Indian Motorcycles will follow their Chief range with more bikes featuring their 111cc Thunder Stroke V-twin.
They may also make a range of four-cylinder bikes, according to product director Gary Gray from the USA.
Attending the Australian media launch of the Chief Classic, Vintage and Chieftain at Kingscliffe, Gary says that when they started the $100 million development program to create the new Chief range, the engineers and designers studied the long heritage of Indian.
“We looked at four, single and opposing twins which have all been used before,” he says.
“But we chose the narrow V-twin because we thought we could do more bikes with it.
“We knew we would use this engine in multiple bikes.
“It has to work in many models we haven’t seen yet.”
Gary says while he will not discuss future product, he did make one small disclosure.
“We may do a four but you can’t put that into a lot of bikes,” he says.
The Indian Four was built through thenGreat Depression until 1942 and feature an in-line, four-cylinder engine in a similar configuration to the three-cylinder Triumph Rocket III.
Gary has worked for Polaris since 1994, and moved to their new motorcycle division in ’96 to design and engineer the Victory range.
He became product manager in 2006 and has been responsible for Indian since Polaris bought the iconic company in 2011.
“When you get handed the keys to this brand you feel honoured,” he says.
“My goal is to make the premium American motorcycle.
“Indian has had a troubled past but people still love it and want it back.”
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