T
o say this bike came
out of left field is an
understatement. We knew
Indian was revealing some
kind of bagger late this year
to unapologetically take on Harley’s
popular Road Glide, but we weren’t
ready for the Challenger.
It’s due in local showrooms early
next year with rideaway prices of
$39,590 and $39,995 for the Dark
Horse and chrome-laden Limited
respectively and Indian says it
took more than three years to
develop the all-new bike which,
given the breadth and scope of
t he C ha l lenger’s ability, sounds
all too brief.
Performance was the first priority
of the Challenger’s design brief – and
a key point of differentiation from
its main rival – bringing a new levelof speed and cornering agility to the
super-popular segment, according
to Indian Motorcycle vice president
Reid Wilson. “Our mindset was to
leave no stone unturned to deliver
a bagger that exceeds the standard
in categories like power, handling,
comfort and technology,” he said
at the bike’s international launch.
Fair enough, but that downplays
what it actually is.MOTORCYCLE TRADER 29