The old Indian Motorcycle plant in Gilroy, CA is being leveled to make way for a condominium complex.

The plant has been vacant since 2003, when the company ceased manufacturing.

The famed motorcycle brand was revived in 1999 when several competing companies fighting over the trademark rights agreed to merge. But sales lagged and the company folded up in 2003.

Since then, former executives of the Chris-Craft company, purchased the rights to Indian Motorcycles, and are expecting to begin sales of the new Indian Chief sometime in 2009.

The headquarters was moved to Kings Mountain, NC.

Source: Gilroy Dispatch, Indian Motorcycles

Labels: Indian

Indian Motorcycles is looking for a new slogan to go with the launch of their 2009 Indian Chief.

They asked several of their fans, and whittled the suggestions down to the following five...

"Let the Spirit Ride"
Submitted by Jerry Horch
Cape Coral, FL

"Hail to the Chief"
Submitted by Harold Buchanan
Charlotte, NC

"America's Original Motorcycle"
Submitted by Belinda Abendschein
Waterford, WI

"Before Indian, there were only bicycles"
Submitted by Earl Bernal
San Jose, CA

"Old School, New Cool"
Submitted by John Kerr
Kings Mountain, NC

Of those, I like "Let the Spirit Ride" the most, though the sound of it reminds me of the Kawasaki slogan, "Let the Good Times Roll". I also like "America's Original Motorcycle", only because it's a jab at Milwaukee.

Source: Indian Motorcycle Newsletter

Labels: Indian

Indian Motorcycle Company announced last week of a new company that it set up specifically to create and market a new line of apparel bearing the Indian logo.

The new company, "Iconic American Brands" will be headed by Steven Miska, a veteran of the apparel industry, having formally been with Seattle Pacific Industries, the company behind the "Unionbay" brand.

The new Indian apparel line will be based on clothing styles the company had created in the 1940s. According to the company's newsletter...

The collection will feature performance apparel and premium sportswear which pays tribute to the heritage of the brand. Embodying the freedom of spirit and adventure associated with motorcycling, the Indian Motorcycle apparel collection offers an exciting new lifestyle brand for the motorcycle aficionado and spectator alike.

Labels: Indian, Motorcycle Apparel

The famed Indian motorcycle brand is back with the new 2008 model year. The company is now taking orders on its 2008 Indian Chief.

Visit the Indian motorcycle website here...
http://www.indianmotorcycle.com/

Labels: Indian

A few days ago I parked my car in the parking lot of an Albertson's grocery store. As I walked towards the store, I saw an old guy standing next to a Yamaha Road Star, securing his helmet.

Several minutes later, I ended up standing behind him in the check out line. I asked him if that was his Road Star out front.

"Yeah, that's mine!" he talked out loud.

This guy was quite old, definitely in his 80s. It was hard to comprehend what he was saying, because his speech was slurred. But it was never hard to hear him. He wore a jacket with an Indian logo on it.

He went on to say that he bought his first motorcycle in 1934, it was an Indian Scout, and that he was riding with clubs long before the Boozefighters and the Hells Angels. He talked in a loud voice, almost like he was angry. Everyone could hear him.

He said that every year he goes to Sturgis and that everyone there knows him. "I always ride, I don't trailer." He said that several members of the Hells Angels, along with other clubs I had trouble hearing, comes out to celebrate his birthday. It sounded like he was one special guy.

He also said that he was featured in a documentary that will soon run on the Discovery Channel, (or was it The History Channel?). He told me to keep my eye on that station.

I asked him what happened to his Indian Scout. He said it got stolen, last year. He had been riding it all this time, up until last year.

Now I understood why he talked like he was angry.

This guy bought a 1934 Indian Scout when it was brand new, and rode it everywhere, and kept riding it, for 71 years. Then, it was taken away from him by people who saw its material worth and not its sentimental value. He had to have bought that thing when he was a teenager. I'm sure he had other bikes throughout the years, but to ride the same bike for that long is a testament to his skill as a rider and his love of motorcycles.

I suppose if there was anything that could make a guy like him cry, that would've been it.

Labels: Indian, Motorcycle Thefts