The rundown to the eagerly awaited new Indian motorcycle next month continues with the company releasing a four-minute film called The Spirit of Munro.
It pays tribute to Kiwi Burt Munro who broke the under-1000cc land-speed record in 1967 at Bonneville on his 1920 Indian and was the subject of the popular Anthony Hopkins movie, “The World’s Fastest Indian”.
Indian Motorcycles created a tribute streamliner and raced it across a California dry lake bed for the film.
To view the film click here.
While the streamliner isn’t the bike that will hit the showroom floors, it highlights the engine that will be at the heart of the new model range.
Indian’s all-new Thunder Stroke 111 will no doubt be called a Thunder Box or Thunderstruck by Aussie riders.
However, the name reflects the engine with a menacing rumble like thunder and a long-stroke 111 cubic inch (1818cc) 49-degree V-twin with a thumping 155Nm of torque.
Like Harley, they don’t quote power figures, but by our reckoning it’s around 90kW.
Just as importantly, they have retained the looks of the old Indian engines with its finned round heads, external pushrods, down-firing exhausts and left side air intake.
Indian was bought in 2011 by $3b power sports and motorcycle manufacturer Polaris Industries who also make Victory bikes.
If anyone can successfully resurrect the venerable yet ailing brand, it’s Polaris. They moved the old Indian factory from Kings Mountain, North Carolina, to a modern Polaris facility at Spirit Lake, Iowa, in just eight weeks.
The new engine was built at the Polaris engine plant at Osceola, Wisconsin, but the bikes will be assembled at Spirit Lake.
The global unveiling of the all new Indian motorcycle will take place simultaneously in Sturgis, South Dakota, USA, and Sydney on August 4.
Indian Motorcycle Thunder Stroke 111 Specifications:
Displacement: 111 cubic inches
Torque: More than 115 ft-lbs
Architecture: 49-degree V-twin, air-cooled with integrated oil cooler, left-side air intake, down firing exhaust system, parallel pushrod tubes
Crankcase: Unit design featuring a high capacity semi-dry sump oil system, oversized oil radiator
Timing System: 3 camshafts, pushrods, 2 valves per cylinder acting through maintenance-free hydraulic valve lifters, forged crankshaft
Fuel System: Electronic sequential port fuel injection and electronic throttle control
Compression Ratio: 9.5
Transmission: 6-speed overdrive, constant mesh, helical gearbox
Clutch: Low-effort, multi-plate wet clutch, aluminum basket, integral torsional damper