Indian Motorcycles Heading to … Um … India

Polaris Industries announced it will launch its Indian Motorcycles brand in India on January 22, 2014. The inherently awkward naming aside, Indian Motorcycles India will begin operations about two months after the launch of its Polaris cousins Victory Motorcycles as the latest brand to seek out a chunk of the world’s second largest motorcycle market.

Indian Motorcycles India will offer the company’s complete lineup, which includes the Chief Classic, Chief Vintage and Chieftain. As it is doing with Victory Motorcycles, Polaris will import the motorcycles from the U.S. as Completely Built Units, meaning they will be subjected to much higher tariffs than motorcycles imported as Complete Knockdown Kits for finally assembly in India.

Even without the higher import fees, Indian motorcycles will likely be very expensive in India. The Thunder Stroke 111 engine powering the new Indian lineup will be one of the largest production motorcycle engines in India, trailing only the 2294cc Triumph Rocket III, while companies such as Harley-Davidson are trending in the opposite direction, offering new smaller-displacement models designed specifically for India.

No pricing details have been announced, but early estimates have prices starting at 2 million Indian rupees (US$32,372) and going as high as 3.5 million rupees (US$56,665). By comparison, Indian Motorcycles’ U.S. prices start at $18,999 for the Chief Classic, $20,999 for the Chief Vintage, and $22,999 for the Chieftain.

[Source: Top Gear]

By Dennis Chung