The New Indian Motorcycle Engine Sound. Listen To It Here.

High energy this Friday at the the 32nd annual Progressive International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach where more  than 150 manufacturers of motorcycles, parts, accessories and apparel are expecting 55,000 visitors during this weekend.

There was great anticipation on the Indian Motorcycle display where the engine sound of the brand new Indian model by Polaris (expected to be released at Sturgis time) was unveiled to the media, then to visitors. Maximum volume on your computer and listen to it in the video below.

43 Responses to “The New Indian Motorcycle Engine Sound. Listen To It Here.”


  1. 1 roscoe Dec 7th, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    Huh,
    Nothing earth shattering. It didn’t rev very high.

    I’m still looking forward to seeing the new Indians.

    Thanks for posting this Cyril and friends.

  2. 2 golfish Dec 7th, 2012 at 10:17 pm

    Wow, I think

  3. 3 Mike Greenwald Dec 7th, 2012 at 10:19 pm

    Sounds mahvelous, dahling.

  4. 4 Quis Dec 7th, 2012 at 10:21 pm

    Sounds like my lawn mower.

  5. 5 TROPICAL WILLIE Dec 7th, 2012 at 10:22 pm

    CANT wait to see one………

  6. 6 Nkchaswell Dec 7th, 2012 at 10:24 pm

    I want one!

  7. 7 Eric Maurer Dec 7th, 2012 at 10:25 pm

    sounds like every other UJM and non-HD motor out there. Yawn!

  8. 8 GB Dec 7th, 2012 at 10:29 pm

    VROD???

  9. 9 Mark Dec 7th, 2012 at 10:43 pm

    Wasn’t impressed with the idle but when it got going it had a nice smooth sound with a good low tone. Excited to see what it looks like!

  10. 10 Matt Dec 7th, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    Although it’s exciting to know that Polaris is moving forward on the new Indian model I’m hoping that performance & engineering wont take a back seat to exhaust note and nostalgia. That niche is already taken.

  11. 11 cooldaddy Dec 7th, 2012 at 11:01 pm

    Can almost hear the wheez of the cat convertor. The sound of pure unadulterated power? The thrill is gone ,long live gilroy!

  12. 12 EzJ Dec 7th, 2012 at 11:51 pm

    Big respect for Polaris folks – Victory/Ness family & Indian motorcycles. Thanks for your support of Operation Gratitude, too.

  13. 13 David Dec 8th, 2012 at 1:38 am

    Wow!!! Boy I just cant wait until someone puts open pipes on it !!! To bad they don’t outlaw them!

    SSDD; David

  14. 14 courtney Dec 8th, 2012 at 2:18 am

    Smile and say… Cheese!!

    That sucked.

    The more I think about it the more I am (greatly) appreciating the Heart and Soul of Kiwi Indian. Mike lives and breathes Indian, and has for years. He IS Indian Motorcycle as far as I am concerned.

  15. 15 Sluggo Dec 8th, 2012 at 2:27 am

    I think I just heard a thousand other choked up bikes.

  16. 16 Josh53 Dec 8th, 2012 at 7:18 am

    Courtney. Sorry, but will all respect, Mike Tomas makes a living copying old Indians, just creating approximate replicas. A true Indian lover doesn’t buy replicas and rejects what he does. Replicas have zero value, sentimentally or financially. An original Indian from pre-1953 (of course), even a Gilroy, a Kings Mountain and now a Polaris Indian will always have more value than a replica because they were made by companies legally called Indian. The market for replicas was tiny and the fact that we will have soon a true new Indian offering is going to kill his small business. You will see. Again, nothing against him but he should not complain. He made a living on the fringe of legality associating the words Kiwi & Indian. By the way, I like the sound in the video.

  17. 17 Brandon Dec 8th, 2012 at 7:23 am

    I am getting excited and impatiently wait to see the new Indian this summer. I postponed buying a Harley Slim hoping that Polaris will not disappoint me.

  18. 18 Ronnie Dec 8th, 2012 at 7:36 am

    Good start Polaris.

  19. 19 Jester Dec 8th, 2012 at 7:37 am

    I like what I hear.

  20. 20 Kurt From Germany Dec 8th, 2012 at 7:38 am

    Cyril do you know if the new Indian will be sold in Europe and when?

  21. 21 Rick Lossner Dec 8th, 2012 at 8:17 am

    Just marketing fluff….. I think we’re going to continue to see teasers until Daytona .. then more teasers until summer….. I’ll be impressed if that motor delivers in excess of 110 Ci and 100 HP.. go big or stay home?

    Good news is .. Indian is in good hands…

  22. 22 TodT Dec 8th, 2012 at 10:19 am

    Sounds good, the question is…will I be able to afford one?

  23. 23 Rodent Dec 8th, 2012 at 10:22 am

    All hype and no substance!

  24. 24 P. Henry Dec 8th, 2012 at 11:08 am

    Rodent. Nothing wrong for a company to hype its products. It’s called marketing. The point is to not deceive when the product is unveiled. We don’t know about the new Indian. So, we have to wait and not judge without knowing.

  25. 25 Jim Mc Dec 8th, 2012 at 12:24 pm

    Sounds like a Ridley. Could it be a 90 V-Twin?

  26. 26 burnout Dec 8th, 2012 at 12:28 pm

    Sounds too loud for the towns with strict noise laws but I like it. I want to ride one and feel the torque curve. peace

  27. 27 Kirk Perry Dec 8th, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    It does have an almost flathead sound. Must be the missing “lost spark” rotation, where the “poe”and “toe” are heard, but without the breathing “tay” cycle.

    So, the motor sounds like “Po-tay, po-tay, po-tay”, instead of the po-ta-to, po-ta-to, my audio-infused DNA is waiting to hear. Fourth gear has a distinctly different sound than third, sounding more like a 5th gear.

    More motorcycles is what the world needs.

  28. 28 Kirk Perry Dec 8th, 2012 at 3:40 pm

    Actually, what I couldn’t put into words was that the motor has a unique sound.
    It’s an OHV V-twin with an “Indian” sound and that’s the “soul” that’s been retained. It still sounds like an Indian seated behind the handlebars.
    I think the gear ratio and power-band match the sound of the motor. The shifting between gears is naturally sounding progressive (vs. my 31/47/25/50/ gear ration power-band which if more like a farm-tractor’s power-band: duhhh (shift), duHHH (shift) DHHHH (shift) duuuuuhhhhhhh.
    •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
    On the replication (hard luck, skint knuckle) side of life, having built a replica Harley and modified (with Stett) on Bill’s original design for 1957, by dragging parts of his future chassis, and drive-chassis, designs back into 1957 (which he “industrially” could not have done, even were he alive in 1958), [i.e; install the 1958-64 “locomotive” tubing to the “hornet’s nest” oil filter and ditch the troublesome relay and 32E generator for the ’58-64 voltage regulator] and my machine sounds and performs as a new 1957 Harley. The motor is so tightly tuned, that primed, I can almost blow on it to get it started.

    I’m sure it’s the same with Kiwi (congratulations for slip-streaming the original).

    So, are replicas any different than OEM Harley’s or Indians? – dunno – do a blind study test and let the public decide.

  29. 29 Blackmax Dec 8th, 2012 at 4:49 pm

    Ok, not too bad of a sound…
    (What pipes are they running?)
    Let’s get ready to SEE the new one,
    and watch this very blog that will blow up to a record 1000 comments !!!!
    SLOL !!!!
    (Again, I think multiple models over time (Scout & a full dresser) & they will be a hit )
    Paitence is a virture !!!!!

  30. 30 Bart Dec 8th, 2012 at 5:26 pm

    Good thing it doesn’t sound like a Victory.

  31. 31 Sheridan Dec 8th, 2012 at 9:56 pm

    Sounds pretty good considering it’s probably snuffed out by EPA compliant pipes which makes no bike sound good. I’m looking forward to seeing if Indian drip feeds out anything extra in March at Daytona (maybe show us the engine!). So far so good.

  32. 32 Karla Dec 9th, 2012 at 12:05 pm

    This bikes are the real ones!

  33. 33 morpion Dec 9th, 2012 at 5:24 pm

    ,,it,s sound like a real push-rod v-twin compare to victory overhead cam sound

  34. 34 bigalyts Dec 9th, 2012 at 8:27 pm

    Like a educated Biker would say, Change the Pipes and you will change the sound! If that is what it will sound like All the time, then I like the sound.

  35. 35 courtney Dec 10th, 2012 at 1:32 am

    Josh53,
    I hear ya. Kiwi does replicate, but he’s a small outfit with limited funds. If he had the funding and opportunity to produce new versions, I’d be intrigued to see what Mike’s interpretation of a modern Indian Motorcycle would be. Again, I think he lives and breathes Indian.

    Would have been cool had Polaris involved him in the process of evolving the old into a new design. Would have instant street cred, too.

    As it is, I’m scared to death that Ness is involved, not to diss Ness, but I sure hope he sticks with Victory.

    Lastly, I don’t think Mike’s going out of business anytime soon. $40,000 Polaris Indians will ensure that, if nothing else.

  36. 36 David Rose Dec 10th, 2012 at 7:28 am

    Courtney. You own an Indian if you have an Indian title with your bike. Period. At $40,000 a pop for a replica, kiwi must sell 2 maxi a year. For this price you can have a true pre-1953 Indian. No market, especially when you will be able this summer to buy a new titled Indian at probably half this price, around 20K. Any good custom builder could work designing a new Indian. Building replicas of the past is not a plus, more a disadvantage because you can’t mentally escape from images of the past. Keeping Indian tradition alive is not copying the past designs. It is Polaris challenge. .

  37. 37 alan rand Dec 10th, 2012 at 10:05 pm

    does it sound like it has 2 crank pins? pretty smooth idle, acceleration, and engine braking under load.

  38. 38 Sir Jeff Marroni Dec 12th, 2012 at 11:41 am

    Indian Motorcycles have an iconic place in motorcycle history but will the new Indian machine be serviced by Cowboys ? 🙂

    Will the centre stand be called custers last stand ?.

    And will the engine run on petrol (Gas as Americans say) or will it be fire water ?.

    When i enter the new Indean dealership will the salesman talk with a forked tongue leaving me with a bad deal ?

  39. 39 Joanie Dec 13th, 2012 at 6:32 pm

    Sounded promising at the start but then not….. 42 versus 45 degrees always makes a difference.

  40. 40 courtney Dec 16th, 2012 at 2:19 am

    David,
    Yeah well I was referencing $40000 Polaris Indians, not $40000 Kiwi Indians. That 2013 FE is much closer to $40000, not $20000….

    I’ve checked Mike’s site and one can purchase a beautiful, classic looking and dependable(!) modern bike at about half that cost. A bike that looks awesome, but that can be ridden mile after mile and worry free. Besides, fairly recent articles here by Cyril suggest Kiwi’s business is doing rather well, and despite the economy.

    I wish Polaris the best, but I fear that when general expectations are too high, there’s really no other way to go but down. We’ll soon see. Maybe my expectations are too low, lol. Yet, maybe that’s a good thing….

  41. 41 Jay Dec 18th, 2012 at 2:52 pm

    That’s fine. The question remains, is it air or water cooled? Hasn’t Indian released that information yet?

  42. 42 Rick Jan 1st, 2013 at 12:24 am

    I like the look of the old bikes.
    No camel hump over the engine. (fuel tank)
    That sounded like an S&S X wedge engine in the video.

  43. 43 equad99 May 31st, 2013 at 6:34 pm

    i looked at the video of the internals of it,and theres a reason it sounds like an x wedge,internally theyre a whole lot alike…..i was expecting a fresh design,,,,maybe next time…..

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Cyril Huze