Copyright SlashGear
In the annals of American motorcycle manufacturing history, the Indian name ranks among the most revered in the game. That has a lot to do with the fact that Indian was America's first legit motorcycle company, springing into existence in 1901 and releasing its very first model a year later. Yet hard times have been as big a part of the brand's story as the hard-charging bikes that have borne its name over the years, with Indian having experienced several bankruptcies and production closures. As you might expect, such issues have led to an ownership change or two, with the original Indian company closing up shop in 1953. The Indian brand soon resurfaced, though the Indians that hit the streets in the 1950s and '60s were rebranded as Royal Enfields. Production on actual Indians ramped back up in 1998, when the Indian Motorcycle Company of America took over the brand, but IMCA's run came to an unceremonious end in 2003. Since 2011, Indian has been owned by Polaris, who builds the bikes in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Now, however, Polaris is planning its own Indian exit. The company recently separated the Indian brand from its list of holdings and is officially set to sell its stake in the company to a Los Angeles-based private equity firm. It does not appear that the Indian brand is again being put out to pasture, as the new owners are apparently set to continue production. Here's what you should know about the sale. For the record, Polaris — who also tried to revive the Victory Motorcycle brand – is not completely getting out of the Indian Motorcycle business and is expected to retain a small equity position in the company. That's not entirely shocking when you consider the fact that Indian Motorcycles contributed some $478 million dollars to Polaris' bottom line over the past year, accounting for approximately 7% of its earnings. As it stands, Polaris may not be ready to fully let the Indian revenue stream go. Despite maintaining some skin in the game, Polaris is set to cede a majority stake in the operation to L.A.'s Carolwood LP, which was founded in 2014. Polaris stated in a press release that the deal is expected to increase its profits and benefit the company. Until the deal is officially closed sometime in the first quarter of 2026, Indian is expected to maintain service and sales support to all dealers and customers. As for Carolowood, it's not entirely clear what the firm has planned for Indian's future, as the company appears to largely operate in the real estate realm. What we do know is that production on Indian Motorcycles will continue, and that Michael Kennedy has been tabbed as the company's incoming CEO. That name may be familiar to motorcycle hardcores, as Kennedy spent nearly 30 years with Harley-Davidson before serving as CEO of Vance & Hines and RumbleOn, which recently rebranded to RideNow Powersports.
