Click the comments section of any post regarding the Indian Motorcycle Company and someone will be bitching that Polaris Indians are not real Indians. Within the first three or four replies you’ll see an outraged commenter laying out the perjury case on Indian. “It’s a lie!” they stammer. “Indian went out of business in 1953!” Along with constitutional scholars and threats of civil war Polaris Haters infest the Internet. Their selective-amnesia purity code and compulsion to complain loudly every time Indian tries to sell a motorcycle borders on fanatical. You couldn’t pay enough to get people so determined.
Since it is presently impossible to go back in time to right all wrongs the Indian Haters would rather see Indian go out of business. Again. If the Haters are in a generous mood they may offer renaming the company as a way back into their good graces. Mind you, they still wouldn’t buy anything from parent company Polaris because they hate them too. I don’t see why Indian should give a rat’s ass about what these goofy product-junkies think. Indian is busy building motorcycles, not engaging in petty, low-effort Internet attempts to tear down other people’s hard work.
The thing that really riles the troops is when Indian puts 100-year badges on their bikes. The loonies go apoplectic. To them, an unbroken corporate line from 1903 to the present is the only acceptable scenario for Indian to exist. With the old brands like Norton, Triumph, Ossa and Benelli being bought up the Haters will have plenty of companies to be angry with for a long, long time.
The Haters aren’t solely responsible for the black hole at the center of their hearts. Vast quantities of intellectual capital have been expended on brand building in this country and in some cases it worked too well. We have created a monstrous humanity more concerned with defending brand-authenticity at the expense of reality. Haters have been sold to for so long that they actually care about the logo on a gas tank. It’s misplaced consumer loyalty created by Ned in the advertising department and it’s sad to see in action.
Who cares what happened to Indian 70 years ago? Who cares how many times the company has passed through shifty hands? Who cares if clone engines were used or Italians made Harleys or if Clymer used Royal Enfields? Who cares about any of it? It’s a friggin’ motorcycle company, not a pledge of allegiance. When the history of the world is finally written the trinkets we bought to amuse ourselves will not even warrant a footnote. All you need to concern yourself with is that the Indian brand started in 1903 and here it is nearly 2020 and you can still buy a damn good American-made motorcycle with Indian written on the side of the gas tank. There’s your continuity, Bub.
Well put Joe-G Wan Kenobi. I proudly ride a Hinckley Triumph…I don’t think the Meridan Triumph riders feel offended….
Joe-G Wan Kenobi. I may use that.
Joe, you are wrong. Unless you had, rode , repaired and lived and breathed Springfield Indians you have no idea of the loyalty original Indian riders feel about the marque. You think Harley people of the last 20 years are motor company lemmings? You should have been on a chief back in the day . Look , no 1, the original company is Indian MOTOcycle. The new company is Indian MotoRcycle. So that alone makes the 1901 badge buellshyt. I rode the snot out of a “47 chief bobber back in the 70’s. I got to experience the diehards left from the earlier generations that lived and breathed Indian. That said I followed every Indian revival from Brockhouse to clymer to Zanghi to Gilroy to Polaris , and all the inbetween and off shoots associated with the Indian name. I am
Not against the present company. I am just not a huge fan of them . I could be , but they miss the mark. Fir instance I would love to see the flagship big chief motor in the scout. I would want to buy one. But this other stuff doesn’t thrill me. It doesn’t go back to 1901. You don’t care and that’s your right. But you are dead wrong to criticize others that may . IMHO if the tank is labeled Indian , it’s an Indian . But not 1901. Indian is selling a badge of honor to people with money that they didn’t earn wrenching and riding in the trenches of the originals. That’s bogus.
Hack,
Riding and working on a bike is fun but it bestows no hero status. Putting in time means nothing to a company pushing products.
I mean, it’s not like we’re talking Yamaha Enduros!
You need to take on less controversial topics. Maybe do a blog on the impeachment, or abortion, or the Vietnam war.
Maybe you could do a story on Chinese motorcycles.
Here here Joe!!! Well said. Some people get stuck in time and just stay there. And I have always kind of lusted after the Velo-Indian. Does that make me a heathen?
Kudos to H-D for those uninterrupted years, but I’d rather have that Indian up top.
The last report I saw, Indian has taken 30% of the market from Harley in our little geographical area (Central Missouri). That’s a big bite.
I guess I fall into that first group Joe G.
Dad had a 46 Chief, and a 52 Scout when I was a kid.
Never mind the Scout was down more than it ever ran.
But, I never considered any of the other “attempts” “Indians” either.
Could have named it a Polaris for all I cared.
This is all from a former Victory owner, so that probably doesn’t help Polaris’ case any.
I don’t know if Victory could have captured 30%.
I liked the mid 60’s Indians, especially the RE 750’s or 700’s very cool and fast bikes in their day. The name is still the same today, but not even the guys work in the factory so is it the same bike? In my humble opinion bike it’s called whatever the name on the tank the end.
No the name actually is not the same today. You are wrong and so is joe.
Hack,
Sometimes being right isn’t enough.
Well, those haters should be loving Moto Guzzi. All bikes out of the same factory in Mandello del Lario since 1921.
I got half way though the first paragraph and thought… what about the Indian Enfield? Then.. voila.
While not exactly the same thing wasn’t Harley owned by AMF……you know the years when they really really sucked…..but they recovered……suspect Indian should maybe get the same ……respect…..so to speak……The FTR is a sweet looking machine as well as the new (and future of large bikes) Liquid cooled Challenger. Just my 2 cents.
Don’t matter what you call them. With the exception of the Scout they are just plane ugly.
Of course my Vision was ugly but it was a great touring rig.
They need to make a Four?
I bet Indian comes out with an in-line 4 one of these days. Shaft drive too!
Is no one going to point out that I got the wrong date? Indian started in 1901, not 1903.
I love the old Cranked style articles. You’re right on point. I see some internet haters you speak of found your post. LOL Keep up the good work.
“Today’s Indians are Victories at heart”
I was somewhat surprised when the Vision did not continue into the Indian line.
Which came 1st –
The Octane or the Scout?
I’m still kicking myself for not buying the crate Victory engines, they were priced nice at the end….
By the hater ‘logic,’ US states that seceded from the Union should start their statehood clock in 1865.