Indian Motorcycle has been stirring the American v-twin pot for a while now. Following the success of the FTR 1200, the company doubled-down on performance-oriented v-twins by unveiling the 108 cubic-inch (1,769cc) PowerPlus engine. Found in the all-new Challenger, the 60-degree, liquid-cooled PowerPlus distinguishes Indian’s bagger from the competition— Harley-Davidson's Road Glide Special. Rather than courting customers with spec sheets and claims of superiority, Indian is putting its money where its mouth is by announcing a demo tour and digital media campaign aptly named the Challenger Challenge.

Launching at Daytona Bike Week on March 6, 2020, the Challenger Challenge will pit Indian’s new shiny toy against Harley’s best-selling tourer in a back-to-back demo ride, allowing customers to directly compare the two models. The nation-wide demo tour will visit annual motorcycle rallies and events including this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August along with select Indian dealerships throughout the country. 

Aside from the national tour, designated dealerships will also have a Road Glide on hand so any potential customer can take part in the Challenger Challenge. Whether you buy a new Challenger or not, those participating in the Challenger Challenge will receive an exclusive t-shirt following the demo.

Indian’s digital media arm will also support the nation-wide tour with a video series featuring action sports legend Carrey Hart and sidekick Bryan “Big B” Mahoney. The episodic series will showcase the Challenger’s power, torque, braking, and handling in head-to-head road tests against the Road Glide. The campaign will run on Indian’s website, social media handles, and YouTube channel.

“The first time I rode it, I knew that they had something special,” Hart noted. “But riding the Challenger back-to-back against the Road Glide, it’s not even fair. The Challenger absolutely crushes it.”

With its chassis-mounted fairing and large displacement motor, it was widely assumed that Indian was targeting the category-leading Road Glide with its new fully-loaded bagger, but the Challenger Challenge confirms all suspicions. 

“Over the years, the Road Glide has firmly entrenched itself as the category leader and has become the default choice, but our bike is simply better,” said Indian Motorcycle President Michael Dougherty. “The difference when riding these two bikes back-to-back is undeniable, and we’re excited for riders to experience it for themselves with the Challenger Challenge.”

It goes without saying that we’re looking forward to the reception and results of the Challenger Challenge and we hope Indian continues to stir things up in the American v-twin market.

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INDIAN MOTORCYCLE DRAWS A LINE IN THE SAND WITH “CHALLENGER CHALLENGE” – A HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON OF THE NEW INDIAN CHALLENGER DARK HORSE & HARLEY-DAVIDSON® ROAD GLIDE® SPECIAL

 

National Demo Tour, Local Dealer Demos, Advertising and Episodic Video Series Serve Up Bold Demonstrations of the Indian Challenger’s Superiority Over the Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® Special

Minneapolis (February 12, 2020) – “May the best V-twin win.” That’s the rally cry for the newest marketing campaign for Indian Motorcycle’s all-new Indian Challenger – a fully-loaded premium bagger designed as a superior alternative to the category leader, the Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® Special. This morning, Indian announced the “Challenger Challenge,” a campaign that invites motorcyclists to test ride the Challenger and Road Glide® Special back-to-back for the ultimate head-to-head comparison.

Launching at Daytona Bike Week on Friday, March 6, the Challenger Challenge product demo tour will visit Indian Motorcycle dealers around the country, as well as select motorcycle rallies and events, including the legendary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August. In addition to the national tour, select Indian Motorcycle dealers will have a Road Glide® on hand to ensure that any customer who visits their dealership can take the Challenger Challenge.

Indian Motorcycle will support the Challenger Challenge with a digital media campaign, highlighted by an episodic video series where action sports icon Carey Hart and his loyal sidekick, Bryan “Big B” Mahoney, pit the new Indian Challenger head-to-head against the Road Glide® Special in a series of tests that showcase power, torque, braking and handling.  In addition to the digital media campaign, the content series can be found on IndianMotorcycle.com, Indian’s social media and YouTube channels.  

“The Challenger’s combination of power and dexterity is at another level,” said Hart. “The first time I rode it, I knew that they had something special. But riding the Challenger back-to-back against the Road Glide, it’s not even fair. The Challenger absolutely crushes it.” 

“Over the years, the Road Glide has firmly entrenched itself as the category leader and has become the default choice, but our bike is simply better and our confidence in this product is what this campaign is all about,” said Mike Dougherty, President, Indian Motorcycle. “The difference when riding these two bikes back-to-back is undeniable, and we’re excited for riders to experience it for themselves with the Challenger Challenge.” 

 

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At the heart of the Challenger is the PowerPlus engine, Indian’s first liquid-cooled large displacement motor (108 cubic-inch, 60-degree V-twin) that packs a best-in-class 122 horsepower and 128 ft-lbs. of torque. The Challenger’s modern and aggressively styled chassis-mounted fairing sits over an inverted front suspension, while the Challenger Limited and Dark Horse variants are equipped with Indian Motorcycle’s intuitive Smart Lean Technology™, keeping riders confidently grounded by utilizing a Bosch® IMU to add cornering control to the dynamic traction control and ABS, as well as Drag Torque Control. A host of amenities add style, convenience and keep the rider comfortable, including electronic cruise control, full LED lighting, a long-haul seat, ABS, keyless ignition, weatherproof saddlebags with over 18 gallons of storage space, and an adjustable windscreen with nearly three inches of travel. 

 

For more information on the Challenger Challenge, visit IndianMotorcycle.com/en-us/Challenger-Challenge. Join the conversation by tagging photos on social media using #ChallengerChallenge. At select events, riders who take the Challenger Challenge will receive an exclusive Challenger t-shirt.

For more information, or to find the nearest dealer, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®

Indian Motorcycle Company is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.

INDIAN and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE are registered trademarks of Indian Motorcycle International, LLC.  Always wear a helmet, protective clothing and eyewear and insist your passenger does the same. Ride within the limits of the law and your own abilities. Read, understand and follow your owner’s manual. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Harley Davidson® and Road Glide® are registered trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC

BOSCH® is registered to Robert Bosch GmbH

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