Indian test rides

[AGrengs]

On Saturday, the local Indian dealership hosted the factory test ride crew.  I rode six different bikes.  The new Indians are really nice, the ones with the liquid-cooled engine are great to ride and all the bells and whistles on the fairings are really cool.  If I could afford a bike, I'd consider the Pursuit or Challenger to replace the RSV.  When I got back on my '08, my first thought was "this as a really comfortable bike!".

 

[cowpuc]

Way cool! That test riding business is LOTS of fun! Kind of like getting to sample multiple flavors or fudge up at Mackinaw City in Michigan LOL. I followed the Polaris Indian line right from the get go, from the 116 engine release down at Daytona and then to Sturgis for the world release and then to numerous test rides any time we were near a Polaris Demo tent. I LOVED the 1st year Chief with the real leather bags. I also LOVED the Polaris Victory Vision 8 Ball, it was one of the best handling motorcycles I have ever ridden, I knicked named it the WEEBLE cause I could flog the thing and it was pretty much not tip overable. I could also come to stop, step off the bike and walk away and it would just lean down on its floor boards lol. It was AMAZING! Personally, the only reason I never had interest in ANY of the Polaris line was strickely because of Polaris.  Back in the late 90's when Polaris introed the Vics they had severe tranny issues, a major design flaw. I was real close friends of the owner of the local Polaris shop. When the Vic tranny issue showed up Polaris REFUSED to cover it under warranty and my buddy chased them out of his shop and cashed in his Franchise. Polaris did outsource a tranny redesign for the later models of the Polaris Victory 92 inch bikes but they never did fulfill their warranty promise to the early owners. Then, when they introed their Indian repops they dropped the Victory line with no notice to public or dealers alike. 2 weeks before they canceled the Vic line I was at the Dealer trade show and Polaris was there still offering Vic  franchises and selling Vic bikes. I also know numerous Polaris Vic owners who got stuck upside down on loans with the instantly devalued motorcycles.  IMHO, Polaris is not a company I would get involved with on any level. Test rides are still fun though LOL.. Puc

** to quote WIKI 
""The 1999 and 2000 Victory models experienced serious transmission problems, even with bikes with considerably less than 10,000 miles. This has been corrected with minor revisions in 2001 and a complete redesign in 2002. But, according to Wikipedia, Polaris was aware of the problem with the false neutral transmission from the beginning, and yet - Polaris did not correct the transmissions in the 1999 and 2000 models and to date has not supported the owners of those bikes by replacing an apparently faulty design."""

[AGrengs]

1 hour ago, cowpuc said:

Polaris is not a company I would get involved with on any level. Test rides are still fun though LOL.. Puc

** to quote WIKI 
""The 1999 and 2000 Victory models experienced serious transmission problems, even with bikes with considerably less than 10,000 miles. This has been corrected with minor revisions in 2001 and a complete redesign in 2002. But, according to Wikipedia, Polaris was aware of the problem with the false neutral transmission from the beginning, and yet - Polaris did not correct the transmissions in the 1999 and 2000 models and to date has not supported the owners of those bikes by replacing an apparently faulty design."""

I wasn't aware of the Polaris business issues, but I did know a few people who rode Vics, loved them and felt abandoned.  I'm too poor to buy any of these anyway and I really had fun riding them.  Hoping the local Harley dealer does a day like it so I can ride some of those also.

[djh3]

I have a 13 Cross country tour. I went from the RSV to it because of demo rides. The nimble handling and lower feeling CG pushed me. But when the pulled the rug out from under Vic owners it left a bad taste in my mouth. I have rode a couple of the Indians for fun. I dont know as I would buy one for fear next month they will have had their fun with motorcycles and focus on side by sides or snow mobiles or something else.

[Pasta Burner]

Quality and follow up are always risks with subsidiaries of conglomerate corporations.  Especially when people don’t do their research and know where their money is actually going.  The guy who owns a Polaris snowmobile and an Indian or victory motorcycle may never put the two sports together.  I work in ICBM and I would say 95+% of the population doesn’t know that General Electric manufactured the Re-Entry Vehicles in the 80’s and 90’s, they just know “we bring good things to life”.  That said one of my closest friends who got me into the ICBM field has a 2020 Indian Roadmaster Elite and absolutely loves it,  here’s to hoping I also inherit it in 20 some years .  

[uncledj]

I've an old Polaris 4 wheeler, and it does what it needs to do, but I've never felt it was a well designed / built machine.....Can't compare to the quality of my other toys.

  Anyhoo, that's my $0.02...