dealer kept trying to push a 2022 Black ST on me, and when I said “NO”, want the Sand White we had to negotiate for the 2023 and I almost bought that bike as they came very close to the number I had in mind $33,000 OTD. They were at $34,000, so I had to go to an appointment and ended up at my local Indian dealership and I am no stranger to the shop, I talked with them and said today is the day and if not an Indian it would be the Harley. Ended up getting my 2023 Indian Challenger Dark Horse in Titanium Smoke for less than what Harley offered and almost at my $33,000 number. Loving the bike so far, coming from the BMW world I could never see how anyone would ride feet forward for balance, but now understand better. As I said still have my roadster BMW, and it is great and will be on it for the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride on May 21. Enjoyed the video.
wow awesome, believe it or not I went through the exact same journey! I loved my 2018 Goldwing but at 6' tall it was a little constraining in the leg room department...not to mention I think there should be floorboards of some sort. I am also a big fan of BMW as I very nearly bought (twice) a S1000RR and so my natural inclination was to buy a K1600 to replace my GW with. My issue with it was it felt more like a sport bike to me, it was insanely smooth, awesome power, electronics were through the roof and the quick shifter was awesome...but then I started thinking about it and I was just buying a sport bike with bags...which is something I was trying to get away from. I wanted to lay back in comfort and have some grunty muscle...so I went to Harley naturally but had a poor dealer experience. I found myself at my local Indian shop and the rest just happened. So I 100% understand how you ended up where you did and I appreciate you sharing that story! Congratulations on your new ride and good negotiating!! Take care!
Very happy Challenger owner here, I recently rented a Road Glide for a few days and the 3 things that immediately made me miss my Challenger was the windshield, the suspension and the overall comfort of the Challenger.
yes indeed, when I test rode the Road Glide the very first thing I said was, "I have to change this windscreen" I was getting wind in the face immediately after pulling out of the parking lot. That isn't necessarily a bad thing but in December or February when its cold out and its tempting to ride that windscreen makes a HUGE difference. Congratulations on your Challenger! and thank you for stopping by the channel!
Freedom on 2 wheels is unbeatable!! I watched and researched as much as I could for 2 years and since buying the 2022 challenger limited (because pursuits were sold out for that year 😢) my 2 Harleys collect dust. I love what Polaris has done with keeping up with technology and looks. Great video thank you 🤘
Thanks! and I agree! I'm about to introduce another bike on the channel and as awesome as it is...I can already tell I'm not going to ride it much. The Challenger/Pursuit have such great utility. Great bikes for cruising around town, taking a long trip, storage to put your stuff...adjustable windscreen for whatever weather conditions are there etc. I could go on an on! Thank you for the comment and stopping by the channel!
On May 20th we held our annual Darke County, OH benefit ride. Had some new and younger folks this year and the one that stood out to me was the Indian Challenger. The owner was in his 30s and came from sport bikes and was amazed at how the power compared to his previous sport bikes. It was a 2022 special order Icon, kind of a burnt orange matt color. He loved the suspension (of course he does) and pointed out the great inverted front forks. I told him I have pretty much the same on my bike. What bike would that be, and I pointed to my 2014 Victory Cross Country up in the corner. And then proceeded to tell him that some of the Challenger DNA came from Victory, especially the suspension, the power plus motor Victory started to design, and the large storage of the bags, and such. My next bike will be the Challenger.
A point I think is relevant is my Roadglides operating temperatures were 260 degrees plus and my Indian Challenger being liquid cooled operating temp is 180-185 temp.
9 months late to this video but everything said still stands true. I bought my Harley in 2020 and sold it 2023 for various reason. Currently back in the market for a motorcycle and will now be going with Indian. The experiences I have had between Indian dealerships and HD dealerships is nearly night and day. I do think Harley took a step forward with the 24 touring models being released, however Indian as a company seems more eager to earn my business.
1. In a fraction of the time HD has been in continuous production Indian has grown exponentially upwards of 350%. 2. Fit and finish pales in comparison to better suspension components, more current technology, a more reliable, stronger V-twin, retains their value just as well as a Harley, and last time I checked I don’t see anything lacking about Indian’s fit and finish so much so that I would choose a bike with less standard features just to own a name. 3. I’m more of a proponent of owning a bike that is a complete package right off the showroom floor rather than dropping another 5 to 10 grand to “customize it the way I like it” just so I can enjoy it. Also, the last time I checked HD is starting to copy from Indian’s playbook by adding a retractable windshield and a singular LED light design with LED markers on the sides of their new headlight design. Next thing you know they’ll have a fully liquid cooled V-twin on their baggers.
I agree with all of your points and your final point is exactly what I was trying to communicate in my video. I doesn't matter if someone doesn't like Indian, anyone can like or dislike whatever they want to...who am I to judge. The point is, as you stated, Harley will react to the success of Indian by improving their bikes....something that I think is fair to say has been lacking in HD for quite some time...yes bigger motors etc but other than the new softail swingarm design...what have they done that has been innovative in the last 5-10 years? I think Harley owners especially should REJOICE in Indian's success because they will directly benefit from it. The new CVO models are proof and next year I suspect ALL Glides will come equipped like these CVO's. It validates what Indian is doing and it also improves bikes for HD riders so everybody wins!! I love competition! Thank you fifthgear! appreciate the comment and the contribution to this conversation!
@@StormtrooperRides absolutely. If it wasn't for competition from metric muscle cruisers in the late 80's and early 90's as well as direct American competition from Victory in 2000's Harley owners would more than likely still be riding 96 cubic inch twin cams or at the very least the 103 with an occasional offering of the 110 for their CVO line.
I've been a Suzuki rider for over 50 years (mini, dirt, and cruisers). Recently retired due to medical issues and bought myself a 22 Pursuit Limited, Crimson and Maroon in September. Time will tell when it comes to the reliability, compared to Suzuki, but my hopes are high. The ride is incredible, and it's the first time I've had a frame mount fairing since my 80 GS450L. This whole frame mount fairing argument can be solved by looking back to Craig Vetter, who was responsible for modern fairings. But in the long run, I'm sure that some guy way back when put a makeshift fairing on his bike after eating too many bugs or getting caught in a deluge. Keep it on 2 wheels and ride as often as possible.
congrats on the new bike! so far I'm loving mine but agree that time will tell. so far so good. I had a goldwing before the pursuit and loved the frame mounted fairing...I was tempted though by the looks of the street glide and roadmaster/chieftan. I especially love the look of the thunderstroke engine. but new shiny prevailed and I went for the pursuit and love the color I got. hope you're enjoying yours as well and thank you for the comment and stopping by the channel!!
@StormtrooperRides After seeing your video, I subscribed to your channel. Always interested in seeing what others are going through with their bikes. I follow DMV solorider and saw his post on the KST 4" pullback bars and immediately ordered myself a set. Apparently I got the second set of chrome bars they had made after getting in touch with them. After removing mine, I measured, and they were a full 4" pullback. I then wired and installed the bars and hooked up the throttle. Now for the catch... KST didn't take into account the bar end weight, and I had to use a drill to elongate the hole sideways. Upon finishing the job and going out for the first ride, I noticed that the left side of the bar was lower than the right, and the switch cube was not in line with the other. If you decide to get the KST 4" pullback bars, measure carefully before the installation. Personally, I intend to leave mine as is. It was a major job to change them out. It's not really difficult but very involved.
Sorry about the discussion, I recently put up about the KST 4" pullback bars. That was supposed to be a reply to Poppys Adventures. If you'd like, you can share my experience with the KST 4" pullback bars.
I like that you mentioned Craig Vetter. I had a 1973 Kawasaki Z1 900 back in the 70s, and the previous owner had put a big frame-mounted Vetter fairing on it. I loved riding that bike in college and shortly after. I don't miss having to sync those four carbs tho!
I was always a Harley guy till 2017. When they announced the end of the Dyna line I said screw em, not to mention they don't take care of their employees at least not the 4 dealerships that I've worked for. You made a bunch of key points as to why so many people are switching over to Indians instead of purchasing another Harley. I rode the challenger and absolutely fell in love with it. If I was to purchase a new bike Indian would be getting my $$$$.
for sure, i'm really looking forward to seeing how they play off of each other and how we benefit...other than paying higher prices ;) Thanks for the comment and stopping by the channel!!
A great video. I own a 2021 Indian Chieftain that I made into a Roadmaster. Added the ventilated seat with heat. Heated grips. It’s an absolutely amazing motorcycle. Harley is taking advantage of their name. How? They are now adding plastic hand controls with their latest models. As well as ride modes. But no electric adjustable windshield. Or central locking. This is easy to add. And they will add this. When they completely change a current model. Which leads me to believe the new RoadGlide will have new features. All of a sudden. My brother owns a 2020 RoadGlide. And he knows I have a bike with more features. He has to add the LED front and rear blinkers. Because Harley appears to be avoiding this. Until they change the model. That can also be said about the suspension. Which is sub par on most Harley-Davidsons. Except for the Pan America. Which is a very nice bike. I love the central locking on my Indian. So nice. A great video man. Thanks for taking us along.
for sure, agree with you on all fronts. I am interested in riding a Pan America as it seems like a real winner for HD....not so sure about the Sportster S but its early, they need to iterate on that platform. They clearly need to move towards a water cooled motor IMO so this is a good place for them to experiment and find out what the market will accept before they put tons of R&D into their big bikes! Great thought, thank you for the comment!!
I recently retired, and have decided that I may as well go whole hog on my purchase. I am looking to get the 2024 Indian Pursuit Limited w/PowerBand in the Icon Copper...40k, but I am figuring, since I may only have 15-20 years of riding left in my life, why not spend for premium, if it's your sunset years. Like most folks...I am not a fanboy for either company, but the Indian Premium model seems to offer more value out of the box, than a CVO.
I 100% agree with everything you said. I recently purchased my first street bike, an Indian Chief Bobber Dark Horse, but I took my MSF course at a Harley dealership. I did my research, and came to the same conclusion you did. Indian just offers more for the money. Love the ride command on my Chief, it's amazing. The built in navigation is a game changer. The 116 in the Chief frame is insane, it's a torque monster. Out the door, taxes title and fees, I was still lower than the Harley Breakout MSRP, and I prefer the looks of the blacked out Chief to be honest. Competition is good, I'm excited to see where both companies go from here.
for sure! congratulations on the Indian Chief Bobber!!! Love that bike and in fact my wife and I are going to a demo days in a couple weeks to test ride some chiefs!! I think the Harley Breakout is a nice looking bike but the bike I'm about to introduce blows it out of the water in my opinion, I cant wait to share it with you all. Stay tuned!! and thank you for the comment!!
Hey fellow rider enjoyed your vid and point of view. I have enjoyed a large selection of different brand bikes in my 50+ years of riding and I own a 2021 Challenger w/tour pack. Had to have one as soon as I test road one at the local dealership. Still adding my personal accessories to make it mine but love the way it eats up miles without wearing you out by the end of a long day in the saddle. You mentioned having trouble with CarPlay integration and I too had problems at first but found out that if I turned off the Bluetooth on my iPhone, and plugged it into the bike the com system I have (Sena) will do all the work and I haven’t had a issue with CarPlay. Hope this helps you out.
I wanted the Harley street glide special. They wanted $39845 out the door. So I went down the road and bought the Indian Cheiftain Darkhorse which had far more bang for buck and was out the door at $32245.The Indian had a better ride made more power had better electronics had an adjustable windscreen and LEDs all round. I struggled getting the Harley into neutral and when I told the salesman he told me they all do that and if I get a better aftermarket linkage its better. When they want 40k for a motorcycle that ought to not be the case, It's a no brainer now. Harley needs to address this or they will lose long term.
Yeah JayKay I think a lot of folks feel the same way including me. I'm not here to tell anyone Indian is a perfect machine but at these insane prices all dealers are charging, you better at least feel like you dont have to spend another couple grand before you take it home. that to me is where Harley loses a lot of people. I thin they'll shape up though...hopefully, gotta love competition.
I agree. I had to hit or thump sideways with my boot the gear lever on my street glide special for it to go into neutral. No more nonsense now that I am back to the Indian motorcycles. Enjoy your Darkhorse.
great review. I am on my 3rd Indian, having just purchased a 2023 Pursuit. I feel exactly as you have articulated well - you get more with an Indian. I love all bikes - however I am not fond of a company that sells a bike that needs a ton of upgrades to make it ridable. Every HD rider I know has to spend a lot of cash after the sale to make their bike as ridable as an Indian. The 2024 CVO's clearly have been influenced by what Indian offers. I haven't had a chance to ride a 2024 yet, however I have ridden a lot of 2023 and back HD's. I truely hope HD gets their head out of their 4th point of contact and builds a better bike for their customers - which they won't without a company like Indian pushing the envelope. Ride on
I just purchased a 2018 indian springfield.... thunder black with metalic jade green... its definitely a head turner... i went with the indian because i felt like i got more bike for the price tag plus the color scheme was love at first sight... The only problem im finding out with indian is finding a mechanic.. the nearest indian dealership to me is over 25 miles away... i live in new jersey.. there are 2 motorcycle dealerships near me wont touch harleys or indians they only touch Japanese, German, english bikes... There is a small bike shop a block away from my apartment which does mechanics work, but i only see harleys in their lot. Unfortunately its Sunday and they are closed today.. I have had the bike for about a month and the screen shows 18 and 19 volts which i think the rectifier or voltage regulator has gone bad... the voltage should be around 12 to 14 volts if im correct.. So tomorrow i will go to the harley place near my house before i get my bike towed sad😢
I’ve only ridden Harley’s but my next bike will be the Indian challenger. If you need a heat shield or tank bib for your bike let me know I make them custom out of leather.
Great video, you did a good job pointing out both positive and negative things about both brands. i along with the two other guys on my channel have been mostly stuck in the Indian world as far as newer bikes, I absolutely love my Springfield Dark Horse and the other two guys love their Pursuit Dark Horses. With that being said we do all want to see what the new Harley motorcycles are like to ride. Also we have found that Amsoil makes a huge difference in how the transmission feels on these bikes, that may be something to look into on your next service. Keep the videos coming man and I hope you keep enjoying the bike! -Pharryn
Hey Pharryn, thank you very much. I also really like the looks of the Spd Dark Horse. You'll have to let me take her for a spin if I can get your way this season! Would love to take a ride with you guys...you look like you have lots of fun! I'm really loving the bike so far and I'm excited to see what Harley has around the corner so we know what we can expect in the Indian world. Take care and thanks for stopping by the channel, I'll be in touch!!
@@StormtrooperRidesDefinately man! I just got a 116 BBK and some Hanson Racing Cams done on it and this bike is a BEAST now. Just let me know when you wanna go for a ride, we aren't too far apart! -Pharryn
You're decision was very sound, and I agree that competition breeds innovation and the consumer benefits. Indian selling 35-40 thousand bikes a year is nothing to sneer at either. Those sales have decimated the Japanese competition in the heavy weight cruiser market. Yamaha had (in my opinion) the nicest cruiser on the market, outside of H-D, and they have abandoned that market altogether.
That is an outstanding point! My very first motorcycle was a V-Star Classic 1100 and I very nearly bought a Midnight Star right before I bough the HD Heritage Softail Classic. The Star Eluder and that lineup get amazing reviews and its sad to me they couldn't sell them, its beautiful! I have to try and get my hands on one so I can put that conversation out there. Someone has to have one around here!
I owned a 2007 Yamaha Stratoliner for 10 years at 55,000 miles. A fantastic bike with the 113ci engine. Yamaha screwed up when they went with the Eluder. My two cents.
Harley won’t do the adjustable windscreen because they like selling 3-4 windshields until you find one that works. Honestly I ride a 2016 ultra limited but I believe I’m going to an Indian for my next bike because of the added features and the aesthetics and the 122 hp liquid cooled engine. Everything is aftermarket upgrades with harley… you spend $37,000 and then another $10,000 to make it rideable..
@@jeffreysheridan5205 And one windshield works in all conditions right? You have to compromise somewhere. Most people have more than one windshield in their garage if they ride any miles at all. Trying one out for a few hours vs riding in all conditions for a month makes a big difference.. what you think is fine for a test ride isn’t actually all the great when you get it out and actually ride with it..
I love Indian's from an engineering point of view. However I am sticking to Harley because of the number of dealerships and independent shops that are available as well as the giant aftermarket industry supplying parts.
I think that is the number one reason Harley does so well honestly. Their dealer network is unmatched and my only concern with them is they seem to be favoring these larger dealerships that have multiple "super stores" and pushing the smaller dealerships out. This happened in my town and IMO the dealership suffered as a result. Luckily for me, I have an Indian dealer in my town so I'm fortunate, a lot of others aren't so lucky and I can certainly understand why people wouldn't want to drive a hundred plus miles every time they have some issue, especially warranty work. Great point and I appreciate you bringing that up. Makes sense why its harder for someone like yourself to switch or even own both when a dealership is too far away. I think the after-market will come around eventually but its going to take a very long time for Indian to compete with Harley in that regard. Thank you for stopping by the channel and making your points!
@@StormtrooperRides It may take the aftermarket A LONG TIME to come around to even remotely close to Harley and I can sum it up in one word POLARIS.. Let’s be honest. Polaris doesn’t actually have a stellar reputation in the street bike scene. I don’t hold Polaris in very high regard with relatives experience with their jet skis and 4 wheelers as well. My sisters Polaris jet ski was a pile of chit that lived in the marina shop until she got tired dumping money into it and hauled it to the dump where it belonged. Not to many people I ride with are anxious to be tomorrows Victory owner. On paper and the short term you may get more bike for your money with a Polaris. But in the long term I doubt it. Not only will a Harley hold its value better in resale and likely insurance. But Harley has a by far better history of being there in the long run.. Unlike Polaris trying to sell heritage and Icon, Harley had stood the test of time to be an icon and have heritage. Every time I see a Polaris commercial pushing heritage and Icon I laugh my ass off because until Polaris bought the name the company has been dead since what, the 50’s or 60’s? Lol.. And yes you can buy a Polaris for less than a Harley. But every new kid on the block, even if they do buy a name to try to milk has to sell for less to get their toes in the pool. Like it or not Harley earned it’s stripes by kicking Indians ass and stood the time. A person would have to be a special kind of retarded to think if Polaris was actually successful shuttering Harley’s doors they wouldn’t immediately raise their prices. Do you get more fancy electronic gizmos with a Polaris? Yup, but more things to go wrong on a bike that the manufacturer doesn’t exactly have a stellar reputation standing behind its products and standing the test of time. Not only in the street bike scene, but water sports as well. . One of my favorite jokes is, why did Polaris quit making jet ski’s? Because they haven’t figured out how to make a decent 4 wheeler..
The air cooled Thunderstrokes and M8s, baggers or naked bikes are classic cruisers nostalgic and sound incredible. They make good comparisons competition and compete for market share. The liquid cooled Pusuit and Honda Goldwings are a different class imo. Touring bikes modern quiet & smooth. They also make for a good comparison to each other. To pick one from each category doesn’t really make sense. I mean you could throw a Suzuki Hayabusa or a classic Triumph twin in there also but what would be the point.
I think the road glide and pursuit are clearly after the same customer and I think it makes total sense to compare them. To me, yes the thunderstroke and M8 engine pretty much sound identical especially with aftermarket pipes but still. My last tourer was a Goldwing Tour (2018) and that bike is nothing like either the road glide or pursuit, its as you said, smooth and quiet. While the pursuit doesn't sound like a harley, its got its own sound that much more closely resembles a harley than any Goldwing or Triumph I've ever heard. I'll be introducing a Triumph on the channel soon and I will make a point of that comparison. I appreciate your points truly, but I respectfully disagree with you. Thank you for contributing to this conversation, hopefully there is room for some friendly disagreements. Take care and thanks for stopping by the channel.
I went from a Street Glide to a challenger in 2020. Coming from sport bikes the challenger is hands down a better motorcycle if you like to ride fast. No regrets switching to Indian. In fact, I have a few friends that have switched, and most recent my good friend just switched from HD to a pursuit elite.
Good video. Been ridding cruisers for 42 years now. Never dropped a dime on Harley due to the same reasons you mentioned. Plus I just do not identify with the Harley "culture" with black bike, black jacket, black gloves, black shirt etc. all with the mandatory HD symbol. Been through Yamaha, Kawasaki and now I'm part of the tribe. Indian Super Chief Limited with stage 2 and Lloydz tune. It's all the bike I'll ever need at a price I can afford. Ride safe and enjoy the ride.✌️
Spot on. I love my RG, but all the things you mention are huge improvements. Esp. the windshield. I've already done suspension, LED lights, and a cam is sitting on my workbench. Hopefully the CVO features trickle down in the near future. I'm sure the CVO's are going to push $50k which is just too rich for my blood.
Just got a used Springfield and I love it. I looked at Road Kings and Street Glides and you really just don't get as much for the money. Aside from that, I think the Indians are way better looking- that drew me to them in the first place. I also see them being owned by Polaris as a good thing. I know they've had troubles in the past but I think Polaris is dialing it in with these new (and newer) Indians.
As a long term Victory owner, I'm very impressed with the service this bike has given and continues to give me, 9 years and 75k miles into ownership. I'm not ready to give it up yet, but when I do it'll most likely be for a Challenger or Pursuit. Given my experience with Victory, I trust the quality of Indian and I 100% agree, there is more value per dollar to Indian vs HD.
you know I wish life had given me more time and money back in 2005 when I sold my Harley because I was very interested in buying a Victory. I still hope to ride one, one of these days and selfishly I wish they were still around. I think Polaris is definitely injecting Victory DNA into these Indian's though so maybe if I squint really hard at my Pursuit it'll sort of look like a Victory! haha! I've heard a lot of great things about the Victory experience and I'm happy yours is still on the road serving you well. I think if/when you make the decision to move on to a Challenger or Pursuit you'll be impressed. Take care and thank you for the comment! I appreciate all the conversation this is generating!
@@StormtrooperRides The engine in your Pursuit was on Victory's design table when they were closed.. All of Victory's employees were moved over to Indian also So the Vic DNA is there and I've seen it coming out over the last years.
@@painsrides I am shooting for next late winter or early spring. Their are at least 2 in my immediate area of Arcanum, OH right now. One I met last fall who, although the lead technician of Honda in Troy, OH, bought a beautiful black Pursuit and can not say enough great things about it.
That was interesting and fun to watch. I have been thinking about the possibilities, however, I only rode about 7 to 8K last year. My '12 Electra Classic is upwards of 147K and needs some serious maintenance review for roadworthiness. I feel I'd rather spend 5 or 6k to bring Silver back to optimum over spending 40k for a similar bike that has many tech improvements of which I would not necessarily use. Although, seeing your ride made me try to reconcile a payment. Ugh. I'll probably just fix what I have..... Thanks for sharing though.
Thank you and 7-8k is quite a lot of miles to me but glad you're able to do it and those older glides are great machines!! I agree 40k for a bike is kind of ridiculous despite having done that. I just couldn't stop myself haha! I appreciate your thoughts on this though and thank you for the comment.
I purchased a new Indian Challenger Limited on April 14, 2023. I have had no issues at all with Apple CarPlay and it’s integration with Ride Command. I think Ride Command software upgrades solved the problems.
Love Harleys. Lot's of Harley folks in the family. I just had to go with the Chieftain Dark Horse. Indian is making some phenomenal bikes that should not be overlooked by anyone looking for one. One of the family is already looking to replace his RK with a Springfield or Chieftain. Bang for your buck does not mean lesser quality. Anyone looking; Go and check out some Indians. You might be pleasantly surprised. Certainly worth a look to know that you're getting what you really want. Love Harley, love Indian, and if it gets you out there on 2 wheels, make it the 2 wheels YOU love.
I just bought a Indian Cheiftain Darkhorse. It's got a lot more going on than the Harley Street Glide and it's cheaper. Harley may look back at these times find they made a fatal mistake with the market. As fit and finish begins to improve with Indian they get closer to toppling the competition The suspension on my New Chieftain Darkhorse is amazing and so is the adjustable windscreen the all round pathfinder LEDs and the electonics package... No one wants to see Harley lose if Indian wins that's bad for consumers.
This is why my husband also went with this bike. You hit all then ails on the head with this review. We cant wait to get our bike in the dealer and get riding. The Challenger in any trim is just a better bike for the money. The amount of extra parts you get stock in the Indian is above Harley Road glide, period. Great review.
Yup agree totally with your assessment. Thanks very much for the compliment and for the comments. I’m really enjoying this discussion and look forward to making mor videos on this topic.
Awesome! congratulations!! You will love it! When I visited my local Harley dealer back in November, I was dead set on getting a Stree Glide....then I rode the Road Glide.....then I started looking at Indian... the rest is history so I am jealous you get to have both! HAHA!! Thank you for the comment and I appreciate you stopping by the channel!
Well that’s kinda the problem with Harley. You have to get a $50k CVO to get features that come stock on a Darkhorse and some of those standards come stock on the Indian base model. For example, why are 2023 Road Glides and Street Glides still coming from the factory with halogen turn signals? And why is ABS an option on an 850+ pound bike (SG and RG)?
Indian has the most maintenance free bike. The gear drive primary is a deal breaker for me. The challenger has all the modern stuff out the gate. Harley Davidson just started to catch up.
I tested out the iron 883, Then went tested out the scout, and it was a no doubt in my mind the scout was the winner to me. I wanted something a little bigger after six months or so went, on a test ride on a fat boy then a Springfield dark horse. I got the dark horse. I feel in love, now. I want a road masters.although. I want to ride a Harley Davison with that new motor 131. I think anyhow . I like all motorcycles every time. I can make a demo day. I go ride whatever they got.
yeah for sure, I agree with you! I think Harley makes a great bike and I'm looking forward to what having two American manufacturers pumping out great bikes does to the market. I very much believe in competition=innovation and I cant wait to see what happens over the next few years. Congrats on that Springfield DH! Lovely bike!!
I have a Challenger Limited. I have not seen another 2022 model on the road in a years time! I find it a little freaky considering the very low distribution. After what Polaris did to Victory it makes me nervous related to their product marketing decisions. Nonetheless, after a couple performance upgrades to improve the lack of throttle response I am very satisfied with it. Harley rider will surely benefit with having brand competitions. No one should have to put 5K into a brand new motorcycle to get it to perform.
I am a Harley enthusiast and I am interested in purchasing a Road Glide. However, I acknowledge that the Indian Challenger offers more features for the money and appears to be a superior bike on paper. I am also drawn to its aesthetic appeal. Despite these advantages, I cannot bring myself to part ways with my Harley. It is more than just a motorcycle to me; it holds a special emotional value. However, If I did not have this attachment to Harley, I would choose the Indian. But in the end, the most important thing is to enjoy the experience of riding a motorcycle, regardless of the brand.
What are your thoughts on these big touring cruisers not having revers? Are there any shops that retro fits? Do you plan to have one installed in that case.
Firstly, sweet bike! Secondly, there are so many cool bikes available from many different brands. I personally have a Low Rider St and a Moto Guzzi V7. Love each one for different reasons like all riders do. I hope Indian continues to grow and differentiate itself more from HD, the Springfield is “Indian” in my mind, and the others are trying too hard to look similar to Harleys. Look at all the Japanese cruisers who tried and failed. People want the genuine article. I think Polaris squandered a unique opportunity to create a new legacy for Indian when they killed Victory and the styling that made them stand out. Competition is good, makes everyone better but don’t lose your identity. Two finger waves to anyone on anything with two wheels.
After owning a 2017 Indian Chief Vintage for 55k trouble free miles, I bought my 2nd Indian. I've always liked HD, but it seems like everyone has one. I've owned Kawasaki, Suzuki, 2 Victorys & now 2 Indians. I've ridden a couple HD & Indian by far has the BEST bang for your buck. I look forward to many miles of smiles on my 24 Challenger Dark Horse Icon in Sunset Orange.
I'm also switching to Indian, a Pursuit Dark Horse Premium. After having 13 Harleys, I feel Indian has the market for value and performance. Can I ask what height screen you went with, and your Height.. I can't decide to go with 11" or 8" klockworks.. I'm 6'1 Cheers for sharing 👍
I own an older deluxe with bags and all,but actually looking into a super chief limited… not really into full bag and cowling and all, but it’s hard to beat Indian in value and it’s sexy motor..
The biggest concern for me is dealer availability. There’s 6 Harley dealers in my area to 1 Indian dealership. Parts aren’t as plentiful. Aftermarket isn’t as extensive either. But I do love Indian. Solid selection of bikes. Those drawbacks can’t be ignored though. For me, Indian would have to sweeten the deal. I priced a street bob vs a chief and the chief ended up being more expensive. It didn’t make sense to me
So the main reason I choose Harley over Indian is for a couple or reason. 1 Indian is owned by Polaris. Polaris also owned or still own Victory. they had a great bike and got a lot of people to buy a victory. Then one day they came along and said k we are done. we aren't going to build victory anymore. we will make parts for 10ish years and then we will be done. that was way not cool. Polaris totally dumped on their customers. 2 they are way two expensive. i own a 2023 Goldwing and a 2020 heritage. both are good bikes. and way less money then Indian. Indian is a good quality bike don't get me wrong. I just think they dumped on all their customers. that wasn't cool.
I’ve seen this argument year round and this is my input on this. Harley is not about the chassis or the features. It’s about the way their engines are built. Indian, Honda, Kawasaki still follows the same pattern and many other motorcycle manufacturers other than Harley’s. The pattern is, built a whole engine where if there is a transmission issues, then basically the bike is totaled or due for a new engine. And because of that they use a single oil that lubricate the clutch pack, with the cylinder wall and their gear box. Clutch worns out quick on each ride. And that alone makes the oil impure. Then that oil has to clean the cylinder wall carbon which also gets dirty a lot faster. What they came up with is certain quantity of oil to diminishing the amount of carbon residue left over on each ride with carbon residue. Also they are aware their gears will eventually worn out. Harley broke that math. Harley motorcycle can go on over 300k miles with the same engine with just servicing each parts individually and because they wouldn’t need to remove the engine, it would be the OEM combustion with just internal parts swap or replaced over time. Minus the fact that Harley always have bore option to increase on displacements capacity. That’s coming from a mechanic standpoint. Now the general average Joe is not a mechanic, and specially because they wasn’t around their Harley that much of course they will look for features and storages. But face it, Harley is unique it’s why they sell more bikes also. I am planning to get an Indian down the line, but right now I love my 2023 Road Glide Limited as it is, and I know it’s better than an Indian.
I have been riding on 2 wheels for 35 years now. These type of bikes never got my attention, never. I own, since new, 2020 Goldwing DCT Tour, however I have to say. Indian dealer is the only dealer I stopped by to check the Pursuit Elite with the copper color cyl head. Boy....oooo...boy, what a bike, man. Indian did such an amazing job. The quality of craftmanship, the finish, the ride, just incredible. The only disappointed I had, was the lack of center stand and walk mode reverse, for such a heavy bike. I am waiting for the 25th anniversary Goldwing and if nothing crazy new then, Indian will be next for me. I would not buy an HD or even look at one, that is my take. All should ride what they like.
I’ve always had Harley, but I would love a chief vintage, Springfield and/or chieftain. My advice for buying a Harley, buy used. There is an over abundance of mint used one’s out there. I bought a 21’ road glide with only 1600 miles on it for $10k less than a new one.
I’m fortunate enough to own both an Indian scout bobber and a Harley heritage classic and I purposely will wear a Harley shirt while I’m riding my Indian and an Indian shirt my Harley and a lot of Harley guys will give me crap about that but I always tell them you need to go ride an Indian and then you’ll understand what a great bike it is I was a hard-core Harley guy for years until I test drove a Indian chieftain went back to the dealership two days later test drove it again and end up buying it. Kept that bike for several years, including a cross-country motorcycle ride and it was a great bike. Kind of regret selling it, however next year I’m pretty sure I will buy a pursuit
This is why I went with a 2022 Chief over anything HD had in that class at the time. Even with their new Low Rider S/ST, I would still choose the Chief. Better value, with more features. The only thing the LRST has over the (Super) Chief is hard, locking saddlebags. Why Indian keeps with the big, brown, ugly, non-locking bags on their new models befuddled me. Also, why HD designed the new SPORT Low Riders with a 2-2 exhaust, thus causing the right bag to be smaller than the left, befuddled me. HD's newest CVO with updated features is still a bad bargain. They didn't add those features at the same price point to other CVO's to compete. They added a record-breaking price tag with those features, lol!
I can't argue any of those points. As I said, I think Indian is doing some wise things...though they could add those hard bags, use a harder clear coat, and probably some other things that would help sway others to their camp. I think Harley is a little taken back by Indian market penetration right now but I do think they are paying attention and I expect them to make changes going forward...though I'm not sure they see "lowering" prices as an option at this point.
Indian advertises the pursuit elite at 128lb of max torque. HD advertises the road glide ST at 127lbs. Were you referencing HP #'s when talking about "power"?
As someone who rides a Harley, I am in complete agreement with you. I think healthy competition is great for the consumer. I am probably an outlier, I don't care what you ride, I'll ride with you. Do I love my Harley yes, just like you love your Indian. When I buy my next bike will I consider an Indian? You bet I will! Now let's get out and ride!
yup I am with you 100%, I dont care what brand or what style of bike anyone rides. I just love motorcycles in general and as you'll soon see, I have eclectic tastes when it comes to motorcycles. I'm fascinated by what is possible on two wheels. I've just gotten back from vacation and I'm totally ready to ride the wheels off these bikes this season! I'm truly excited to meet a lot of new people and travel as many places as I can. Thank you Texas! I appreciate your comment and the contribution to this conversation!
21 chieftain dark horse rider here. I love indian. All my buddies have Harleys. I just wanted to be different. And it takes me every where i need to go just like a Harley.
Yup I am with you there. I have nothing against HD at all and if I had gotten the right deal at the dealership I'd probably be on one now but that said, I do feel that I have something different and it blends in well. I'm very impressed with what Indian is doing and I'm loving my bike. I really like the chieftan as well and maybe one of these days I'll have one of those too! Thanks for the comment and stopping by the channel!!
I'm with you there! I hope they continue to iterate on the success they've had with the last couple years of models. They are really making good decisions in my opinion! 602 I appreciate your comment and thank you for stopping by the channel!!
ok...here's some feedback...first, great looking garage...however, I think the US flag is incorrectly displayed...the stars go on the left...going off your thumbnail video at the end...second, HD has a great legendary reputation...tough to overcome. Third, their distributorship is overwhelming. Fourth, HD and Indian don't even come close to a BMW...in every feature...ride, power, comfort, technology, etc. Do a comparison with your Indian vs BMW K1600 (GT or B). I agree with your assessment...the LED lights alone make it better. Neither I or HD has a reverse gear...what...BMW has reverse. Game changer. Keep up the great work.
thank you for the feedback, my flag was incorrectly hung (was in a hurry to show the garage and I made the mistake) however in the thumbnail for this video it is correct just for the record. I changed it immediately when I realized what I had done...and also all my Army buddies pointed out my ineptitude. I agree that HD has a foothold on the market and i dont see that changing anytime soon. BUT as long as Indian keeps putting out good updates to their existing models, continues to improve their lineup with some fresh bikes, I think Indian is doing very well. I have ridden a BMW K1600GT and last summer that was the bike I was going to buy....but then I really reflected on what I wanted and decided I wanted to buy an American made bike which left me with Harley or Indian. I first test rode Harley Road Glide and Street Glide but had a not so great dealer experience...so I went to my local Indian dealer and well the rest is history. I do miss REVERSE from my Goldwing but in most situations I can live without it. The Pursuit is a very heavy bike so it would be nice. I figure both Harley and Indian will add that feature eventually. Thank you for your comments and I think we're on the same page. I appreciate the contribution to this conversation! Take care and thank you for stopping by the channel!!
I just test rode the pursuit and the roadmaster limited. Liked them both, very impressed. Still not enough for me to trade my road glide limited. Hope you like it, ride safe
Thank you Harry, I do and I will!! hey I get it man, HD has a very strong offering and there are definitely some things they do better and Indian will be hard pressed to compete...like dealer network and accessories. Congrats on your RG and you ride safe and enjoy as well!! Take care and thanks for contributing to the conversation!
Outstanding Review! All very valid points you have made. As you know, I am a Harley owner. My youngest has owned 4 Milwaukee 8s. That said, other than what I read and hear, I have personal experience with Harley going back many years. I do hope Indian along with other brands, convince Harley Davidson to do a much better job. I'm not going to hold my breath waiting.
The bottom line is Harley has been “alone” in the American market for so long that Indian forcing them to change and get better is really screwing with the traditionalist in the group, not to mention what the CEO is doing to the company won’t help at all.
Extremely well done and informative! If I had seen this sooner, I might have come to the same conclusion, but I bought my HD used with under 3K miles on it for $15K less. Given that money is no object, I would agree that the Indian has more value for the dollar. Thanks for making this video and sharing it with us.
I took my retirement so i good buy a harley been wanting one for 25 years been on few of them streetglides my brother on his 2nd one i was waiting on the retirement checks to start coming and then on the radio i hear come ride the indian line up so i go there i ride the 116 chieftain could not believe what Polaris created went back 3 days latter and got to ride the challenger back surgery left me with nerve damage harleys vibration would aggravate the nerve anyway in sept 2020 i bought the dam bike challenger base model never look back very happy i want the indian bobber now u guys gave me bike fever got to go.
congratulations! I can relate, as I get older my back has become more and more sensitive to bouncing and vibrating. I'm sure what you are going through is much worse than what I do but I'm glad you found a bike you love and that is what is important regardless of brand. I think this platform is outstanding! Thank you for the comment and stopping by the channel!
I was having the same issues you mentioned with ride command and they replaced the entire unit under warranty no issues since but it’s only been a couple hundred miles since the change out
I bought the extended warranty on my new 2015 Streetglide & my wife did the same on her 2016 Chieftain. I only had one issue during the warranty with my heated hand grips . I was told the ($2500) warranty did not cover that . $2500 gone for nothing . My wife had no issues with her Indian during the extended warranty & Indian’s policy is if no claims the entire warranty cost will be refunded & sure enough very soon after the warranty expired we received a cheque . Thank you Indian for being so fair
The new upcoming redesigns coming from H-D will be nice, but they will be way over priced, so hope that “Polaris” keeps their Bikes somewhat reasonable. $$$
yeah i agree but unfortunately, both Polaris/Indian and Harley are going to lean on the inflation angle and the down economy to raise prices I'm afraid. they'll go as high as they can so when things are better they're ahead of their labor contracts and will be able to afford the wages that will ultimately be demanded BECAUSE of inflation...its a never ending circle and we get the butt end of that every time. I like your insight though and I agree with what you're saying in terms of design/features. Harley will drive everyone else forward and Polaris and others have to drive Harley forward.
I heard that Harley is building a new frame and want to put the rev max engine in. I switched to Indian and swore off Harley, but if they built a bike better than the Challenger, then maybe I would have to look back again, but my hate of Harley now will certainly affect my decision to ever go back to Harley. Hopefully Indian has a refresh for 2024 on the Challenger to keep it ahead of the Road Glide.
Cool Video. Everything you’ve mentioned is exactly why I purchased my 2023 Indian Pursuit - Premium Package . Initially, I was looking at the 2023 CVO Roadglide Limited but was totally turned off at the 51k starting price point as well as some of the features that it still lacked compared to that of the Indian Pursuit (PP). I respect HD but as it stands, I will never buy one of their vehicles again. #TeamIndianMotorcycle
yeah I think that is an important factor and Harley should address. If even 50% of riders end up replacing their suspensions then to me that is something that should be addressed.
Road Glide owner here with 114,000 miles on it and upgrading the suspension is mandatory on Harley-Davidson touring bikes. Wilbers makes the bike work almost, almost, as well as the Indian Pursuit I test rode. Next bike will be the Indian because they got the suspension right.
With Harley being more concerned with drag queen story time than motorcycles I believe if I start looking into a new bike it'll be Indian. A few weeks ago I went to the local Indian dealer and really liked the Springfield. That's 1 beautiful bike.
I rode a Harley Road King for 10 years. Now I am riding my third Indian, a 2021 Challenger Dark Horse. Value and performance are not even close. I still love Harley but will only ride Indian.
Congratulations on your 21 Challenger! I rode a Heritage Softail for a few years and I loved that bike...and I mean I LOVED it...so I can relate. I am so impressed with this Indian though, I'm just really glad we have choices. its good for everyone. Thank you for the comment and for stopping by the channel!!
I was riding my 1997 HD FatBoy. One thing I quickly found out. It’s no Indian Chieftain. Or Indian for that matter. Why? Neutral can be accessed on a Harley-Davidson. But only if you do what the bike wants. I.E. coasting and fidgeting with the gear lever at the same time. I letting the clutch out while stopped, just enough to engage the gear then trying to put the bike in neutral as the bike stops. Most of the time, it’s a challenge. Sitting at a light holding the clutch lever in because i didn’t do what the bike wanted me to do to access neutral. Yeah, that happened more than once. And it S U CK E D
eek, I recently (November) test rode a Stree Glide and a Road Glide, I dont recall finding neutral to be too big an issue but then again the dealer experience afterwards kind of washed away any good will I had. I know there are good ones out there, unfortunately I dont have one in my town. In any case, I do remember my Heritage Softail being a little stubborn to shift into neutral...but that was many years ago.
I totally agree with you. I own a 2006 H D Softail Deluxe and a Motto Guzzi 1400 cc California touring. I visited the H D dealer several times to buy a big touring bike, but I always felt H Davidson are insulting us the American loyal customers to H D when I calculate the several thousand of dollars I have to spend to add the suspension, the mufflers, the cheap steel gear shift, them floor pegs, the LED LIGHTS’ the windshield and the ABS and heated grips are not even standard. ABS is safety issues, it should be standard by law. Harley need to stop insulting us and they must start giving us some value for the amount they charge. They can’t keep making lots of money based on American emotions. They need to hear what lots of loyalty are saying. They need to stop selling the idea of making it your own from our pocket. They need to follow BMW philosophy of business, bringing quality out right out of the box, not 10,000 later to make it as good as BMW, HONDA and now Indian are passing them with quality and value. 9n the next 12 months, H Davidson will have crazy number of repossessions on their hands. Hopefully they can stop the snowball affect.
I'm a harley guy but my next bike will be a Indian pursuit. I don't hate on anyone on 2 wheels we all enjoy it and have that common sense of freedom.
I'm the same way, I love all motorcycles and find value in most of them. The Indian is proving to be a wise choice this time around and I hope to have it around for many thousands of miles. Thanks Tyler for stopping by the channel and leaving a comment!
Indeed my brother!
I ride a Kawaski XZ-14R, the only other motorcycle riders that don't return a "biker salute" are Harley riders, guess they're too cool.
Agree, I have a Harley and have kept it, it's an Evo. I was looking at getting something new, I got an Indian Chief Bobber Darkhorse. Same reasons, value. Harley are resting on their name, Indian make a nice looking bike, I think Harley still are more appealing to the eye. But I have cruise control, GPS, LED lighting, multiple riding modes, Bluetooth. Harley at the same bike (Streetbob) doesn't have any of that! I think Indian is doing good, Harley have to respond which is good for buyers. I will say, people (riders and non riders) are both a lot nicer when I'm on my Indian VS Harley, I'm in Australia though. Good review, agree!
The Pursuit is hard to get. Most likely will have to order one.
I want a Roadglide but the value just isn't there anymore. Totally agree, you get way more with a Pursuit. Still, $40k for a motorcycle, DAMN.
I am with you that the Road Glide is expensive for what you get and I love that Indian but $40 grand? I just couldn't swing that!! I got the HD Road Glide basic model for $21K with cruise control, GPS Nav system, Apple car play. It's a great bike for the $ and having spent A LOT less than $40 grand I can afford some great aftermarket upgrades!
yup, I never thought I'd spend this much on a motorcycle...but here it is. I work from home so I dont drive much and I have no car payments so its doable but I think its kind of ridiculous despite how much I love the bike. there really is no difference in price between comparable models of Indian and Harley at the top end anyway but you just get more for your dollar at the top end with Indian. I agree....we'll see how long the love affair lasts. so far so good! thank you for the comment!
@io3010 yeah I considered going that route but I just wanted to go big on this one and at the time it was affordable with interest rates on the rise, I wanted to get out ahead of it. I agree with your thoughts though on this and you're correct, lots of room for stuff you want to customize with.
@@StormtrooperRidesyea but wouldn’t it be logical to buy a 2018 Indian instead ?
I've found it easy to justify $ for a bike but NOT a car or truck. My truck is 20yrs old & my Jeep is 13yrs old. I just bought my 24 Challenger July 30th & have 4700mi on her already.
I didn't realize how strongly Harley fans felt about Indian until I bought the Pursuit. I didn't choose Indian to irritate Harley only people but they have no problem sharing it with me at the gas pump. The annoying thing to me is that I might have chosen to buy a Harley if the dealer had been better. I think I would have been just as happy on a Harley or a Goldwing but I have no regrets and am very happy with the Indian.
I agree, I test rode a Road Glide about a month before I purchased the Pursuit. Had the dealer been a little more reasonable, I'd probably be riding that RG. Fortunately, that experience opened my eyes to Indian who I hadn't really considered before that event. I love motorcycles and my Goldwing was awesome, the Harley's I've had were awesome and this Pursuit is awesome...but these dealers and all retailers for that matter need to get back to a customer focused mentality. I'm loyal to those that treat me right and if I feel I'm being taken advantage of, it sours me very quickly and I just wont buy things from them. Hopefully having some competition in this market will force some change. I know there are some great Harley dealerships out there and I'm sure there are plenty of Indian dealers who are a$$hats as well but I figure our odds go up that we'll get better ones when there is good competition. Thanks Chad for stopping by the channel and leaving some feedback!! Much appreciated!
I would only have questions about the bike. How do you like it? What kind of gas mileage does it get? How far can you ride it before you start hurting? Things like that.
I want to know how is the ride? Why do you need all they things that break? I like simple, straight forward stuff. Less trouble.
@spaceflight101 I really like the bike so far and I'm at 5k. About to go on a 1k trip. I'm getting about 40 mpg. My longest ride so far has been about 250 miles, but that's about to change. I'm not the best person to gauge pain because I always have pain due to multiple injuries. I did put kst comanche bars on it to improve ergonomics for my body.
@BILL H. it rides great. It feels much lighter than expected for its weight. I feel the handling is superior to many bikes. It has nice suspension, great breaks. As to needing all the things that break I can only guess at what your referring to. I think most new bikes have at least 2 or 3 computers in them. I think the ride command touch screen can be a bit much. I think it's one of the things I think needs the most work but I don't think it will break. Modern touch screens are pretty durable. Maybe you mean the adjustable windscreen. The only component that tends to break is the gear that runs it and that's usually due to misuse of people holding the switch after the windshield is already at its limit. I don't know much about the adjustable suspension but no other system that I have seen is more user friendly. I love it just push a button and it's done. I have always been an early adopter of new technology knowing it might not be perfected, or that it might break which is why I maxed out the coverage. I rode a bike with no bells or whistles (Honda Shadow 750 ACE) for 12 years and your right, only mechanical things to worry about but I wanted to experience the newer tech and so far I prefer it.
Good points all around. I was back and forth between a HD Road King Special or the Indian Springfield Dark Horse. VERY similar bikes, but the Indian won out for several reason. 1. ABS was standard on the SDH. 2. Remote Locking Bags on the SDH. 3. Suspension/Ride was noticeably better on the SDH. 4. Couldn't find Neutral on the RK with out trying 20 times. So many pluses to the Indian that I just couldn't overlook. The one think the RK had over the SDH was the standard Daymaker headlight, which I have already replaced with a Hogworkz. Keep up the good work Indian! You are helping all of us benefit!
yeah I'm a real big fan of the thunderstroke motor and think I'm likely to have one of those in the stable at some point as well. I think Indian is making some really good decisions and hope that continues. Congrats on your Springfield DH! Great looking bike!!
Been riding Harley's for 30 years that said I ride a 2023 Indian Pursuit now. When I looked at the value I got for my money I went with a new Indian It had way more bang for the buck.
110% everything you said about which machine represents a very high value. I feel that HD really started fixing bad mistakes when the 2014-15 Rushmore era began, and I love that era of HD Ultra, but I'm so glad that I unloaded my Ultra and purchased a demo Roadmaster. Purchasing HD is EXACTLY like purchasing a pair of Gucci jeans- You're paying above premium cash for an image. Indian represents a very high value, a more powerful machine, and far superior dealer service in the Western United States
I am a Harley man but I believe Indian motorcycle are going to sell more in the future. Because of what CEO is doing to the company right now
I feel like I need to keep saying this but I have no ill-will towards Harley and I do love their bikes, styling, etc. I agree with what you are saying though and I can see, especially based on all the feedback I'm getting that there are some Harley fans checking out Indian and that is a good thing. Harley needs to get back to what they do best and bring more value and incentivize buying American Iron. I think Indian is helping them see their way now because I dont think you can just keep ignoring what Polaris/Indian is doing and survive it. Despite the insanity of the prices for their new CVO's coming out soon, it seems to me they're paying attention and to me that is a good thing for all of us regardless of brand. Thank you for the comment and I appreciate your contribution to the conversation!! Take care!
Dang you saw the future with this comment.
If you have never used an adjustable windscreen, ride a bike all day with one and then examine why HD doesn't offer this yet? It's a real life saver.. less wind on body, bug season and the unexpected down pour this is priceless. At 80mph in rain hou literally stay completely dry... road spray excluded. Love this feature.
100% agree, I do not understand at all why HD doesn't offer this at least as an option? My Goldwing had it, hell even my Ninja 1000 had a manually adjustable windscreen! This should be standard on any touring bike IMO.
A week later you start having electrical problems if you ride in the rain.
@@stoundingresults bullshit - I have been riding an Indian with ajustable windshield for 5 years and been thru thousands of miles of rainstorms - not one issue
You make a great point about the value for the features. I'm a long time Harley rider and I welcome the competition from Indian. Polaris lit a major fire under Harley's asses and they have made some serious updates over the past few years because of it. Not to mention we get the King of the Baggers now lol
I couldn't agree more and I only wish the economy would do better so that more people could have access to these bikes. Have recently discovered King of the Baggers races and enjoy watching them.
We agree 100%. We came off a Road Glide Limited to this bike and everything he stated is spot on. We still love the Harley but having to put thousands into one after buying it just gets old to fix all the short comings they do not leave the factory with. IE Suspension and lack of power. Modern touring bike are well into the 130 plus range now from the factory in many other brands. I mean the BMW is 160 now and the Duck is 170 i think? Thats gobs of power and Harley need to take note of that. I hope it makes all the bikes better down the road.
Safe to say you wouldn't have those improvements if it wasn't for Indian. The Harley purists hate on Indian riders but they should be thanking them.
@@OzarkHillbilly-p5u So right.Just look at Sportster, boy did the scout line kick HD in gear.I own both Indian and Hd and this is good for everyone
@@jamesspencer406 Harley has known for years that the Evo Sportster as we knew it was coming to its end after over 60 years. The neverending hurdles of emissions regulations saw to that. Air cooled engines just can't maintain the temperature stability necessary to meet regulations. So, they took the engine out of the Pan American and adapted it to the Sportster S (1250) and the Nightster (975).
Everything you said was completely on point. I had several Victory bikes prior to Indian coming back.
It was killer for Victory fans. I have finally gotten over the internal hate for Polaris, but can see they made the right decision.
The bike Market is getting tight for everyone. But I see Royal Enfield is having very good success and selling well in the U.S..
I would never compare RE to Indian. But riders are for the most part downsizing to small displacement bikes and easy to work on.
Great ride. enjoy .
I am a Harley guy, but it hasn’t always been this way. I have ridden Suzuki’s, Yamaha’s, and Kawasaki’s prior to riding Harley’s. I feel all brands have a certain uniqueness about them and this is what is great about the different offerings available these days, especially when it comes to technological advancement. You hit the nail on head about how much more of a value Indian is compared to Harley based on the features offered at nearly the same price point. I may buy an Indian at some point because they are very comfortable to ride compared to almost any Harley and they are feature rich, but I will never get rid of my 15 CVO SG because I love the sound and vibration of that twin-cam motor.
I had an urge to add a bike to the garage and thought long and hard about a Bagger/Cruiser style bike, (I have been and still have am a BMW fan) I thought at first to look at the BMW R18TC but found it to be very uncomfortable with the massive cylinder heads poking out the side and not having legroom for my 6’3” frame. So, my local BMW dealer said what about a K1600GA, they didn’t have one so we put in a spec order and waited till it arrived. During that time I took the liberty to look long and hard at the various bagger/cruiser bikes. Harley Road Glide, Street Glide, Honda Goldwing (same problem as the R18TC), and the Indian Challenger. Test rode the Harley’s at least 4 or 5 times, the Honda 1 time, and the Challenger a couple times. When the K1600GA came in took it for a ride and it was nice, the motor amazingly smooth and powerful 150hp. But dang BMW doesn’t have any decent colors for that bike, matte Green, Gloss Black and Psycho-Blue Purple with stars for an extra $2900 uff, no thanks. I might have bought the BMW if it came in a White with some Red and Black accents (BMW pearl white is awesome on its cars). Took the Harley RG ST out for a spin and man that was a great motor nice color Sand White, but had a horrible snorkel air intake and lacked the features that the Challenger comes with (especially the water cooled motor). I tried to buy the Harley but the first dealer thought the best price was MSRP plus, plus, plus and when I said I am ready to buy but not at that price they never even tried to get the business. The second Harley Dealer kept trying to push a 2022 Black ST on me, and when I said “NO”, want the Sand White we had to negotiate for the 2023 and I almost bought that bike as they came very close to the number I had in mind $33,000 OTD. They were at $34,000, so I had to go to an appointment and ended up at my local Indian dealership and I am no stranger to the shop, I talked with them and said today is the day and if not an Indian it would be the Harley. Ended up getting my 2023 Indian Challenger Dark Horse in Titanium Smoke for less than what Harley offered and almost at my $33,000 number. Loving the bike so far, coming from the BMW world I could never see how anyone would ride feet forward for balance, but now understand better. As I said still have my roadster BMW, and it is great and will be on it for the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride on May 21. Enjoyed the video.
wow awesome, believe it or not I went through the exact same journey! I loved my 2018 Goldwing but at 6' tall it was a little constraining in the leg room department...not to mention I think there should be floorboards of some sort. I am also a big fan of BMW as I very nearly bought (twice) a S1000RR and so my natural inclination was to buy a K1600 to replace my GW with. My issue with it was it felt more like a sport bike to me, it was insanely smooth, awesome power, electronics were through the roof and the quick shifter was awesome...but then I started thinking about it and I was just buying a sport bike with bags...which is something I was trying to get away from. I wanted to lay back in comfort and have some grunty muscle...so I went to Harley naturally but had a poor dealer experience. I found myself at my local Indian shop and the rest just happened. So I 100% understand how you ended up where you did and I appreciate you sharing that story! Congratulations on your new ride and good negotiating!! Take care!
Very happy Challenger owner here, I recently rented a Road Glide for a few days and the 3 things that immediately made me miss my Challenger was the windshield, the suspension and the overall comfort of the Challenger.
yes indeed, when I test rode the Road Glide the very first thing I said was, "I have to change this windscreen" I was getting wind in the face immediately after pulling out of the parking lot. That isn't necessarily a bad thing but in December or February when its cold out and its tempting to ride that windscreen makes a HUGE difference. Congratulations on your Challenger! and thank you for stopping by the channel!
Freedom on 2 wheels is unbeatable!! I watched and researched as much as I could for 2 years and since buying the 2022 challenger limited (because pursuits were sold out for that year 😢) my 2 Harleys collect dust. I love what Polaris has done with keeping up with technology and looks. Great video thank you 🤘
Thanks! and I agree! I'm about to introduce another bike on the channel and as awesome as it is...I can already tell I'm not going to ride it much. The Challenger/Pursuit have such great utility. Great bikes for cruising around town, taking a long trip, storage to put your stuff...adjustable windscreen for whatever weather conditions are there etc. I could go on an on! Thank you for the comment and stopping by the channel!
On May 20th we held our annual Darke County, OH benefit ride. Had some new and younger folks this year and the one that stood out to me was the Indian Challenger. The owner was in his 30s and came from sport bikes and was amazed at how the power compared to his previous sport bikes. It was a 2022 special order Icon, kind of a burnt orange matt color. He loved the suspension (of course he does) and pointed out the great inverted front forks. I told him I have pretty much the same on my bike. What bike would that be, and I pointed to my 2014 Victory Cross Country up in the corner. And then proceeded to tell him that some of the Challenger DNA came from Victory, especially the suspension, the power plus motor Victory started to design, and the large storage of the bags, and such. My next bike will be the Challenger.
A point I think is relevant is my Roadglides operating temperatures were 260 degrees plus and my Indian Challenger being liquid cooled operating temp is 180-185 temp.
Yes! These lower operating temps lead to engine longevity. IMHO, that is a MAJOR difference and that is why I chose to buy the Challenger.
9 months late to this video but everything said still stands true. I bought my Harley in 2020 and sold it 2023 for various reason. Currently back in the market for a motorcycle and will now be going with Indian. The experiences I have had between Indian dealerships and HD dealerships is nearly night and day. I do think Harley took a step forward with the 24 touring models being released, however Indian as a company seems more eager to earn my business.
1. In a fraction of the time HD has been in continuous production Indian has grown exponentially upwards of 350%.
2. Fit and finish pales in comparison to better suspension components, more current technology, a more reliable, stronger V-twin, retains their value just as well as a Harley, and last time I checked I don’t see anything lacking about Indian’s fit and finish so much so that I would choose a bike with less standard features just to own a name.
3. I’m more of a proponent of owning a bike that is a complete package right off the showroom floor rather than dropping another 5 to 10 grand to “customize it the way I like it” just so I can enjoy it. Also, the last time I checked HD is starting to copy from Indian’s playbook by adding a retractable windshield and a singular LED light design with LED markers on the sides of their new headlight design. Next thing you know they’ll have a fully liquid cooled V-twin on their baggers.
I agree with all of your points and your final point is exactly what I was trying to communicate in my video. I doesn't matter if someone doesn't like Indian, anyone can like or dislike whatever they want to...who am I to judge. The point is, as you stated, Harley will react to the success of Indian by improving their bikes....something that I think is fair to say has been lacking in HD for quite some time...yes bigger motors etc but other than the new softail swingarm design...what have they done that has been innovative in the last 5-10 years? I think Harley owners especially should REJOICE in Indian's success because they will directly benefit from it. The new CVO models are proof and next year I suspect ALL Glides will come equipped like these CVO's. It validates what Indian is doing and it also improves bikes for HD riders so everybody wins!! I love competition! Thank you fifthgear! appreciate the comment and the contribution to this conversation!
@@StormtrooperRides absolutely. If it wasn't for competition from metric muscle cruisers in the late 80's and early 90's as well as direct American competition from Victory in 2000's Harley owners would more than likely still be riding 96 cubic inch twin cams or at the very least the 103 with an occasional offering of the 110 for their CVO line.
I've been a Suzuki rider for over 50 years (mini, dirt, and cruisers). Recently retired due to medical issues and bought myself a 22 Pursuit Limited, Crimson and Maroon in September. Time will tell when it comes to the reliability, compared to Suzuki, but my hopes are high. The ride is incredible, and it's the first time I've had a frame mount fairing since my 80 GS450L. This whole frame mount fairing argument can be solved by looking back to Craig Vetter, who was responsible for modern fairings. But in the long run, I'm sure that some guy way back when put a makeshift fairing on his bike after eating too many bugs or getting caught in a deluge.
Keep it on 2 wheels and ride as often as possible.
congrats on the new bike! so far I'm loving mine but agree that time will tell. so far so good. I had a goldwing before the pursuit and loved the frame mounted fairing...I was tempted though by the looks of the street glide and roadmaster/chieftan. I especially love the look of the thunderstroke engine. but new shiny prevailed and I went for the pursuit and love the color I got. hope you're enjoying yours as well and thank you for the comment and stopping by the channel!!
@StormtrooperRides After seeing your video, I subscribed to your channel. Always interested in seeing what others are going through with their bikes. I follow DMV solorider and saw his post on the KST 4" pullback bars and immediately ordered myself a set. Apparently I got the second set of chrome bars they had made after getting in touch with them. After removing mine, I measured, and they were a full 4" pullback. I then wired and installed the bars and hooked up the throttle. Now for the catch... KST didn't take into account the bar end weight, and I had to use a drill to elongate the hole sideways. Upon finishing the job and going out for the first ride, I noticed that the left side of the bar was lower than the right, and the switch cube was not in line with the other. If you decide to get the KST 4" pullback bars, measure carefully before the installation. Personally, I intend to leave mine as is. It was a major job to change them out. It's not really difficult but very involved.
Sorry about the discussion, I recently put up about the KST 4" pullback bars. That was supposed to be a reply to Poppys Adventures. If you'd like, you can share my experience with the KST 4" pullback bars.
I like that you mentioned Craig Vetter. I had a 1973 Kawasaki Z1 900 back in the 70s, and the previous owner had put a big frame-mounted Vetter fairing on it. I loved riding that bike in college and shortly after. I don't miss having to sync those four carbs tho!
I was always a Harley guy till 2017. When they announced the end of the Dyna line I said screw em, not to mention they don't take care of their employees at least not the 4 dealerships that I've worked for. You made a bunch of key points as to why so many people are switching over to Indians instead of purchasing another Harley. I rode the challenger and absolutely fell in love with it. If I was to purchase a new bike Indian would be getting my $$$$.
Both good brands. I went to indian in 2016. Quite happy.
for sure, i'm really looking forward to seeing how they play off of each other and how we benefit...other than paying higher prices ;) Thanks for the comment and stopping by the channel!!
A great video. I own a 2021 Indian Chieftain that I made into a Roadmaster. Added the ventilated seat with heat. Heated grips. It’s an absolutely amazing motorcycle. Harley is taking advantage of their name. How? They are now adding plastic hand controls with their latest models. As well as ride modes. But no electric adjustable windshield. Or central locking. This is easy to add. And they will add this. When they completely change a current model. Which leads me to believe the new RoadGlide will have new features. All of a sudden. My brother owns a 2020 RoadGlide. And he knows I have a bike with more features. He has to add the LED front and rear blinkers. Because Harley appears to be avoiding this. Until they change the model. That can also be said about the suspension. Which is sub par on most Harley-Davidsons. Except for the Pan America. Which is a very nice bike. I love the central locking on my Indian. So nice. A great video man. Thanks for taking us along.
for sure, agree with you on all fronts. I am interested in riding a Pan America as it seems like a real winner for HD....not so sure about the Sportster S but its early, they need to iterate on that platform. They clearly need to move towards a water cooled motor IMO so this is a good place for them to experiment and find out what the market will accept before they put tons of R&D into their big bikes! Great thought, thank you for the comment!!
I recently retired, and have decided that I may as well go whole hog on my purchase. I am looking to get the 2024 Indian Pursuit Limited w/PowerBand in the Icon Copper...40k, but I am figuring, since I may only have 15-20 years of riding left in my life, why not spend for premium, if it's your sunset years. Like most folks...I am not a fanboy for either company, but the Indian Premium model seems to offer more value out of the box, than a CVO.
I am a HD guy but have had a bunch of metrics for most of my riding years.
All that to say that I totally agree with your assessment or perspective
I 100% agree with everything you said. I recently purchased my first street bike, an Indian Chief Bobber Dark Horse, but I took my MSF course at a Harley dealership. I did my research, and came to the same conclusion you did. Indian just offers more for the money. Love the ride command on my Chief, it's amazing. The built in navigation is a game changer. The 116 in the Chief frame is insane, it's a torque monster. Out the door, taxes title and fees, I was still lower than the Harley Breakout MSRP, and I prefer the looks of the blacked out Chief to be honest. Competition is good, I'm excited to see where both companies go from here.
for sure! congratulations on the Indian Chief Bobber!!! Love that bike and in fact my wife and I are going to a demo days in a couple weeks to test ride some chiefs!! I think the Harley Breakout is a nice looking bike but the bike I'm about to introduce blows it out of the water in my opinion, I cant wait to share it with you all. Stay tuned!! and thank you for the comment!!
Hey fellow rider enjoyed your vid and point of view. I have enjoyed a large selection of different brand bikes in my 50+ years of riding and I own a 2021 Challenger w/tour pack. Had to have one as soon as I test road one at the local dealership. Still adding my personal accessories to make it mine but love the way it eats up miles without wearing you out by the end of a long day in the saddle. You mentioned having trouble with CarPlay integration and I too had problems at first but found out that if I turned off the Bluetooth on my iPhone, and plugged it into the bike the com system I have (Sena) will do all the work and I haven’t had a issue with CarPlay. Hope this helps you out.
I wanted the Harley street glide special. They wanted $39845 out the door. So I went down the road and bought the Indian Cheiftain Darkhorse which had far more bang for buck and was out the door at $32245.The Indian had a better ride made more power had better electronics had an adjustable windscreen and LEDs all round. I struggled getting the Harley into neutral and when I told the salesman he told me they all do that and if I get a better aftermarket linkage its better. When they want 40k for a motorcycle that ought to not be the case, It's a no brainer now. Harley needs to address this or they will lose long term.
Yeah JayKay I think a lot of folks feel the same way including me. I'm not here to tell anyone Indian is a perfect machine but at these insane prices all dealers are charging, you better at least feel like you dont have to spend another couple grand before you take it home. that to me is where Harley loses a lot of people. I thin they'll shape up though...hopefully, gotta love competition.
I agree. I had to hit or thump sideways with my boot the gear lever on my street glide special for it to go into neutral. No more nonsense now that I am back to the Indian motorcycles. Enjoy your Darkhorse.
great review. I am on my 3rd Indian, having just purchased a 2023 Pursuit. I feel exactly as you have articulated well - you get more with an Indian. I love all bikes - however I am not fond of a company that sells a bike that needs a ton of upgrades to make it ridable. Every HD rider I know has to spend a lot of cash after the sale to make their bike as ridable as an Indian. The 2024 CVO's clearly have been influenced by what Indian offers. I haven't had a chance to ride a 2024 yet, however I have ridden a lot of 2023 and back HD's. I truely hope HD gets their head out of their 4th point of contact and builds a better bike for their customers - which they won't without a company like Indian pushing the envelope. Ride on
I just purchased a 2018 indian springfield.... thunder black with metalic jade green... its definitely a head turner... i went with the indian because i felt like i got more bike for the price tag plus the color scheme was love at first sight...
The only problem im finding out with indian is finding a mechanic.. the nearest indian dealership to me is over 25 miles away... i live in new jersey.. there are 2 motorcycle dealerships near me wont touch harleys or indians they only touch Japanese, German, english bikes...
There is a small bike shop a block away from my apartment which does mechanics work, but i only see harleys in their lot. Unfortunately its Sunday and they are closed today..
I have had the bike for about a month and the screen shows 18 and 19 volts which i think the rectifier or voltage regulator has gone bad... the voltage should be around 12 to 14 volts if im correct..
So tomorrow i will go to the harley place near my house before i get my bike towed sad😢
I’ve only ridden Harley’s but my next bike will be the Indian challenger. If you need a heat shield or tank bib for your bike let me know I make them custom out of leather.
Good choice on the Indian motorcycle I have two Harley-Davidsons and my next bike we be the Indian Challenger 100 % for sure, a lot for the buck!
Thank you for your information and opinion on your bike!
Great video, you did a good job pointing out both positive and negative things about both brands. i along with the two other guys on my channel have been mostly stuck in the Indian world as far as newer bikes, I absolutely love my Springfield Dark Horse and the other two guys love their Pursuit Dark Horses. With that being said we do all want to see what the new Harley motorcycles are like to ride. Also we have found that Amsoil makes a huge difference in how the transmission feels on these bikes, that may be something to look into on your next service. Keep the videos coming man and I hope you keep enjoying the bike!
-Pharryn
Hey Pharryn, thank you very much. I also really like the looks of the Spd Dark Horse. You'll have to let me take her for a spin if I can get your way this season! Would love to take a ride with you guys...you look like you have lots of fun! I'm really loving the bike so far and I'm excited to see what Harley has around the corner so we know what we can expect in the Indian world. Take care and thanks for stopping by the channel, I'll be in touch!!
@@StormtrooperRidesDefinately man! I just got a 116 BBK and some Hanson Racing Cams done on it and this bike is a BEAST now. Just let me know when you wanna go for a ride, we aren't too far apart!
-Pharryn
You're decision was very sound, and I agree that competition breeds innovation and the consumer benefits. Indian selling 35-40 thousand bikes a year is nothing to sneer at either. Those sales have decimated the Japanese competition in the heavy weight cruiser market. Yamaha had (in my opinion) the nicest cruiser on the market, outside of H-D, and they have abandoned that market altogether.
That is an outstanding point! My very first motorcycle was a V-Star Classic 1100 and I very nearly bought a Midnight Star right before I bough the HD Heritage Softail Classic. The Star Eluder and that lineup get amazing reviews and its sad to me they couldn't sell them, its beautiful! I have to try and get my hands on one so I can put that conversation out there. Someone has to have one around here!
I owned a 2007 Yamaha Stratoliner for 10 years at 55,000 miles. A fantastic bike with the 113ci engine. Yamaha screwed up when they went with the Eluder. My two cents.
Harley won’t do the adjustable windscreen because they like selling 3-4 windshields until you find one that works. Honestly I ride a 2016 ultra limited but I believe I’m going to an Indian for my next bike because of the added features and the aesthetics and the 122 hp liquid cooled engine. Everything is aftermarket upgrades with harley… you spend $37,000 and then another $10,000 to make it rideable..
They loan them to you to try out, genious.
@@jeffreysheridan5205 And one windshield works in all conditions right? You have to compromise somewhere. Most people have more than one windshield in their garage if they ride any miles at all. Trying one out for a few hours vs riding in all conditions for a month makes a big difference.. what you think is fine for a test ride isn’t actually all the great when you get it out and actually ride with it..
Thx for the video. where did you put the antenna?
I love Indian's from an engineering point of view. However I am sticking to Harley because of the number of dealerships and independent shops that are available as well as the giant aftermarket industry supplying parts.
I think that is the number one reason Harley does so well honestly. Their dealer network is unmatched and my only concern with them is they seem to be favoring these larger dealerships that have multiple "super stores" and pushing the smaller dealerships out. This happened in my town and IMO the dealership suffered as a result. Luckily for me, I have an Indian dealer in my town so I'm fortunate, a lot of others aren't so lucky and I can certainly understand why people wouldn't want to drive a hundred plus miles every time they have some issue, especially warranty work. Great point and I appreciate you bringing that up. Makes sense why its harder for someone like yourself to switch or even own both when a dealership is too far away. I think the after-market will come around eventually but its going to take a very long time for Indian to compete with Harley in that regard. Thank you for stopping by the channel and making your points!
@@StormtrooperRides It may take the aftermarket A LONG TIME to come around to even remotely close to Harley and I can sum it up in one word POLARIS..
Let’s be honest. Polaris doesn’t actually have a stellar reputation in the street bike scene. I don’t hold Polaris in very high regard with relatives experience with their jet skis and 4 wheelers as well. My sisters Polaris jet ski was a pile of chit that lived in the marina shop until she got tired dumping money into it and hauled it to the dump where it belonged. Not to many people I ride with are anxious to be tomorrows Victory owner.
On paper and the short term you may get more bike for your money with a Polaris. But in the long term I doubt it. Not only will a Harley hold its value better in resale and likely insurance. But Harley has a by far better history of being there in the long run.. Unlike Polaris trying to sell heritage and Icon, Harley had stood the test of time to be an icon and have heritage. Every time I see a Polaris commercial pushing heritage and Icon I laugh my ass off because until Polaris bought the name the company has been dead since what, the 50’s or 60’s? Lol.. And yes you can buy a Polaris for less than a Harley. But every new kid on the block, even if they do buy a name to try to milk has to sell for less to get their toes in the pool. Like it or not Harley earned it’s stripes by kicking Indians ass and stood the time. A person would have to be a special kind of retarded to think if Polaris was actually successful shuttering Harley’s doors they wouldn’t immediately raise their prices. Do you get more fancy electronic gizmos with a Polaris? Yup, but more things to go wrong on a bike that the manufacturer doesn’t exactly have a stellar reputation standing behind its products and standing the test of time. Not only in the street bike scene, but water sports as well. . One of my favorite jokes is, why did Polaris quit making jet ski’s? Because they haven’t figured out how to make a decent 4 wheeler..
The air cooled Thunderstrokes and M8s, baggers or naked bikes are classic cruisers nostalgic and sound incredible. They make good comparisons competition and compete for market share.
The liquid cooled Pusuit and Honda Goldwings are a different class imo. Touring bikes modern quiet & smooth. They also make for a good comparison to each other.
To pick one from each category doesn’t really make sense. I mean you could throw a Suzuki Hayabusa or a classic Triumph twin in there also but what would be the point.
I think the road glide and pursuit are clearly after the same customer and I think it makes total sense to compare them. To me, yes the thunderstroke and M8 engine pretty much sound identical especially with aftermarket pipes but still. My last tourer was a Goldwing Tour (2018) and that bike is nothing like either the road glide or pursuit, its as you said, smooth and quiet. While the pursuit doesn't sound like a harley, its got its own sound that much more closely resembles a harley than any Goldwing or Triumph I've ever heard. I'll be introducing a Triumph on the channel soon and I will make a point of that comparison. I appreciate your points truly, but I respectfully disagree with you. Thank you for contributing to this conversation, hopefully there is room for some friendly disagreements. Take care and thanks for stopping by the channel.
I went from a Street Glide to a challenger in 2020. Coming from sport bikes the challenger is hands down a better motorcycle if you like to ride fast. No regrets switching to Indian. In fact, I have a few friends that have switched, and most recent my good friend just switched from HD to a pursuit elite.
Good video.
Been ridding cruisers for 42 years now. Never dropped a dime on Harley due to the same reasons you mentioned. Plus I just do not identify with the Harley "culture" with black bike, black jacket, black gloves, black shirt etc. all with the mandatory HD symbol. Been through Yamaha, Kawasaki and now I'm part of the tribe. Indian Super Chief Limited with stage 2 and Lloydz tune. It's all the bike I'll ever need at a price I can afford. Ride safe and enjoy the ride.✌️
Just bought a new Challenger for the same reasons you listed, I love the power. I agree, completion in the industry makes it better for the consumers.
Spot on. I love my RG, but all the things you mention are huge improvements. Esp. the windshield. I've already done suspension, LED lights, and a cam is sitting on my workbench. Hopefully the CVO features trickle down in the near future. I'm sure the CVO's are going to push $50k which is just too rich for my blood.
That new CVO dashboard is off the charts!
Just got a used Springfield and I love it. I looked at Road Kings and Street Glides and you really just don't get as much for the money. Aside from that, I think the Indians are way better looking- that drew me to them in the first place. I also see them being owned by Polaris as a good thing. I know they've had troubles in the past but I think Polaris is dialing it in with these new (and newer) Indians.
As a long term Victory owner, I'm very impressed with the service this bike has given and continues to give me, 9 years and 75k miles into ownership. I'm not ready to give it up yet, but when I do it'll most likely be for a Challenger or Pursuit. Given my experience with Victory, I trust the quality of Indian and I 100% agree, there is more value per dollar to Indian vs HD.
you know I wish life had given me more time and money back in 2005 when I sold my Harley because I was very interested in buying a Victory. I still hope to ride one, one of these days and selfishly I wish they were still around. I think Polaris is definitely injecting Victory DNA into these Indian's though so maybe if I squint really hard at my Pursuit it'll sort of look like a Victory! haha! I've heard a lot of great things about the Victory experience and I'm happy yours is still on the road serving you well. I think if/when you make the decision to move on to a Challenger or Pursuit you'll be impressed. Take care and thank you for the comment! I appreciate all the conversation this is generating!
@@StormtrooperRides The engine in your Pursuit was on Victory's design table when they were closed.. All of Victory's employees were moved over to Indian also So the Vic DNA is there and I've seen it coming out over the last years.
Totally love my Victory Cross Country and also am in love with the Challenger which will most likely replace it soon.
@@cbrippee How soon?? I was out today on the XC and saw a couple of Pursuits... They are taunting me 🤣
@@painsrides I am shooting for next late winter or early spring. Their are at least 2 in my immediate area of Arcanum, OH right now. One I met last fall who, although the lead technician of Honda in Troy, OH, bought a beautiful black Pursuit and can not say enough great things about it.
That was interesting and fun to watch. I have been thinking about the possibilities, however, I only rode about 7 to 8K last year. My '12 Electra Classic is upwards of 147K and needs some serious maintenance review for roadworthiness. I feel I'd rather spend 5 or 6k to bring Silver back to optimum over spending 40k for a similar bike that has many tech improvements of which I would not necessarily use. Although, seeing your ride made me try to reconcile a payment. Ugh. I'll probably just fix what I have..... Thanks for sharing though.
Thank you and 7-8k is quite a lot of miles to me but glad you're able to do it and those older glides are great machines!! I agree 40k for a bike is kind of ridiculous despite having done that. I just couldn't stop myself haha! I appreciate your thoughts on this though and thank you for the comment.
I purchased a new Indian Challenger Limited on April 14, 2023. I have had no issues at all with Apple CarPlay and it’s integration with Ride Command. I think Ride Command software upgrades solved the problems.
Love Harleys. Lot's of Harley folks in the family. I just had to go with the Chieftain Dark Horse. Indian is making some phenomenal bikes that should not be overlooked by anyone looking for one. One of the family is already looking to replace his RK with a Springfield or Chieftain. Bang for your buck does not mean lesser quality. Anyone looking; Go and check out some Indians. You might be pleasantly surprised. Certainly worth a look to know that you're getting what you really want. Love Harley, love Indian, and if it gets you out there on 2 wheels, make it the 2 wheels YOU love.
I just bought a Indian Cheiftain Darkhorse. It's got a lot more going on than the Harley Street Glide and it's cheaper. Harley may look back at these times find they made a fatal mistake with the market. As fit and finish begins to improve with Indian they get closer to toppling the competition The suspension on my New Chieftain Darkhorse is amazing and so is the adjustable windscreen the all round pathfinder LEDs and the electonics package... No one wants to see Harley lose if Indian wins that's bad for consumers.
This is why my husband also went with this bike. You hit all then ails on the head with this review. We cant wait to get our bike in the dealer and get riding. The Challenger in any trim is just a better bike for the money. The amount of extra parts you get stock in the Indian is above Harley Road glide, period. Great review.
Yup agree totally with your assessment. Thanks very much for the compliment and for the comments. I’m really enjoying this discussion and look forward to making mor videos on this topic.
I have a 2015 Street Glide that I love! However, I just ordered a pursuit in Stryker red and black! I can't wait!
Awesome! congratulations!! You will love it! When I visited my local Harley dealer back in November, I was dead set on getting a Stree Glide....then I rode the Road Glide.....then I started looking at Indian... the rest is history so I am jealous you get to have both! HAHA!! Thank you for the comment and I appreciate you stopping by the channel!
You make some valid points .. I’ve said for years on my channel Harley needs to change hopefully we will see with the new CVO models
I think you nailed it with today's video. This is/was exactly my point. let the innovation begin!!! good for everyone!!
Well that’s kinda the problem with Harley. You have to get a $50k CVO to get features that come stock on a Darkhorse and some of those standards come stock on the Indian base model. For example, why are 2023 Road Glides and Street Glides still coming from the factory with halogen turn signals? And why is ABS an option on an 850+ pound bike (SG and RG)?
The competition is good for both manufacturers :-)
Indian has the most maintenance free bike. The gear drive primary is a deal breaker for me. The challenger has all the modern stuff out the gate. Harley Davidson just started to catch up.
I tested out the iron 883, Then went tested out the scout, and it was a no doubt in my mind the scout was the winner to me. I wanted something a little bigger after six months or so went, on a test ride on a fat boy then a Springfield dark horse. I got the dark horse. I feel in love, now. I want a road masters.although. I want to ride a Harley Davison with that new motor 131. I think anyhow . I like all motorcycles every time. I can make a demo day. I go ride whatever they got.
yeah for sure, I agree with you! I think Harley makes a great bike and I'm looking forward to what having two American manufacturers pumping out great bikes does to the market. I very much believe in competition=innovation and I cant wait to see what happens over the next few years. Congrats on that Springfield DH! Lovely bike!!
I have a Challenger Limited. I have not seen another 2022 model on the road in a years time! I find it a little freaky considering the very low distribution. After what Polaris did to Victory it makes me nervous related to their product marketing decisions. Nonetheless, after a couple performance upgrades to improve the lack of throttle response I am very satisfied with it. Harley rider will surely benefit with having brand competitions. No one should have to put 5K into a brand new motorcycle to get it to perform.
I am a Harley enthusiast and I am interested in purchasing a Road Glide. However, I acknowledge that the Indian Challenger offers more features for the money and appears to be a superior bike on paper. I am also drawn to its aesthetic appeal. Despite these advantages, I cannot bring myself to part ways with my Harley. It is more than just a motorcycle to me; it holds a special emotional value. However, If I did not have this attachment to Harley, I would choose the Indian. But in the end, the most important thing is to enjoy the experience of riding a motorcycle, regardless of the brand.
What are your thoughts on these big touring cruisers not having revers? Are there any shops that retro fits? Do you plan to have one installed in that case.
Firstly, sweet bike! Secondly, there are so many cool bikes available from many different brands. I personally have a Low Rider St and a Moto Guzzi V7. Love each one for different reasons like all riders do. I hope Indian continues to grow and differentiate itself more from HD, the Springfield is “Indian” in my mind, and the others are trying too hard to look similar to Harleys. Look at all the Japanese cruisers who tried and failed. People want the genuine article. I think Polaris squandered a unique opportunity to create a new legacy for Indian when they killed Victory and the styling that made them stand out. Competition is good, makes everyone better but don’t lose your identity. Two finger waves to anyone on anything with two wheels.
After owning a 2017 Indian Chief Vintage for 55k trouble free miles, I bought my 2nd Indian. I've always liked HD, but it seems like everyone has one. I've owned Kawasaki, Suzuki, 2 Victorys & now 2 Indians. I've ridden a couple HD & Indian by far has the BEST bang for your buck. I look forward to many miles of smiles on my 24 Challenger Dark Horse Icon in Sunset Orange.
Don't forget the 3 ride modes that are standard on Indian as well. LOVE IT!
I'm also switching to Indian, a Pursuit Dark Horse Premium. After having 13 Harleys, I feel Indian has the market for value and performance.
Can I ask what height screen you went with, and your Height.. I can't decide to go with 11" or 8" klockworks.. I'm 6'1
Cheers for sharing 👍
I think you’re absolutely right competition is better for both companies and it will help the people in the long run. Get a better quality bike.
I own an older deluxe with bags and all,but actually looking into a super chief limited… not really into full bag and cowling and all, but it’s hard to beat Indian in value and it’s sexy motor..
The biggest concern for me is dealer availability. There’s 6 Harley dealers in my area to 1 Indian dealership. Parts aren’t as plentiful. Aftermarket isn’t as extensive either. But I do love Indian. Solid selection of bikes. Those drawbacks can’t be ignored though. For me, Indian would have to sweeten the deal. I priced a street bob vs a chief and the chief ended up being more expensive. It didn’t make sense to me
Update: ended up picking up a chief 😂
So the main reason I choose Harley over Indian is for a couple or reason.
1 Indian is owned by Polaris. Polaris also owned or still own Victory. they had a great bike and got a lot of people to buy a victory. Then one day they came along and said k we are done. we aren't going to build victory anymore. we will make parts for 10ish years and then we will be done. that was way not cool. Polaris totally dumped on their customers.
2 they are way two expensive. i own a 2023 Goldwing and a 2020 heritage. both are good bikes. and way less money then Indian.
Indian is a good quality bike don't get me wrong. I just think they dumped on all their customers. that wasn't cool.
I’ve seen this argument year round and this is my input on this.
Harley is not about the chassis or the features. It’s about the way their engines are built.
Indian, Honda, Kawasaki still follows the same pattern and many other motorcycle manufacturers other than Harley’s. The pattern is, built a whole engine where if there is a transmission issues, then basically the bike is totaled or due for a new engine. And because of that they use a single oil that lubricate the clutch pack, with the cylinder wall and their gear box. Clutch worns out quick on each ride. And that alone makes the oil impure. Then that oil has to clean the cylinder wall carbon which also gets dirty a lot faster.
What they came up with is certain quantity of oil to diminishing the amount of carbon residue left over on each ride with carbon residue. Also they are aware their gears will eventually worn out.
Harley broke that math. Harley motorcycle can go on over 300k miles with the same engine with just servicing each parts individually and because they wouldn’t need to remove the engine, it would be the OEM combustion with just internal parts swap or replaced over time. Minus the fact that Harley always have bore option to increase on displacements capacity.
That’s coming from a mechanic standpoint. Now the general average Joe is not a mechanic, and specially because they wasn’t around their Harley that much of course they will look for features and storages. But face it, Harley is unique it’s why they sell more bikes also.
I am planning to get an Indian down the line, but right now I love my 2023 Road Glide Limited as it is, and I know it’s better than an Indian.
I have been riding on 2 wheels for 35 years now. These type of bikes never got my attention, never. I own, since new, 2020 Goldwing DCT Tour, however I have to say. Indian dealer is the only dealer I stopped by to check the Pursuit Elite with the copper color cyl head. Boy....oooo...boy, what a bike, man. Indian did such an amazing job. The quality of craftmanship, the finish, the ride, just incredible. The only disappointed I had, was the lack of center stand and walk mode reverse, for such a heavy bike. I am waiting for the 25th anniversary Goldwing and if nothing crazy new then, Indian will be next for me. I would not buy an HD or even look at one, that is my take. All should ride what they like.
I’ve always had Harley, but I would love a chief vintage, Springfield and/or chieftain. My advice for buying a Harley, buy used. There is an over abundance of mint used one’s out there. I bought a 21’ road glide with only 1600 miles on it for $10k less than a new one.
I’m fortunate enough to own both an Indian scout bobber and a Harley heritage classic and I purposely will wear a Harley shirt while I’m riding my Indian and an Indian shirt my Harley and a lot of Harley guys will give me crap about that but I always tell them you need to go ride an Indian and then you’ll understand what a great bike it is
I was a hard-core Harley guy for years until I test drove a Indian chieftain went back to the dealership two days later test drove it again and end up buying it. Kept that bike for several years, including a cross-country motorcycle ride and it was a great bike. Kind of regret selling it, however next year I’m pretty sure I will buy a pursuit
This is why I went with a 2022 Chief over anything HD had in that class at the time. Even with their new Low Rider S/ST, I would still choose the Chief. Better value, with more features. The only thing the LRST has over the (Super) Chief is hard, locking saddlebags. Why Indian keeps with the big, brown, ugly, non-locking bags on their new models befuddled me. Also, why HD designed the new SPORT Low Riders with a 2-2 exhaust, thus causing the right bag to be smaller than the left, befuddled me.
HD's newest CVO with updated features is still a bad bargain. They didn't add those features at the same price point to other CVO's to compete. They added a record-breaking price tag with those features, lol!
I can't argue any of those points. As I said, I think Indian is doing some wise things...though they could add those hard bags, use a harder clear coat, and probably some other things that would help sway others to their camp. I think Harley is a little taken back by Indian market penetration right now but I do think they are paying attention and I expect them to make changes going forward...though I'm not sure they see "lowering" prices as an option at this point.
Indian advertises the pursuit elite at 128lb of max torque. HD advertises the road glide ST at 127lbs. Were you referencing HP #'s when talking about "power"?
As someone who rides a Harley, I am in complete agreement with you. I think healthy competition is great for the consumer. I am probably an outlier, I don't care what you ride, I'll ride with you. Do I love my Harley yes, just like you love your Indian. When I buy my next bike will I consider an Indian? You bet I will! Now let's get out and ride!
yup I am with you 100%, I dont care what brand or what style of bike anyone rides. I just love motorcycles in general and as you'll soon see, I have eclectic tastes when it comes to motorcycles. I'm fascinated by what is possible on two wheels. I've just gotten back from vacation and I'm totally ready to ride the wheels off these bikes this season! I'm truly excited to meet a lot of new people and travel as many places as I can. Thank you Texas! I appreciate your comment and the contribution to this conversation!
21 chieftain dark horse rider here. I love indian. All my buddies have Harleys. I just wanted to be different. And it takes me every where i need to go just like a Harley.
Yup I am with you there. I have nothing against HD at all and if I had gotten the right deal at the dealership I'd probably be on one now but that said, I do feel that I have something different and it blends in well. I'm very impressed with what Indian is doing and I'm loving my bike. I really like the chieftan as well and maybe one of these days I'll have one of those too! Thanks for the comment and stopping by the channel!!
Ive had my 2020 Indian Challenger Dark Horse for almost 4 years / ZERO REGRETS. Absolut Killer Bike‼
Nice bike. Loving the color.
Nice points made.
What camera setups were you using?
Very well said and I completely agree with you. I loved the HD’s I owned but my Indian is the best bike I’ve ever owned.
I'm with you there! I hope they continue to iterate on the success they've had with the last couple years of models. They are really making good decisions in my opinion! 602 I appreciate your comment and thank you for stopping by the channel!!
ok...here's some feedback...first, great looking garage...however, I think the US flag is incorrectly displayed...the stars go on the left...going off your thumbnail video at the end...second, HD has a great legendary reputation...tough to overcome. Third, their distributorship is overwhelming. Fourth, HD and Indian don't even come close to a BMW...in every feature...ride, power, comfort, technology, etc. Do a comparison with your Indian vs BMW K1600 (GT or B). I agree with your assessment...the LED lights alone make it better. Neither I or HD has a reverse gear...what...BMW has reverse. Game changer. Keep up the great work.
thank you for the feedback, my flag was incorrectly hung (was in a hurry to show the garage and I made the mistake) however in the thumbnail for this video it is correct just for the record. I changed it immediately when I realized what I had done...and also all my Army buddies pointed out my ineptitude. I agree that HD has a foothold on the market and i dont see that changing anytime soon. BUT as long as Indian keeps putting out good updates to their existing models, continues to improve their lineup with some fresh bikes, I think Indian is doing very well. I have ridden a BMW K1600GT and last summer that was the bike I was going to buy....but then I really reflected on what I wanted and decided I wanted to buy an American made bike which left me with Harley or Indian. I first test rode Harley Road Glide and Street Glide but had a not so great dealer experience...so I went to my local Indian dealer and well the rest is history. I do miss REVERSE from my Goldwing but in most situations I can live without it. The Pursuit is a very heavy bike so it would be nice. I figure both Harley and Indian will add that feature eventually. Thank you for your comments and I think we're on the same page. I appreciate the contribution to this conversation! Take care and thank you for stopping by the channel!!
Harley sells about 150,000 and Indian sells about 60,000
I just test rode the pursuit and the roadmaster limited. Liked them both, very impressed. Still not enough for me to trade my road glide limited. Hope you like it, ride safe
Thank you Harry, I do and I will!! hey I get it man, HD has a very strong offering and there are definitely some things they do better and Indian will be hard pressed to compete...like dealer network and accessories. Congrats on your RG and you ride safe and enjoy as well!! Take care and thanks for contributing to the conversation!
@@StormtrooperRides I really liked the pursuit. My wife said not as comfy for the passenger 🤣
Outstanding Review! All very valid points you have made. As you know, I am a Harley owner. My youngest has owned 4 Milwaukee 8s. That said, other than what I read and hear, I have personal experience with Harley going back many years. I do hope Indian along with other brands, convince Harley Davidson to do a much better job. I'm not going to hold my breath waiting.
The bottom line is Harley has been “alone” in the American market for so long that Indian forcing them to change and get better is really screwing with the traditionalist in the group, not to mention what the CEO is doing to the company won’t help at all.
Extremely well done and informative! If I had seen this sooner, I might have come to the same conclusion, but I bought my HD used with under 3K miles on it for $15K less. Given that money is no object, I would agree that the Indian has more value for the dollar. Thanks for making this video and sharing it with us.
Thank you for this review. I have been on the fence because of cost between pursuit and roadglide. What helmet and bluetooth are you using?
Harley finally redesigned their touring bikes and probably gonna jack up the price even higher.
I took my retirement so i good buy a harley been wanting one for 25 years been on few of them streetglides my brother on his 2nd one i was waiting on the retirement checks to start coming and then on the radio i hear come ride the indian line up so i go there i ride the 116 chieftain could not believe what Polaris created went back 3 days latter and got to ride the challenger back surgery left me with nerve damage harleys vibration would aggravate the nerve anyway in sept 2020 i bought the dam bike challenger base model never look back very happy i want the indian bobber now u guys gave me bike fever got to go.
congratulations! I can relate, as I get older my back has become more and more sensitive to bouncing and vibrating. I'm sure what you are going through is much worse than what I do but I'm glad you found a bike you love and that is what is important regardless of brand. I think this platform is outstanding! Thank you for the comment and stopping by the channel!
The only reason I bought another harley-davidson was the dealer network, my closest indian dealer is 3.5hrs away.
I was having the same issues you mentioned with ride command and they replaced the entire unit under warranty no issues since but it’s only been a couple hundred miles since the change out
Which HJC helmet is that? Looks very nice!
Upgrading the plastic screw windshield drive on my Chieftain now.
I agree with you. I owned and rode a Harley until last year, I want a Indian or BMW as my next daily driver.
I bought the extended warranty on my new 2015 Streetglide & my wife did the same on her 2016 Chieftain. I only had one issue during the warranty with my heated hand grips . I was told the ($2500) warranty did not cover that . $2500 gone for nothing .
My wife had no issues with her Indian during the extended warranty & Indian’s policy is if no claims the entire warranty cost will be refunded & sure enough very soon after the warranty expired we received a cheque . Thank you Indian for being so fair
That Indian is a damn good looking bike.
Indians are getting popular in my group
The new upcoming redesigns coming from H-D will be nice, but they will be way over priced, so hope that “Polaris” keeps their Bikes somewhat reasonable. $$$
yeah i agree but unfortunately, both Polaris/Indian and Harley are going to lean on the inflation angle and the down economy to raise prices I'm afraid. they'll go as high as they can so when things are better they're ahead of their labor contracts and will be able to afford the wages that will ultimately be demanded BECAUSE of inflation...its a never ending circle and we get the butt end of that every time. I like your insight though and I agree with what you're saying in terms of design/features. Harley will drive everyone else forward and Polaris and others have to drive Harley forward.
I heard that Harley is building a new frame and want to put the rev max engine in. I switched to Indian and swore off Harley, but if they built a bike better than the Challenger, then maybe I would have to look back again, but my hate of Harley now will certainly affect my decision to ever go back to Harley. Hopefully Indian has a refresh for 2024 on the Challenger to keep it ahead of the Road Glide.
Currently own a '22 Indian Chief DH in the same color but my next is going to be the Pursuit
Cool Video. Everything you’ve mentioned is exactly why I purchased my 2023 Indian Pursuit - Premium Package . Initially, I was looking at the 2023 CVO Roadglide Limited but was totally turned off at the 51k starting price point as well as some of the features that it still lacked compared to that of the Indian Pursuit (PP). I respect HD but as it stands, I will never buy one of their vehicles again. #TeamIndianMotorcycle
Spot on w the suspension being better on the Indian no doubts
yeah I think that is an important factor and Harley should address. If even 50% of riders end up replacing their suspensions then to me that is something that should be addressed.
@StormtrooperRides amen bro...RG I had would hurt mine n wife's back on any bump...totally unacceptable...specially at those prices.
Road Glide owner here with 114,000 miles on it and upgrading the suspension is mandatory on Harley-Davidson touring bikes. Wilbers makes the bike work almost, almost, as well as the Indian Pursuit I test rode. Next bike will be the Indian because they got the suspension right.
With Harley being more concerned with drag queen story time than motorcycles I believe if I start looking into a new bike it'll be Indian. A few weeks ago I went to the local Indian dealer and really liked the Springfield. That's 1 beautiful bike.
I think two things keep more people from Indian
1. Limited Dealers
2. are they going to stick around or bust like Victory ?
I rode a Harley Road King for 10 years. Now I am riding my third Indian, a 2021 Challenger Dark Horse. Value and performance are not even close. I still love Harley but will only ride Indian.
Congratulations on your 21 Challenger! I rode a Heritage Softail for a few years and I loved that bike...and I mean I LOVED it...so I can relate. I am so impressed with this Indian though, I'm just really glad we have choices. its good for everyone. Thank you for the comment and for stopping by the channel!!
I was riding my 1997 HD FatBoy. One thing I quickly found out. It’s no Indian Chieftain. Or Indian for that matter. Why? Neutral can be accessed on a Harley-Davidson. But only if you do what the bike wants. I.E. coasting and fidgeting with the gear lever at the same time. I letting the clutch out while stopped, just enough to engage the gear then trying to put the bike in neutral as the bike stops. Most of the time, it’s a challenge. Sitting at a light holding the clutch lever in because i didn’t do what the bike wanted me to do to access neutral. Yeah, that happened more than once. And it
S U CK E D
eek, I recently (November) test rode a Stree Glide and a Road Glide, I dont recall finding neutral to be too big an issue but then again the dealer experience afterwards kind of washed away any good will I had. I know there are good ones out there, unfortunately I dont have one in my town. In any case, I do remember my Heritage Softail being a little stubborn to shift into neutral...but that was many years ago.
I totally agree with you. I own a 2006 H D Softail Deluxe and a Motto Guzzi 1400 cc California touring. I visited the H D dealer several times to buy a big touring bike, but I always felt H Davidson are insulting us the American loyal customers to H D when I calculate the several thousand of dollars I have to spend to add the suspension, the mufflers, the cheap steel gear shift, them floor pegs, the LED LIGHTS’ the windshield and the ABS and heated grips are not even standard. ABS is safety issues, it should be standard by law. Harley need to stop insulting us and they must start giving us some value for the amount they charge. They can’t keep making lots of money based on American emotions. They need to hear what lots of loyalty are saying. They need to stop selling the idea of making it your own from our pocket. They need to follow BMW philosophy of business, bringing quality out right out of the box, not 10,000 later to make it as good as BMW, HONDA and now Indian are passing them with quality and value. 9n the next 12 months, H Davidson will have crazy number of repossessions on their hands. Hopefully they can stop the snowball affect.
Greed is ruining HD. They don’t want to sell entry level any more. They are in for demise with this leadership