This is one of the best reviews I've seen on the Indian Challenger. I ride a 15 CVO road Glide and I must say that I'm totally impressed with this new bike, I will definitely be taking a test ride in the spring as soon as the weather breaks. Thinking I may be jumping to the Indian!!
Well it’s an ok bike if it’s what you want but I did choose the rg limited... and don’t regret it at all I am pushing 10,000 miles just rode today 12-27... buy what you want but to me the bike doesn’t have nearly as good of lines... not as nice color... the limited has water cooled heads lowers and trunk bag that you can’t get without throwing a lot of money at the polaris... I literally just talked to a Polaris dealer and asked because on another thread a no-it-all troll... tells me how you can buy the lowers for your legs and trunk bag and put it on but the dealer said no not yet... let alone paint match... and when you can I’m sure it’s a very pricy add on... just not even close to an equal match rg definitely comes out on top
@@stevexaxa3619 Okay :) Although you're wrong about the cooling at least - the Indian has full liquid cooling. The Harleys have liquid head cooling only. It is true that the lowers and trunk will likely be introduced with a touring version this coming year (much like the Roadmaster was released after the Chieftain even though it was designed beforehand.) Harleys are probably cheaper in some cases, but in my opinion, the Indians have a higher quality. That's just my opinion. You're welcome to yours, and if you're happier with Harley, ride often and ride safe my friend - we should all be able to ride what we like.
The Victory engine was a technology marvel, It had no pushrods, one oil fill, one oil drain plug, easy access oil filter, and simple clutch pack replacement if needed. The Victory was what most motorcycle riders love which is a nearly maintenance-free motorcycle. Indian has used a lot of the Victory engine tech such as the 6 quarts of oil to keep everything lubricated and cool with its large oil cooler up front in combination with air cooling is a win-win. Secondly, the gear drive primary is the main thing Victory & Indian shined with zero maintenance. Harly Davidson is still using the chain primary drive which is problematic, and why they still use it on their new Milwaukee 8 motor is beyond me.
lol, I don't blame you. Next year I'll see what's out there for pipes, as well as a trunk, and I would like a slightly different design on the tank. The pipes, though - I hope V&H can do with this liquid cooled engine what they did with the Victory Octane and the slightly smaller Scout engine, because the V&H Grenades I had on that Octane were just awesome.
Thankyou for taking me on a ride with this vid. It’s such a beautiful stock note, I’d keep it stock. My chief Darkhorse I’ve kept stock love it just the way it is.
You releasing this review is Merry Christmas to me ! Thank you! Merry Christmas to you! I love this bike . Can't wait for it to be offered in a full touring version (trunk, lowers,etc)
Thanks Jim! I appreciate it. I'm also waiting for a few things like that - trunk, and maybe some different tank badging than the painted logo, but overall this thing is really amazing.
I have been riding bikes 46 yrs mostly HDs I just went from an electraglide to a triglide last summer what an over priced piece of junk !!!! November 27th 2020 I test rode and bought a New Indian Challenger and I b am in love!!! Best motorcycle I have ever ridden hands down. Thanks to reviews like yours!!!
Great job Ev, love the intro. Haven't ridden it yet, but from what i hear, this bike is amazing. Noticed you kept it in standard mode, if i'm not mistaken, and you were still quite impressed with the power. From what i hear from other vlogs, if you would've went to sport mode, it would've blew your mind.
Thank you, Charlie! Somewhere I do have a clip of me going to Sport mode. I did two rides that day and this was the first. I knew my battery died so I went out and did a second, but decided to use the first clip as it was my true first impression. I didn't keep it in Sport mode for long, because it was really cold that day (in the 30's) and frankly it just felt way too easy to lose traction on such cold roads, but Sport mode's fun! You can, however, achieve the same thing in Standard mode by simply putting some gusto into the throttle twist. Sport mode just makes it easier to motivate the bike with less of a wrist twist :)
I just demoed one yesterday, i mostly agree with your assessment. Great video! P.S. They had one in the showroom with TAB slip ons (zombie baffles) that sounded awesome.
Pretty sweet bike, love the liquid cooled feature. If it was available before may have bought instead of my goldwing. Now if they add dct too that would be really cool. Definitely will buy this bike. Will say you do great job with your videos.
Sweet. Moms in Foxboro. I'll be buying my Indian from them in March. I was leaning to the Chieftain, but I have to demo the Challenger first. I'm starting to really like it from watching UA-cam reviews.
Of all the utube videos with people doing test rides or just talking about Indian Motorcycles, this is the guy I listen to and trust. P.S. Adam Sandoval also.
Great Video, I have the exact bike your tested, yes Blue. As mentioned by others I just rolled the bars up and it made a major difference. In addition, I recently added the Indian Stage 1 intake, and waiting on the big brown truck to deliver my TAB BAM Sticks exhaust. One thing you would not know about is that the Challenger headlight sucks. So far 3,000 miles off insane riding with zero issues.
If your only negative is the handlebars to low, they can be adjusted upwards as far as a mini ape position in just a few minutes, and nothing has to be removed. Enjoyed you review. Will be looking and demoing one come this spring.
i enjoyed you Challenger review and have agree with you on almost everything, I'm a tattooed biker and bought one. I've been riding a 2010 Cross Country for 9 years so I really liked how you noticed the Victory DNA in the Challenger. I can't find a negative thing about the Challenger except maybe accessory pricing, ouch. When Polaris pulled the plug on Victory I started shopping and there wasn't anything out there that could match what Polaris did with the Cross Country, the Indian Challenger was good enough that I have a bike payment again.
I purchased the challenger right off the truck at my dealer, I can’t even ride my chieftain anymore , which sucks... but I did add Indians pipes , which add a nice sound note, and the stage 1 air box , I have over 1000 miles on it, and it’s a really great bike.
1901 to 1953 , Springfield Massachusetts , the museum is in the old factory. sold to Royal Enfield in England. You should check it out. Some of the most beautiful iron is there. I owned a 1949 scout with a magneto designed by Thomas Edison. Some history there. Also the old Springfield Arm's museum is close by. Go have fun,see what the original Indians looked like.
Here's a question for you Night.... would you buy the challenger or the chieftain? We don't get the challenger in Aus till March, I have not long ago test ridden an '18 chieftain limited with the 116 big bore kit and wow makes a huge difference. Let me know your thoughts, I'm yet to hear from anyone on the difference
Are the handlebars full chrome tubular? If so, you should be able to loosen the clamps and roll them forward a touch, same as I've done with my Valkyries. World of difference from the way they were set from the previous owners. Due to the fact that all four bars were set the same, I feel they were in the position set up from the dealer. Too low for me. Moved them up about 3-4" and they are perfect.
I just did a test ride 2 days ago. Because you placed it in Standard mode the throttle is affected. Sport mode gives you close to instant , If not instant, response. Standard and Rain mode detunes the throttle a little more but doing so really smooths out the acceleration. Rain mode and the clutch combination makes for perfect stop and go traffic situations.
Merci pour tes commentaires éclairés, cette semaine je vais tester une challenger. Je pense que cela sera ma prochaine moto. Tu as pris des petites routes de campagne, elle a l'air de bien se comporter. Je pense que c'est son moteur qui fait la différence avec la concurrence HD. Bonjour de France.
Excellent video as usual. Assuming you have a cable throttle, it only needs adjusting to take out the play. (Most bikes seem to be delivered with this slack) If the potentiometer is built into the twistgrip, you'll need to ask Indian if there is an adjustment.
Shifting is all about timing your shift with the engine rpm. After riding Harleys I had the same problem when I switched to Victory but now I shift the Victory smoothly with no clunk.
I demo rode the Challenger last November when it was debuted at the motorcycle show in Long Beach. It’s one hell of a bike and probably what Victory would have made if they still existed. I just wish it wasn’t $30k for the version I would want. The $23k base model is more my price range, but I want the IMU. Need to ride it again. I wouldn’t even consider the Road Glide against this, but for less money I would consider the Road King or Electra Glide Standard. Btw, who does the jazzy intro Christmas song?
I got to ride the challenger and roadmaster limited at a demo event. I was surprised at the smoothness of the challenger. I did expect it to be faster after watching reviews like this one. Also felt out of tune. Same for the roadmaster, they were fine until higher speeds. Then they felt unsettled to me. But my stock ultra limited was the same way. Stage 2 kit with alot of tuning solved that, as it would for these two. Just don't want to have to add all the parts to these all over again. The roadmaster surprised me at how light it felt. Loved the cooled seat feature and it has a nice rumble to it. That fairing on the challenger takes getting used to. Actually fit me well I even liked the bars. Both are great bikes just not enough for me to trade up yet.
I didn't have any issues with the brakes. On my Chieftain Limited, they can at times feel a little wooden. But these Brembos are awesome. Unfortunately I have no experience with the headlight at night. I was lucky to get through a couple of daytime rides in the low 30's and still be able to form cohesive sentences... lol (if I did...)
This is in Foxboro, MA. I also have a video called "The Lush Motorcycle Roads of Foxboro, Massachusetts " that you might enjoy, too. It's a trip down these roads with no talking :)
What mode are you riding in? From my experience any rain or touring modes dumb the throttles way down I haven’t ridden Indians but fjr touring mode or bmw road/rain modes will react exactly as your showing
Interesting. I was in Standard mode here. On other Indians I've ridden, as well as on the FJR I owned, the mode I was in never introduced play at the beginning of the throttle - it only affected the ratio of turn to throttle. But not where the throttle actually began to engage. I'm going to test out other Challengers and see if it's the same across the board.
I thought I loved Victory Motorcycles, until the fuel pump goes out on my 2009 Kingpin. The vic-shop tried to get me to spend, $800 for a newly rebuilt one! Because Victory stopped making parts,way way earlier than they supposed to.
Happy New Year! A great way to enter 2020 having watched this video. Last summer, I had.an opportunity to test ride a Gold Wing and I loved everything about it, except the foot position and it was too high for me. I can't wait to take this beauty out for a run next spring! Oh, and thank God I'm not a college drinker anymore. If I did a shot for every time you said "wow" or "this is really nice" I'd have to be admitted to a hospital for alcohol poisoning! 🤣🤣
I don't understand why you guys want to make your bikes louder. You're not going to get more horsepower, just noise. I think the factory mufflers are great.
I've owned four Indians and ridden about 40 more. I have always felt maybe 1/8" of play there, but nothing quite like this was. Hopefully it's just a mechanical or software adjustment that can be made. Otherwise I'm sure I'd get used to it over time. Was just odd coming from my Chieftain Limited to this and feeling it being so pronounced.
@@NightcruiserMA I rode my friends and felt the same way. coming from a Harley that has no throttle lag. I think it can be tuned out with a tuner once they come available.
It is almost funny with a normally metric rider type acts Amazed with the power. Riding a Big Dog since '01, 117 hp and 127 lbs of torque, power is NORMAL.
I wasn't familiar with Big Dog so I looked them up. They look really cool (though I don't think the suspension and handling would quite work for me.. lol.) Nice bikes! Yeah, in the world of non-custom American cruisers/baggers/tourers, this bike is exceptional in it power.
When good pipes are available, when a trunk is available, when the tank badging changes, and when I stop loving my Chieftain Limited :) ...or earlier. Never know with me.
@@NightcruiserMA Any slip on that fits the Chieftain and Roadmaster will also fit the Challenger. Also the Roadmaster trunk will also fit on the Challenger. I think Indian will have the full tour package model out this year, would be stupid to not do so with these things selling really well.
This was an excellent review of the 2020 Challenger. I feel this is one of the best bikes available today. HOWEVER, I would recommend NOT buying a 2020 Challenger until Polaris resolves the issue with misfires in the engine. If you go to indianmotorcycles.net, you will see there are multiple owners that are having issues with the engine (Mainly at idle) shutting off a cylinder and creating misfire codes. After 3 codes are established, the bike will disable itself and can't be started. I hate to sound negative on such a beautiful machine but Polaris is aware of the problem and has yet to resolve it. I'm on my 2nd Challenger now. The dealer took back the first bike at my request. I thought it may be a one off instance but now the 2nd bike has less than 40 miles on it and is doing the same thing. At this point Polaris really needs to do a STOP SALE until this is sorted out. I don't want anyone else spending over $30K only to have your bike sit idle in your garage or at a dealers work bench. Again , just stating facts. I'm confident once they determine if this is software or ECM related, it will one of the best baggers ever !
@@NightcruiserMA - I spoke with Hunter today @ Polaris CS and he confirms since they received 3 bikes back from various dealers, they were able to source the problem and a software update is being developed by their engineers. I'm sure once this update is completed we will be able to enjoy this fine machine from Indian. Again, not all machines had a problem. Only a small percentage but I would give it some time to make sure the fix is permanent.
bbgmarine I went through this issue on my challenger, it was an issue that was taken care of in a few days, it seemed a programming issue, but I haven’t had anymore problems once it was taken care of, and I’ve got over 1000 miles on it now, I purchased the first one off the truck.
@@scottphillips5388 -That is reassuring sir. I hope they get that update out soon. My bike is identical to the one in the video. I was the first to purchase in the state of Georgia. Can't wait to get it on the road again !
It’s been addressed. The bikes were coming off the line with throttle bodies out of sync. Indian is not different than any other manufacturer they have issues from time to time, but they do address them.
I didn't say it was the fastest bike I've been on. It's not the fastest bike I've been on - it's not even the fastest bike I own (the Aprilia Tuono would take that title.) I owned a Raider for a couple of years. This is faster. I owned an Indian 116 and a Harley 114 - this is faster. I owned a Triumph Rocket III - that was faster... lol. But no - I said this was the smoothest power I'd ever felt, and it is. But I would love to know what other V-twins you can think of that are faster than this 108.
Wait a min. Aren’t you in rain mode this whole ride? If you’re praising the bike this much while in rain mode then Oh boy I can’t wait. And I agree with the bars. Stock is way to low and the high reach bars are way to high. Need something right in between.
lol, nope, I was in Standard mode, which is in between Rain and Sport. The bars are certainly an issue, yes. For me, the Road Glide gets that right with bar height and with the sweep back angle.
While i enjoyed the description of the power- The description of all the electronic traction control crap and the electronic touch control screen was so repulsive. I would prolly never buy something like that because i personally enjoy an old school experience riding a bike
ONE INDIAN WOMAN SHE MAY REMAIN REMOVE HER WOMBAT GERSHOM ELIZAR A grateful Jethro gives Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage, despite their religious differences. They marry and have two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. A few years later, after God speaks to Moses through a burning bush, Moses sets out with his family to return to Egypt to free his people from slavery.Jan 25, 2008 U.S. News & World Report › articles Zipporah May be Obscure, but the Wife of Moses Mattered | Politics | US News
Put Indian bags (round tops) and the Trunk from the Roadmaster, and I would be interested. The technology doesn't make up for the unforgiveable HD looks!
A bike should never have a screen like that.At least for me..Takes away the freedom and metal and gas feeling.I liked the review but I’m not a fan of the bike it’s bulky and very unattractive..especially the front end it looks like a fat moped.
@@NightcruiserMA oh I most certainly understand, LOL. I think you may be mistaken. I have ridden all of them and understand them. Thanks for your input though.
The good news for us is that it's no Road Glide. The good news for you is that from a red light, you'll only see the back of this Indian, and briefly at that :)
@@frankmc5112 Well, you made your thoughts known, so I thought I'd give you the win-win situation. Silly me for thinking that things like weight, torque and horsepower would effect performance :) Anyway, thanks for watching/commenting!
This is one of the best reviews I've seen on the Indian Challenger. I ride a 15 CVO road Glide and I must say that I'm totally impressed with this new bike, I will definitely be taking a test ride in the spring as soon as the weather breaks. Thinking I may be jumping to the Indian!!
Thank you, sir! It's definitely worth a ride!
Well it’s an ok bike if it’s what you want but I did choose the rg limited... and don’t regret it at all I am pushing 10,000 miles just rode today 12-27... buy what you want but to me the bike doesn’t have nearly as good of lines... not as nice color... the limited has water cooled heads lowers and trunk bag that you can’t get without throwing a lot of money at the polaris... I literally just talked to a Polaris dealer and asked because on another thread a no-it-all troll... tells me how you can buy the lowers for your legs and trunk bag and put it on but the dealer said no not yet... let alone paint match... and when you can I’m sure it’s a very pricy add on... just not even close to an equal match rg definitely comes out on top
@@stevexaxa3619 Okay :) Although you're wrong about the cooling at least - the Indian has full liquid cooling. The Harleys have liquid head cooling only. It is true that the lowers and trunk will likely be introduced with a touring version this coming year (much like the Roadmaster was released after the Chieftain even though it was designed beforehand.) Harleys are probably cheaper in some cases, but in my opinion, the Indians have a higher quality. That's just my opinion. You're welcome to yours, and if you're happier with Harley, ride often and ride safe my friend - we should all be able to ride what we like.
NightcruiserMA yes liquid cooled heads
Steve Xaxa Correct. Harley has liquid cooled heads only. The Indian PowerPlus is fully liquid cooled. No extra charge. :)
The Victory engine was a technology marvel, It had no pushrods, one oil fill, one oil drain plug, easy access oil filter, and simple clutch pack replacement if needed. The Victory was what most motorcycle riders love which is a nearly maintenance-free motorcycle. Indian has used a lot of the Victory engine tech such as the 6 quarts of oil to keep everything lubricated and cool with its large oil cooler up front in combination with air cooling is a win-win. Secondly, the gear drive primary is the main thing Victory & Indian shined with zero maintenance. Harly Davidson is still using the chain primary drive which is problematic, and why they still use it on their new Milwaukee 8 motor is beyond me.
Face it folks Indian has hit a home run and HD has to play catch up again. Someday I will own an Indian .
I keep refreshing the page in anticipation of the "What I traded for the Indian Challenger" vlog!!!! Great stuff!
lol, I don't blame you. Next year I'll see what's out there for pipes, as well as a trunk, and I would like a slightly different design on the tank. The pipes, though - I hope V&H can do with this liquid cooled engine what they did with the Victory Octane and the slightly smaller Scout engine, because the V&H Grenades I had on that Octane were just awesome.
One of the Best Indian Challenger review. Very informative. Thanks for now
The lights. The tree. It’s making me want to go buy one for Christmas. Well done.
Thankyou for taking me on a ride with this vid. It’s such a beautiful stock note, I’d keep it stock. My chief Darkhorse I’ve kept stock love it just the way it is.
Good enough for you peasant.
You releasing this review is Merry Christmas to me ! Thank you! Merry Christmas to you! I love this bike . Can't wait for it to be offered in a full touring version (trunk, lowers,etc)
Thanks Jim! I appreciate it. I'm also waiting for a few things like that - trunk, and maybe some different tank badging than the painted logo, but overall this thing is really amazing.
Love those Indian motorcycles!
They just keep getting better and better!!👍
I was as blown away by this bike as Nightcruiser was. It’s that good. He’s spot on with this review.
And I now own one!
@@Jansan1352 Thank you, and Congratulations!! Ride safe!
Look at you.. back in full glory... nice review...
I have been riding bikes 46 yrs mostly HDs I just went from an electraglide to a triglide last summer what an over priced piece of junk !!!! November 27th 2020 I test rode and bought a New Indian Challenger and I b am in love!!! Best motorcycle I have ever ridden hands down. Thanks to reviews like yours!!!
Great job Ev, love the intro. Haven't ridden it yet, but from what i hear, this bike is amazing. Noticed you kept it in standard mode, if i'm not mistaken, and you were still quite impressed with the power. From what i hear from other vlogs, if you would've went to sport mode, it would've blew your mind.
Thank you, Charlie! Somewhere I do have a clip of me going to Sport mode. I did two rides that day and this was the first. I knew my battery died so I went out and did a second, but decided to use the first clip as it was my true first impression. I didn't keep it in Sport mode for long, because it was really cold that day (in the 30's) and frankly it just felt way too easy to lose traction on such cold roads, but Sport mode's fun! You can, however, achieve the same thing in Standard mode by simply putting some gusto into the throttle twist. Sport mode just makes it easier to motivate the bike with less of a wrist twist :)
Great review, Merry Christmas.
Thank you, John. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
I just demoed one yesterday, i mostly agree with your assessment. Great video! P.S. They had one in the showroom with TAB slip ons (zombie baffles) that sounded awesome.
Interesting - that's exactly what I have on my '19 Chieftain Limited.
GREAT REVIEW! Ride Safe Brother🤘🏻
Pretty sweet bike, love the liquid cooled feature. If it was available before may have bought instead of my goldwing. Now if they add dct too that would be really cool. Definitely will buy this bike. Will say you do great job with your videos.
Sweet. Moms in Foxboro. I'll be buying my Indian from them in March. I was leaning to the Chieftain, but I have to demo the Challenger first. I'm starting to really like it from watching UA-cam reviews.
Damn what a Bike!!! So so so much more of an Indian than I sold in 1999 thru '01!!!
Great video & endorsement for what appears to be a smooth as silk riding "water schooled!" 😜 Indian motorcycle!
Of all the utube videos with people doing test rides or just talking about Indian Motorcycles, this is the guy I listen to and trust. P.S. Adam Sandoval also.
Thank you so much! I appreciate that.
100% agree.
Nice! The only motorcycle! Indian!!!!
What a badasss BIKE!!👊🇺🇸
Great Video, I have the exact bike your tested, yes Blue. As mentioned by others I just rolled the bars up and it made a major difference. In addition, I recently added the Indian Stage 1 intake, and waiting on the big brown truck to deliver my TAB BAM Sticks exhaust. One thing you would not know about is that the Challenger headlight sucks. So far 3,000 miles off insane riding with zero issues.
If your only negative is the handlebars to low, they can be adjusted upwards as far as a mini ape position in just a few minutes, and nothing has to be removed. Enjoyed you review. Will be looking and demoing one come this spring.
Good review. Imaging that bike with the new 112 kit installed by Hoonies.
In my opinion the Challenger rode and handled much like the Victory Cross Country. Thanks for the review!
I too have a Cross Country and love the heck out of it. I like this Challenger also.
i enjoyed you Challenger review and have agree with you on almost everything, I'm a tattooed biker and bought one. I've been riding a 2010 Cross Country for 9 years so I really liked how you noticed the Victory DNA in the Challenger. I can't find a negative thing about the Challenger except maybe accessory pricing, ouch. When Polaris pulled the plug on Victory I started shopping and there wasn't anything out there that could match what Polaris did with the Cross Country, the Indian Challenger was good enough that I have a bike payment again.
I purchased the challenger right off the truck at my dealer, I can’t even ride my chieftain anymore , which sucks... but I did add Indians pipes , which add a nice sound note, and the stage 1 air box , I have over 1000 miles on it, and it’s a really great bike.
1901 to 1953 , Springfield Massachusetts , the museum is in the old factory. sold to Royal Enfield in England. You should check it out. Some of the most beautiful iron is there.
I owned a 1949 scout with a magneto designed by Thomas Edison. Some history there.
Also the old Springfield Arm's museum is close by.
Go have fun,see what the original
Indians looked like.
Russell Hall Definitely. I've almost been a few times. All brands change hands over the years. I'm very happy with today's Indians as well.
Hi again I bought my chieftain in September and I can't imagine owning anything else.
Here's a question for you Night.... would you buy the challenger or the chieftain?
We don't get the challenger in Aus till March, I have not long ago test ridden an '18 chieftain limited with the 116 big bore kit and wow makes a huge difference.
Let me know your thoughts, I'm yet to hear from anyone on the difference
Are the handlebars full chrome tubular? If so, you should be able to loosen the clamps and roll them forward a touch, same as I've done with my Valkyries. World of difference from the way they were set from the previous owners. Due to the fact that all four bars were set the same, I feel they were in the position set up from the dealer. Too low for me. Moved them up about 3-4" and they are perfect.
Nice to hear that the clutch feels like a feather compared to my clunky cross country , but no hydraulic clutch is ridiculous.
I just did a test ride 2 days ago. Because you placed it in Standard mode the throttle is affected. Sport mode gives you close to instant , If not instant, response. Standard and Rain mode detunes the throttle a little more but doing so really smooths out the acceleration. Rain mode and the clutch combination makes for perfect stop and go traffic situations.
Merci pour tes commentaires éclairés, cette semaine je vais tester une challenger. Je pense que cela sera ma prochaine moto.
Tu as pris des petites routes de campagne, elle a l'air de bien se comporter. Je pense que c'est son moteur qui fait la différence avec la concurrence HD.
Bonjour de France.
Gorgeous bike! Indian will be my last motorcycle company ! I will own one one day!
Excellent video as usual. Assuming you have a cable throttle, it only needs adjusting to take out the play. (Most bikes seem to be delivered with this slack) If the potentiometer is built into the twistgrip, you'll need to ask Indian if there is an adjustment.
Shifting is all about timing your shift with the engine rpm. After riding Harleys I had the same problem when I switched to Victory but now I shift the Victory smoothly with no clunk.
Just found your channel & subscribed!
Thank you! (Yes, I'm this late with replies sometimes....lol)
Thanks a lot !!!
Dude beautiful bike but on that test ride I was waiting for you to drive up to a motel and get a room with the 🏍
Quiet is nice! When you’re the boss you don’t need a lot of noise!
Until that older driver does not see you... I have been in that position too many times! I will take the sound!
Looks like a good bike. My choice for bars is half-apes, angled back a tad. Good for long distance.
I demo rode the Challenger last November when it was debuted at the motorcycle show in Long Beach. It’s one hell of a bike and probably what Victory would have made if they still existed. I just wish it wasn’t $30k for the version I would want. The $23k base model is more my price range, but I want the IMU. Need to ride it again. I wouldn’t even consider the Road Glide against this, but for less money I would consider the Road King or Electra Glide Standard. Btw, who does the jazzy intro Christmas song?
Nice looking Polaris
I got to ride the challenger and roadmaster limited at a demo event. I was surprised at the smoothness of the challenger. I did expect it to be faster after watching reviews like this one. Also felt out of tune. Same for the roadmaster, they were fine until higher speeds. Then they felt unsettled to me. But my stock ultra limited was the same way. Stage 2 kit with alot of tuning solved that, as it would for these two. Just don't want to have to add all the parts to these all over again. The roadmaster surprised me at how light it felt. Loved the cooled seat feature and it has a nice rumble to it. That fairing on the challenger takes getting used to. Actually fit me well I even liked the bars. Both are great bikes just not enough for me to trade up yet.
I read one review complaining about the brakes. Any trouble with the brakes? Any night experience with the headlight?
I didn't have any issues with the brakes. On my Chieftain Limited, they can at times feel a little wooden. But these Brembos are awesome. Unfortunately I have no experience with the headlight at night. I was lucky to get through a couple of daytime rides in the low 30's and still be able to form cohesive sentences... lol (if I did...)
Maybe next time you can try it in Sport Mode? You won't have that minor throttle lag then, LOL!
Very professional and well done video. Maybe I missed it, but is this going to be your personal ride? Even so, we know that won’t last....LOL😊
lol, not just yet.... we'll see what next year brings!
Great video. May I enquire where this was filmed? The region is so beautiful!
This is in Foxboro, MA. I also have a video called "The Lush Motorcycle Roads of Foxboro, Massachusetts
" that you might enjoy, too. It's a trip down these roads with no talking :)
@@NightcruiserMA Thank you! I will make sure to check it out!
about time
Maybe if you'd put it in sports mode, it would have tightened the lash up. Great vlog as per usual
I'm not sure about that. On my Chieftain, there's about 1/8" of play in the throttle. It's there no matter what mode I'm in. But thank you!
@@NightcruiserMA 👍👍👍
I wish Indian would bring back the ace 4banger bike!!
As far as the bars are concerned, Adam Sandoval had his Challenger bars rotated up. Just an option until aftermarket bars are developed.
That could work, but I still prefer the Road Glide's pullback angle more. I hope the aftermarket comes up with something on that.
What mode are you riding in? From my experience any rain or touring modes dumb the throttles way down I haven’t ridden Indians but fjr touring mode or bmw road/rain modes will react exactly as your showing
Interesting. I was in Standard mode here. On other Indians I've ridden, as well as on the FJR I owned, the mode I was in never introduced play at the beginning of the throttle - it only affected the ratio of turn to throttle. But not where the throttle actually began to engage. I'm going to test out other Challengers and see if it's the same across the board.
Excelente video grasias Pedro x desde Miami
I thought I loved Victory Motorcycles, until the fuel pump goes out on my 2009 Kingpin. The vic-shop tried to get me to spend, $800 for a newly rebuilt one!
Because Victory stopped making parts,way way earlier than they supposed to.
Happy New Year! A great way to enter 2020 having watched this video. Last summer, I had.an opportunity to test ride a Gold Wing and I loved everything about it, except the foot position and it was too high for me. I can't wait to take this beauty out for a run next spring!
Oh, and thank God I'm not a college drinker anymore. If I did a shot for every time you said "wow" or "this is really nice" I'd have to be admitted to a hospital for alcohol poisoning! 🤣🤣
If I had the money I'd pass anyway... I like the old ones a heck of a lot better.
Currently on a '14 Valkyrie.... The Challenger could very well be my next machine....🙄
Electronic throttle?
"That speed was perhaps excessive"
Lol
I don't understand why you guys want to make your bikes louder. You're not going to get more horsepower, just noise. I think the factory mufflers are great.
Do you know what the intro song is?
The song is "Christmastime Is the Loveliest Time" by The Commandeers.
Every Indian I have tested the throttle felt that way except the 116 big bore kits
I've owned four Indians and ridden about 40 more. I have always felt maybe 1/8" of play there, but nothing quite like this was. Hopefully it's just a mechanical or software adjustment that can be made. Otherwise I'm sure I'd get used to it over time. Was just odd coming from my Chieftain Limited to this and feeling it being so pronounced.
@@NightcruiserMA I rode my friends and felt the same way. coming from a Harley that has no throttle lag. I think it can be tuned out with a tuner once they come available.
First thing that would need to changed is the exhaust....it would need to be lots louder for me.
GREAT BIKE BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SALES GO DOWN LIKE WITH VICTORY AND THEY BURY IT !!!!!
CHALLENGER = CHRISTOPHER HARRISON ALL 👁️ IN GERMAN
It is almost funny with a normally metric rider type acts Amazed with the power. Riding a Big Dog since '01, 117 hp and 127 lbs of torque, power is NORMAL.
I wasn't familiar with Big Dog so I looked them up. They look really cool (though I don't think the suspension and handling would quite work for me.. lol.) Nice bikes! Yeah, in the world of non-custom American cruisers/baggers/tourers, this bike is exceptional in it power.
Hi Nightcruiser MA This was your best video/review yet?
Thank you! You think so? I felt like it was a bit too long... like, by 20 minutes or so... lol. But thank you Mark!
Mark NCma has some really good quality content.
I'm sure its smooth riding, fast, but it reminds me of a cooler Honda goldwing
So, when are you trading the new bike for this?
When good pipes are available, when a trunk is available, when the tank badging changes, and when I stop loving my Chieftain Limited :) ...or earlier. Never know with me.
@@NightcruiserMA Any slip on that fits the Chieftain and Roadmaster will also fit the Challenger. Also the Roadmaster trunk will also fit on the Challenger. I think Indian will have the full tour package model out this year, would be stupid to not do so with these things selling really well.
But around here no one will work on them because of the SandS motor they have
This was an excellent review of the 2020 Challenger. I feel this is one of the best bikes available today. HOWEVER, I would recommend NOT buying a 2020 Challenger until Polaris resolves the issue with misfires in the engine. If you go to indianmotorcycles.net, you will see there are multiple owners that are having issues with the engine (Mainly at idle) shutting off a cylinder and creating misfire codes. After 3 codes are established, the bike will disable itself and can't be started.
I hate to sound negative on such a beautiful machine but Polaris is aware of the problem and has yet to resolve it. I'm on my 2nd Challenger now. The dealer took back the first bike at my request. I thought it may be a one off instance but now the 2nd bike has less than 40 miles on it and is doing the same thing. At this point Polaris really needs to do a STOP SALE until this is sorted out. I don't want anyone else spending over $30K only to have your bike sit idle in your garage or at a dealers work bench. Again , just stating facts. I'm confident once they determine if this is software or ECM related, it will one of the best baggers ever !
Fair points. I have heard of that, though I didn't know it was a common issue at all. Hopefully it's resolved soon!
@@NightcruiserMA - I spoke with Hunter today @ Polaris CS and he confirms since they received 3 bikes back from various dealers, they were able to source the problem and a software update is being developed by their engineers. I'm sure once this update is completed we will be able to enjoy this fine machine from Indian. Again, not all machines had a problem. Only a small percentage but I would give it some time to make sure the fix is permanent.
bbgmarine I went through this issue on my challenger, it was an issue that was taken care of in a few days, it seemed a programming issue, but I haven’t had anymore problems once it was taken care of, and I’ve got over 1000 miles on it now, I purchased the first one off the truck.
@@scottphillips5388 -That is reassuring sir. I hope they get that update out soon. My bike is identical to the one in the video. I was the first to purchase in the state of Georgia. Can't wait to get it on the road again !
It’s been addressed. The bikes were coming off the line with throttle bodies out of sync. Indian is not different than any other manufacturer they have issues from time to time, but they do address them.
I like dat.
hard to beat for out of the box
Has this channel gone dead? No updates in a year.
Obviously you’ve never rode a bike with big cans and big bore kit before if you think that’s the fastest bike you’ve ever been on
I didn't say it was the fastest bike I've been on. It's not the fastest bike I've been on - it's not even the fastest bike I own (the Aprilia Tuono would take that title.) I owned a Raider for a couple of years. This is faster. I owned an Indian 116 and a Harley 114 - this is faster. I owned a Triumph Rocket III - that was faster... lol. But no - I said this was the smoothest power I'd ever felt, and it is. But I would love to know what other V-twins you can think of that are faster than this 108.
On my jesus list
You can purchase 3 Honda Rebel 500s with ABS for the price of this bike.
Folks interested in baggers don’t want one honda 500 rebel, let alone three. Just sayin
wow, what a nice video!
PS.... you do not have traffic, wanna see traffic and sit for 18 years? come to Miami FL .
lol, I've been to Orlando a few times on business, and yeah, that's not going to work for me...
Wait a min. Aren’t you in rain mode this whole ride? If you’re praising the bike this much while in rain mode then Oh boy I can’t wait. And I agree with the bars. Stock is way to low and the high reach bars are way to high. Need something right in between.
lol, nope, I was in Standard mode, which is in between Rain and Sport. The bars are certainly an issue, yes. For me, the Road Glide gets that right with bar height and with the sweep back angle.
While i enjoyed the description of the power-
The description of all the electronic traction control crap and the electronic touch control screen was so repulsive. I would prolly never buy something like that because i personally enjoy an old school experience riding a bike
I'm with you. I don't care much for touring bikes in general. My '97 and '98 Valks are plenty of bike with a pair of bags, no windshields.
Roaglide much?
It’s aimed at aging sportbike riders who are ready for a bagger, IMO.
I would miss my heel shifter for sure
Здравствуйте!
Soon your gonna be Mine Soon
ONE INDIAN WOMAN SHE MAY REMAIN REMOVE HER WOMBAT
GERSHOM ELIZAR
A grateful Jethro gives Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage, despite their religious differences. They marry and have two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. A few years later, after God speaks to Moses through a burning bush, Moses sets out with his family to return to Egypt to free his people from slavery.Jan 25, 2008
U.S. News & World Report › articles
Zipporah May be Obscure, but the Wife of Moses Mattered | Politics | US News
That Mike is awesome until it did start stalking and be kind of geeky quit talkin in the bike starts to become awesome again even more awesome
Put Indian bags (round tops) and the Trunk from the Roadmaster, and I would be interested. The technology doesn't make up for the unforgiveable HD looks!
A bike should never have a screen like that.At least for me..Takes away the freedom and metal and gas feeling.I liked the review but I’m not a fan of the bike it’s bulky and very unattractive..especially the front end it looks like a fat moped.
Not even close to Victory XC. In fact, this looks ugly. Just my opinion. Victory XC was way ahead of its time. Bad move Polaris.
Wait till you need repairs ..And it takes 6 months to get your bike back cuzz there are no mechanics to work on it
That hasn't been my experience at all, though granted they don't need repairs as often as some other bikes.
Huh?
Foot pounds, inch pounds, torque, horsepower. Boring. Give me 12 ounces with a pull tab, and after a while any bike will do.
Prize to high it’s a scam
So he put the bike in standard and can't understand why the bike doesn't have a quick throttle response. LOL.
Not the same adjustment. Ride other Indians and you'll understand. Throttle mode does not normally affect where the throttle engages.
@@NightcruiserMA oh I most certainly understand, LOL. I think you may be mistaken. I have ridden all of them and understand them. Thanks for your input though.
@@lavertepatterson5733 Okie dokie :)
@@NightcruiserMA Wow! Good Luck.
That's one ugly Road Glide.
The good news for us is that it's no Road Glide. The good news for you is that from a red light, you'll only see the back of this Indian, and briefly at that :)
@@NightcruiserMA you'd be making some large assumptions with that Fo-glide.
@@frankmc5112 Well, you made your thoughts known, so I thought I'd give you the win-win situation. Silly me for thinking that things like weight, torque and horsepower would effect performance :) Anyway, thanks for watching/commenting!
Another over priced piece of shit.