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CVO Social => In The News => Topic started by: JCZ on September 18, 2004, 02:30:46 PM

Title: Indian was bought out.
Post by: JCZ on September 18, 2004, 02:30:46 PM
I just thought this was interesting bit of information:

Owners of Chris-Craft
Title: Re: Indian was bought out.
Post by: JCZ on September 18, 2004, 02:53:55 PM
I read a different article last night.  It stated that they were looking at Calif. Florida and a third state, which I don't remember at this time, for production.  It also mentioned that they thought the new owners thought that it was important for Indian to have it's own motor and tranny, in order to be successful from the start.

I don't know if that means that they will buy out the rights to the 100" motor that had just came out for Indian, or not.  That motor was designed by an engineer that used to work for Porsche (they understand air cooled motors).

This is certainly going to be interesting to watch this progress over the next year or two.
Title: Re: Indian was bought out.
Post by: 06 Blk Crimson on November 18, 2005, 03:55:01 PM
I have an 02 Indian Cheif with the Power Plus 100 motor, great bike, the ride is awsome and the motor has more power then all my harley's.. with that said I also love my harley's I think if there were any company who could really compete with Harley it would be Indian. Just my 2 cents    
Title: Re: Indian was bought out.
Post by: mr_magoo on November 19, 2005, 09:07:33 AM
Always thought it was funny that the new motor wasn't part of the deal.  What good is a motorcycle without a motor.  Wonder if they got rights to the older motor?
Title: Re: Indian was bought out.
Post by: Willie D on November 19, 2005, 11:04:38 AM
Wasn't the old motor a S&S ?

Sure hope they make it ! My very first ride on a M/C was a 1947 Chief
that was . . . . . too many years ago to count.

WD
Title: Re: Indian was bought out.
Post by: JCZ on November 19, 2005, 11:12:40 AM
Quote
Wasn't the old motor a S&S ?

Sure hope they make it ! My very first ride on a M/C was a 1947 Chief
that was . . . . . too many years ago to count.

WD


Willie, just a year prior to going bankrupt Indian had came out with the 100/100 proprietary motor.  It was designed by an engineer that Indian had hired.......the engineer spent most of his life working for Porsche, so he knew and understood air cooled motors.  The motor had 100 cubin inches and 100 horsepower, thus the 100/100.
Title: Re: Indian was bought out.
Post by: Willie D on November 19, 2005, 11:31:28 AM
Thanks JC,
I new that they had just built a new motor but wasn't sure who was building it. Weren't they using S&S motors prior to that ?
I rode over to Leslie, MI on day last year to ride one, but they didn't have a demo. I always thought the 40" bars were a bit of a stretch for my 5'8" frame.....really liked the rest of the bike.

WD
Title: Re: Indian was bought out.
Post by: 06 Blk Crimson on November 19, 2005, 12:20:59 PM
The thing about Indian, you either love them or hate them. I always loved the look of the Skirted fenders and the style of the motor. The other thing that I always liked, is no matter where I ride my Chief it always draws a crowd, I once was at a light and a old lady in a car pulled up next to me, rolled her window down and told me that when her and her husband dated he had one and took her on it all the time. He passed away but she always thinks about that. I thought that was really cool. 1999 to 2001 Indian used the S&S 88 inch Motor the Power Plus 100 came out in 2002, 100 HP out of the box
Title: Re: Indian was bought out.
Post by: DW6019 on November 19, 2005, 11:36:35 PM
The company that bought INDIAN, bought only the name. Equipment, tooling etc was all sold at the big auction the management company had to attempt to settle some of the losses that suppliers had. Most of you all seem to forget the Indian name was put on California Motorcyles with big fenders & S&S engines. Indian, the company, failed 50 years ago. The 100 engine is the main reason they failed this time, Cost overruns and unrealistic estimates of the time & money it takes to scratch build a dependable engine broke them. So if Chris Craft get's a bike going, more power to them. But it will be nothing more than a Harley clone, probably with S&S engines. Makes no difference if it is built in Bradenton/Sarasota area or California.
This whole deal has been a major fiasco, I feel sorry for guys with warranty problems on the last run of CMC's (Indians). No manufacturer, no dealers means no warranty. That sucks.
Title: Re: Indian was bought out.
Post by: Striker on November 21, 2005, 09:43:23 PM
Wrong DW, I just sold my '02 Indian Spirit Custom Deluxe.  It is nothing like a Harley.  Single down tube frame, 4" stretch, 32 degree rake, most of the controls were billet aluminum, the high compression S&S 80 cu. in. stock motor would walk away from the 95" twin-cams like nothing.  Came stock with 2-1 exhaust, stretched tank etc.  The problem was, it looked like a Heritage want-a-be, and people didn't know the difference.  Thus they would not spend the extra $5000 to get the Indian, even tho the extas that came stock on the Indian would bump the price of the Harley by about $8,000.  So why did I sell it????  It rode like all softtails, anything but soft.  I like my SEEG much better.  It wasn't hype, just poor marketing on the part of Indian.
As far as the 100 cu. in. motor it was a bust.  Only 500 made and it is estimated that 350-400 had some kind of problems.  Whats wrong with an S&S in an Indian, they have one heck of a motor. :o ::) :P
Title: Re: Indian was bought out.
Post by: kng103 on November 22, 2005, 12:16:43 PM
"the high compression S&S 80 cu. in. stock motor would walk away from the 95" twin-cams like nothing. "

i find it a little hard to believe that it would walk away from a 95.
some of the 95" builds have way over 100#'s of torque.
you would have to have some special evo to keep up with that.
in fact, i doubt it would smoke a stage 2 tc88.
not looking for an argument, just stating my oppinion.
Title: Re: Indian was bought out.
Post by: Striker on November 23, 2005, 12:34:43 AM
Bottom line is I shut it down at 125, lost my nerve with all the vibration.  The guy on a RK with a 95" kit said I was pulling him from a rolling start at 40mph till he shut down at 110.  I am sure if he had some cams, 2-1 exhaust or some other goodies he could have outrun me, but he didn't, and he couldn't, and neither could any of the club bikes that just upgraded to a 95" kit.  So my point is, the stock Indian, was a much faster ride than the stock Harley or the pumped up 95".  Plus all the other things that came stock that I mentioned that were on my Indian would have been high dollar up grades on a comparable Harley.  bikeeen high dollar upgrades to the Harley.  These are facts, not speculation, and I have been a Harley rider most my adult life, but that Indian came out of the crate with performance built in, not something added on. ;)
Title: Re: Indian was bought out.
Post by: RedFXR2 on November 23, 2005, 08:18:52 AM
Quote
...the high compression S&S 80 cu. in. stock motor would walk away from the 95" twin-cams like nothing.

Quote
I find it a little hard to believe that it would walk away from a 95.
some of the 95" builds have way over 100#'s of torque.
you would have to have some special evo to keep up with that.
in fact, i doubt it would smoke a stage 2 tc88.
not looking for an argument, just stating my oppinion.


Quote
Bottom line is I shut it down at 125, lost my nerve with all the vibration.