Indian Motorcycles is returning to an era long forgotten in American, two-wheel driving, with its 2015 Roadmaster, which is a resurrection in design of the 1947-1953 production era bike that dominated the market. This recent installment aims to capture the antique design while offering the luxury that most riders want in a ride.
The 2015 Roadmaster, which hopes to deliver the same sense of travel and touring that its older ancestor did nearly 70 years ago, also employs the 111 cubic inch Thunderstroke engine that the company introduced with 2014 models of the Chieftain, Chief Vintage and Chief Classic motorcycles.
The Polaris Industries-owned company hopes that by reviving an older design, it will bring together the positives of the luxury bike while also modernizing and giving it a unique edge over the competition.
In a sense, the company says, it is a combination of the classic American cruiser, which have become among the top sellers on the market, but it also takes the classic look and adds the modern innovations, bells and whistles, that customers have come to expect in luxury motorcycles.
The 2015 Roadmaster debuted at the 74th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota - the preeminent motorcycle event in the world - and is equipped with the major features that have come to be expected, including but not limited to keyless ignition, anti-lock brakes, cruise control and tire pressure systems for monitoring.
Polaris and Indian Motorcycles are touting the new model as a cheaper option than rival Harley Davidson, but say a rider will not be losing anything by going with the Roadmaster. It is to hit the showroom floor in September and is expected to retail around $26,999. That will make it the company's highest priced bike, but still less than Harley's comparable model.
"You have to go up to a CVO Limited (Harley) to get similar engine size and comparable appointments," said Steve Menneto, Polaris' VP of motorcycles. "That MSRP is $38,999."
Ideally, Menneto continues, the new 2015 Roadmaster is to be a family bike, where couples are able to travel and enjoy the open road together. He also hopes it will help to bring in new riders who have been on the fence about motorcycles in recent years.
"The average bagger owner is around 47," Menneto said. "The agerage touring rider is 52 to 54. And a lot of them are husbands and wives, doing two-up riding."
With Harley Davidson launching a luxury electric model, as reported by Tech Times, the new Roadmaster hopes that it will begin to chip away at that market ahead of the holiday season.
