Would you buy another Indian?

[Deleted member 706]

I was asked at work if I would change from casual to part time or full time, without hesitation I said NO!
So as part of the chatter with the lady a on the line at insurer she asked would I buy another Indian? Again the answer came out automatically NO!, her response was that a lot of people said that. This is a bit sad as I feel that Polaris and Indian have dropped the bundle just short of the finish line. In hindsight the delayed appearance of the FTR was the first red flag, cold start issues and dealership confusion etc just widened the gap for me. As stated elsewhere I was finally happy with FTR and was looking forward to 10's of thousands of miles on it but some low-lives cut that short.
So now to the poll, how do you feel?

WOULD YOU BUY ANOTHER INDIAN?

 

[FTR London]

I was asked at work if I would change from casual to part time or full time, without hesitation I said NO!
So as part of the chatter with the lady a on the line at insurer she asked would I buy another Indian? Again the answer came out automatically NO!, her response was that a lot of people said that. This is a bit sad as I feel that Polaris and Indian have dropped the bundle just short of the finish line. In hindsight the delayed appearance of the FTR was the first red flag, cold start issues and dealership confusion etc just widened the gap for me. As stated elsewhere I was finally happy with FTR and was looking forward to 10's of thousands of miles on it but some low-lives cut that short.
So now to the poll, how do you feel?

WOULD YOU BUY ANOTHER INDIAN?

In spite of the monstrosity that lumbered out of Spirit Lake following all the tantalising hype with the project bike, (I still think that stock the 19 FTR is a candidate for one of the ugliest motorcycles that I've ever seen and biggest disappointments to come out of a factory). In spite of being one of the worst fuelled bikes to ever splutter out of a showroom. In spite of the cold start issues and the cut outs that contrived to try and claim my life. In spite of the countless coin that I've had to throw at it to get it to run right and even vaguely resemble the flat track motorcycle that Indian purported it to be. In spite of the laughably low range and the eye watering fuel consumption. In spite of the stupid TV sized TFT display that ruins the front end. In spite of the shite customer experience offered by Indian and the exorbitant pricing for spares...

This is without doubt the most fun I've had on a motorcycle since I learnt to ride my first bike, a Yamaha DT 175 on the dirt. And this is the best bike I've owned since my RD350LC. Every day, feels like the first one - the anticipation and the thrill of riding it. The novelty never wears of. It's as though I've just collected it from the dealer. I love the fact that it's a challenging, temperamental, crotchety bitch...feed it what it demands, learn to tame all this with your wrist first, not a laptop or an ECU. I adore the fact that its such a head turner, that it's so unique, inimitable and frankly...such a badass beast. As I said before, turns out, the bike that I brought home to my garage was possessed. Short of bringing in a Priest, swinging the incense burner and sprinkling it with holy water whilst reciting the Athanasian Creed and performing a three hour exorcism ritual, I opted instead for the Lloydz V6. Granted, she was replete with more issues and attitude problems than a bi-polar ex, to an extent, I genuinely like elements of unpredictability. The subsequent bench flash may have lobotomised its deranged electronic brain and sanitised this animal like shock therapy and in the process erased some of that 'character' i speak of, but its tetchiness and irritability occasionally rears its head and reminds me of the bikes I grew up riding. I absolutely love this bike.

Would I purchase another Indian? I wanted a street tracker - and I so wanted the bike that they teased and dangled in front of us in the marketing. That was the only reason I bought into the brand. We didn't get that - but as ugly as it seemed, beneath it all Indian nonetheless had created a gnarly flat track-inspired street hooligan that’s not for the faint-hearted or the inexperienced. It oozes character all of its own and the ill-mannered demeanour engineered and extracted from its flat track DNA was immediately obvious the first time I rode it. Seeing as they seem intent upon distancing themselves from that pedigree and increasingly compromise and pander to market appeal (which is understandable), the answer is no. I really don't like the post '19 incarnations of this machine and for now, I'm very happy with what I have,

 

[ferraiolo1]

Buy what ever bike makes you smile. Regardless of brand.

But there still isn’t an American bike made that competes with the FTR.

 

[OleALZ]

In spite of the monstrosity that lumbered out of Spirit Lake following all the tantalising hype with the project bike, (I still think that stock the 19 FTR is a candidate for one of the ugliest motorcycles that I've ever seen and biggest disappointments to come out of a factory). In spite of being one of the worst fuelled bikes to ever splutter out of a showroom. In spite of the cold start issues and the cut outs that contrived to try and claim my life. In spite of the countless coin that I've had to throw at it to get it to run right and even vaguely resemble the flat track motorcycle that Indian purported it to be. In spite of the laughably low range and the eye watering fuel consumption. In spite of the stupid TV sized TFT display that ruins the front end. In spite of the shite customer experience offered by Indian and the exorbitant pricing for spares...

This is without doubt the most fun I've had on a motorcycle since I learnt to ride my first bike, a Yamaha DT 175 on the dirt. And this is the best bike I've owned since my RD350LC. Every day, feels like the first one - the anticipation and the thrill of riding it. The novelty never wears of. It's as though I've just collected it from the dealer. I love the fact that it's a challenging, temperamental, crotchety bitch...feed it what it demands, learn to tame all this with your wrist first, not a laptop or an ECU. I adore the fact that its such a head turner, that it's so unique, inimitable and frankly...such a badass beast. As I said before, turns out, the bike that I brought home to my garage was possessed. Short of bringing in a Priest, swinging the incense burner and sprinkling it with holy water whilst reciting the Athanasian Creed and performing a three hour exorcism ritual, I opted instead for the Lloydz V6. Granted, she was replete with more issues and attitude problems than a bi-polar ex, to an extent, I genuinely like elements of unpredictability. The subsequent bench flash may have lobotomised its deranged electronic brain and sanitised this animal like shock therapy and in the process erased some of that 'character' i speak of, but its tetchiness and irritability occasionally rears its head and reminds me of the bikes I grew up riding. I absolutely love this bike.

Would I purchase another Indian? I wanted a street tracker - and I so wanted the bike that they teased and dangled in front of us in the marketing. That was the only reason I bought into the brand. We didn't get that - but as ugly as it seemed, beneath it all Indian nonetheless had created a gnarly flat track-inspired street hooligan that’s not for the faint-hearted or the inexperienced. It oozes character all of its own and the ill-mannered demeanour engineered and extracted from its flat track DNA was immediately obvious the first time I rode it. Seeing as they seem intent upon distancing themselves from that pedigree and increasingly compromise and pander to market appeal (which is understandable), the answer is no. I really don't like the post '19 incarnations of this machine and for now, I'm very happy with what I have,

I am soo with you, FTR London! Exactly, what I feel! Love means, to look over the issues! I love my temperamental 19' FTR!

 

[edgelett]

Yes, if something terrible happened to my FTR I'd get another one. I love mine.
and if I won $30K, I'd grab a Chief for shits and giggles.

 

[MilwDave]

I own three Indian bikes, Roadmaster, Chieftain and my 2019 FTR. I genuinely enjoy the FTR and after a few different flashes the Fuel Moto 2 has it running like a champ. But if something happened to it I would move on. The new 17” wheel versions do nothing for me. They have morphed into something that would never have drawn me to it.
So to address the question. Yes, I would absolutely buy another Indian but it would not be an FTR.

 

[acrws]

Since I’m actively planning (and scouting the internet for) some FTR-based project bikes, I answered Yes…and then I noticed the poll was about buying a brand new model….and the answer is still yes. Some might call me a bit biased (and I’ll own it!), but having demo’d almost every model now, I’m pretty sure my next non-dirtbike purchase is going to be an Indian Motorcycle.

 

[ftwftr]

I own a 19 sport and it's been nothing but problems. I only have 3,500 miles on it, and I'm already looking for a replacement. From the issues with the fuel mapping, to a gearbox that either clucks/grinds/or its false neutrals, to a battery that wouldn't hold a charge from the factory, this thing has been a turd from day 1. I've tried to love it but it's always something with this bike. I thought my Harleys were POS but this one takes the cake. Likely going back to a Japanese bike, but it seems the resale on FTR's isn't that great so we'll see.

And for everyone saying you need a tune, use the GSXR shift linkage, get an aftermarket battery. Guess what, I did all of that and the only thing it fixed is the dead battery. Fueling is still terrible and surges in the 3-4K range. I live at 5,000ft elevation, so most of my riding is higher elevation. Took a trip to the coast and for some reason the change to sea level made it run even worse. I was under the impression that the ecu should correct for elevation, guess it doesn't do a good job of it. Put on the GSXR shift arm. Shift feel is greatly improved but if I'm riding aggressive and shifting at high rpm's the grinding from 1-2 upshift and 5-6 upshift is still there. Nothing is fixed, it's just a bandaid. Indian claims it's not a problem, yet they updated the shift forks in the new model to fix this. I expect some issues from a old bike, but this thing is practically brand new. I'm not new to bikes, I currently have 5 in the garage. This one is the newest and the one with the most issues.

 

[mark.lb]

I was asked at work if I would change from casual to part time or full time, without hesitation I said NO!
So as part of the chatter with the lady a on the line at insurer she asked would I buy another Indian? Again the answer came out automatically NO!, her response was that a lot of people said that. This is a bit sad as I feel that Polaris and Indian have dropped the bundle just short of the finish line. In hindsight the delayed appearance of the FTR was the first red flag, cold start issues and dealership confusion etc just widened the gap for me. As stated elsewhere I was finally happy with FTR and was looking forward to 10's of thousands of miles on it but some low-lives cut that short.
So now to the poll, how do you feel?

WOULD YOU BUY ANOTHER INDIAN?

I love Indian motorcycles. I purchased 3 new Indians since I took delivery of my FTR in May of 2019. The FTR is not my primary bike. It serves as my sport bike. I ride more miles on my cruisers. My 2022 Chief Bobber DH is probably my favorite bike. Because of heart issues I do not tour. (Last summer my doctor vetoed a ride from Pennsylvania to Sturgis.) I primarily day ride, staying closer to home. I took a hard look at a new Pursuit last summer but decided I would never use the motorcycle for what it was designed to do. I love V-Twins. The way they look, the sound they make and the way they pull. I’ve never owned a Harley. I will alway ride Indian.

 

[acrws]

I love Indian motorcycles. I purchased 3 new Indians since I took delivery of my FTR in May of 2019. The FTR is not my primary bike. It serves as my sport bike. I ride more miles on my cruisers. My 2022 Chief Bobber DH is probably my favorite bike. Because of heart issues I do not tour. (Last summer my doctor vetoed a ride from Pennsylvania to Sturgis.) I primarily day ride, staying closer to home. I took a hard look at a new Pursuit last summer but decided I would never use the motorcycle for what it was designed to do. I love V-Twins. The way they look, the sound they make and the way they pull. I’ve never owned a Harley. I will alway ride Indian.

View attachment 7244View attachment 7245

Interesting selection! I’m curious at seeing the Scout in there, I would think it hardly gets much play with the bigger bikes hanging around. Keeping it for visitors?

 

[mark.lb]

The Scout Bobber is no ordinary Scout! (It was purchased to be modified.) “Plain Jane” runs a Revolution Performance big bore kit and Andrews 420 cams. It makes the same horsepower and more torque than my FTR. It is an absolute blast to ride.

 

[acrws]

The Scout Bobber is no ordinary Scout! (It was purchased to be modified.) “Plain Jane” runs a Revolution Performance big bore kit and Andrews 420 cams. It makes the same horsepower and more torque than my FTR. It is an absolute blast to ride.

Oh! Okay. That is just seriously neat. Right on, man!!!

 

[Snorkelface]

Yes, if something terrible happened to my FTR I'd get another one. I love mine.
and if I won $30K, I'd grab a Chief for shits and giggles.

Chief Dark Horse is under $20k

 

[Snorkelface]

Oh, and my answer to the question I guess is "yes." I'll be adding a third to the garage in a few months. haha

 

[edgelett]

Chief Dark Horse is under $20k

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Not in Australia it isn't.
Starting price before you even look at a single mod or change is $29K.
I don't happen to have that spare cash sitting around!

but if I win lotto - yeah I'll get one.

 

[mark.lb]

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Not in Australia it isn't.
Starting price before you even look at a single mod or change is $29K.
I don't happen to have that spare cash sitting around!

but if I win lotto - yeah I'll get one.

Not in the USA either!

This is a Chief Bobber DH (same as mine) sitting in the showroom at Pitt Cycles
MSRP - $19,999
Destination and Dealer Prep - $1,500
Documents - $250
Sales Tax - (Allegheny County, PA - 7%) - $1,500
Total - $23,000
(Maybe a -$500 discount if you are a previous buyer or can haggle down the dealer prep destination charge.)

 

[Snorkelface]

Not in the USA either!

This is a Chief Bobber DH (same as mine) sitting in the showroom at Pitt Cycles
MSRP - $19,999
Destination and Dealer Prep - $1,500
Documents - $250
Sales Tax - (Allegheny County, PA - 7%) - $1,500
Total - $23,000
(Maybe a -$500 discount if you are a previous buyer or can haggle down the dealer prep destination charge.)

View attachment 7251

Damn I guess they had a big price increase from the initial launch! I think mine was $20k out the door. haha

They probably looked at it's closest competitor, the Harley Low Rider S and realized that bike comes with a lot less and is in the mid-$20k range.

 

[ciphfer]

I am pretty much new to the group and my FTR Carbon only has about 400 miles on it (due to late October delivery and winter in the NY).

With that said, I got back into riding after being away for numerous years. I had a pretty decent budget to work with. I was not going the cruiser route (although I did really like the Scout Bobber) and after looking at the BMW's, KTM, honorable mention to the Honda CB1000R Black, there was nothing like the FTR Carbon for me.

So far no real complaints other than its winter.

Would definitely buy it again.

 

[edgelett]

Not in the USA either!

This is a Chief Bobber DH (same as mine) sitting in the showroom at Pitt Cycles
MSRP - $19,999
Destination and Dealer Prep - $1,500
Documents - $250
Sales Tax - (Allegheny County, PA - 7%) - $1,500
Total - $23,000
(Maybe a -$500 discount if you are a previous buyer or can haggle down the dealer prep destination charge.)

I'm forever grateful that here in Aus the law is that if something is advertised at a certain price, that is the PRICE.
all fees/charges/taxes must be included in the advertised price. they can't add them on later.
so I know that I will not pay any more than $28,990 for a Chief Bobber out the door 100% stock
if I decide to change anything however - the extra costs are on me.

 

[MilwDave]

Oh, and my answer to the question I guess is "yes." I'll be adding a third to the garage in a few months. hahaView attachment 7249View attachment 7250

I love that Freedom side dump exhaust.
I wish they offered that for my R18.