Indian Motorcycles is set for a big year with two new models – Scout and Roadmaster – added to its line-up and one of the world’s biggest rental bike companies also adding them to their extensive fleet.
Indian ScoutOrders of Indian motorcycles are so strong, parent company Polaris Industries is hiring 300 more people at its plant in Spirit Lake, Iowa, where Indian motorcycles are built. That will bring the factory staff up to 1000.
Orders are up because of the introduction of the lighter and cheaper Scout and the new flagship Roadmaster which have been added to the three-model Chief range.
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Polaris acquired Indian Motorcycles in 2012 and moved production from Kings Mountain, North Carolina, to Spirit Lake where they spent $22.5 million to expand the 565,000-square-foot Polaris manufacturing facility. They also makes their Victory line of motorcycles there.
Polaris spokesman Steve Menneto says they expect strong demand for the revived Scout model which was Indian’s most popular models when it was introduced in 1920.
Now EagleRider, one of the world’s biggest motorcycle hire and touring companies, is adding the Scout and Roadmaster to its fleet of Harley-Davidson, Honda, BMW and Triumph bikes after earlier this year introducing the Chief models.
EagleRider president and CEO Chris McIntyre says the Indian brand has been “wildly popular”.