Finally Riding the Indian Challenger - Faster than my Harley Davidson Sport Glide?

Finally I get to ride the Indian Challenger - Indian's response to the Performance Bagger movement we are seeing in the VTwin industry and a direct competitor to Harley Davidson's Road Glide touring motorcycle. I know I am a bit late to the party on this one but it is a bike I have been desperate to ride for the last year. I got to take it for a spin through the lovely countryside of Perth, Western Australia with my buddy Chris and see what the hype was all about.
My name is Michael, I am The Moto Barista. On this channel my mission is to inspire others to ride motorcycles through my own adventures, bike customization + bike reviews! If that sounds like the kinda thing you're into - you should hit the subscribe button! Your support is greatly appreciated! Ride safe + have fun + drink damn fine coffee!
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[@andrewedmond7738]

Good review mate. I have ridden one and they are nice. Unfortunately, the weight, and the price and the somewhat ugly look (subjective of course) would prevent me from owning this bike. I prefer a bike that is simplistic and comfortable. The Sportglide appears to tick all of the boxes for me. The versatility of the Sportglide is just great. Long tours with with enough carrying capacity (lone rider), and stripped down, it makes for the perfect town bike. I hope that Indian continues to develope and grow because we as consumers benefit from the competion. Recently checked out the new Chief range, but very disappointed with the 15 litre tank even on the top line model with saddlebags. In my opinion, any bike which is advertised as a touring model should at least have 18-20 litre tank capacity. Stay safe mate.

[@TheMotoBarista]

Agree on all points you made, and interesting points you raised about the new Chief, I haven’t seen it yet. 15L is a bit disappointing for their touring version of it, to be honest I thought they were going to put the Challenger liquid cooled engine in it and have midsized power cruiser - very surprised they didn’t. Swing and a miss in my opinion, the Softail lineup has a lot more to offer.

[@GenXBiker]

It took me four months to decide for the Road Glide over the Challenger. You can get much better paint on some Indians (roadmasters) but the fit and finish can be addressed. Ultimately the distance ride was better, much more support for the bike and much more after market. As for the bikes, I loved the Challenger and thought it was better in every measurable way but no trunk made specifically for the Challenger and I decided a first year model bike wasn't wise. My next bike will be an Indian. The are making strides in quality and listening to the future customers. The new Super Chief is a great bike. Loved riding it.

[@chrishood2508]

Great review mate, really solid bike. Suspension, engine, road feel. That said the 'quality' of the fit and finish of the switches, paint and a couple other items just lets it down for me. I'm sure they will get there eventually...

[@TheMotoBarista]

I think they need to realise that performance is great but big twin riders think of that as ‘plus’ or a ‘bonus’ not a driving influence for a purchase. We want beautiful bikes that nod back to history, that feel solid and premium with engines that engage the rider. If it performs on top of that, that’s a home run 🤘

[@andrewmadge]

Indian are making a good bike. Glad its pushing H-D into upping their game, its only good for us consumers. I might ride one these days but my Road King Special feels light, and touring on it is amazing for myself and wife. Good video mate

[@TheMotoBarista]

I’m with you mate, no fairing, more view, more wind - more freedom 🤣🤘

[@mikeessary4925]

5 star review! I haven't ridden one but I have rode the RG and SG .. If I were to go the touring route I would go with the Road King standard. I like the full open view of the road. The others were fantastic rides but the lack of view with the full fairings don't do it for me.

[@TheMotoBarista]

I’m with you mate, I like to see more of the road and feel the wind. The RG and SG are beautiful bikes but can’t see one in my stable 🤘

[@mikeessary4925]

@@TheMotoBarista Yes sir.. The view from the saddle is important to me. I'm not really even into the looks of a R king but the ride and the view from the saddle is much better than the Rg or Sg. I'm 49years old and will stick with softtails

[@Hipporider]

I just wish Triumph would create a bagger based on the Rocket 3. 🇦🇺

[@kylestewart8354]

They did.

[@GraemeBlore]

@@kylestewart8354, not in the new configuration. 40 kgs lighter AND 200 cc's larger. THAT would be a bagger beast!

[@TheMotoBarista]

What do you think of the Indian Challenger? Let me know your comments below and what you wish Harley would make in response! 🤘🦅

[@grh450]

FUNNEST bike I have ever ridden

[@neilkropelnicki1790]

I Owned victory Hammer 2016 it was a nice bike but build quality there's nothing like Harley they jist there built better The fitting finish Harley is unreal I have 2016 ultra All chromed out Stage 5 tire shredder kid 110³s Reinhard racing pipes cfr megaphones TTS tuner I could smoke the tire off the wheel or I can pop a wheelie whichever I prefer it hauls ass HD NEIL AKA THE KRONK

[@valyservice]

I watched this video just to see the Sport Glide in 3rd person view.

[@TheMotoBarista]

Hahaha, it sounds so good when following 🤣🤣🤣

[@saddle8bag]

Not very purdy, but sounds great. Having owned a Vic, I know the Polaris engineers know how to make a big bike handle and glide. On a tech note, engines make power. Gears convert that power to a ratio of torque to rpm. Power is gear independent. Doesn't matter what gear you're in, the engine will make the same power across its rev range in any gear. Torque is gear dependent. In first gear, you get a lot of torque to haul a fat lady up a hill, but very little speed. In sixth gear, the tire will spin very fast, but there is very little torque delivered to the rear wheel. That's why you and the fat lady will stall trying to take off up a hill in sixth gear.

[@danripp8917]

I haven’t owned an Indian but I did think the challengers fit and finished looked better to me in person. The challenger community is definitely starting to mod these things right. A tune takes this bike a long way from my research. The paint doesn’t matter to me bc I like the matte black finish better than the paint swirled Harley’s people ride around. Still having trouble deciding between the road glide and challenger though.

[@TheMotoBarista]

It’s a solid bike and great fun to ride, check out InstaHavinKyle on Instagram for his Challenger build - it’s epic.

[@767slimshady]

You need to get more subscribers...definitely good content to watch. If you don't mind me asking, what is your height and did the Challenger pose a challenge to planting your feet on the ground?

[@TheMotoBarista]

Thanks mate! Taken a short break but hopefully getting back into into again soon. I am 6ft and the bike is very easy to flat foot. The seat height is very low so most people should have no issue touching the ground comfortably.

[@jasperduncan6633]

Bazaar that Indian should call it “The Challenger”

[@FranBunnyFFXII]

The Challenger is a great bike, and its got a pretty good value for it. That being said I just dont find it interesting at all. It performs well but it'll never have a big aftermarket and it'll never do what I want with it. That being said, I have no interest in baggers anyways. I find that if I really wanted a good powerhouse touring bike... The Concours 1400 ABS is a wAAAAY better choice than this bike, because it is just an INSANELY good priced sport touring bike that does pretty much everything the challenger does in purpose but better. You can install a sound system on the bike and make up the difference between the bikes easily within the extra money you'd save buying the Kawasaki. Saddlemen makes an Explorer seat for the Concours as well. I cant legitimately qualify a Challenger when the Concours exists. Way more power, way more value, way more lean angle and capabilities, and the difference in cash can get a nice sound system installed on the Concours and still pocket money. If I wanted a performance bagger, Concours wins my dollar.

[@TheMotoBarista]

I know what you mean. I had a similar conversation the other day. The Challenger doesn’t do it for me in its design so there are other baggers out there that I’d prefer to compare it to. For me, I’d look at the BMW K1600B or the Goldwing.

[@gasman6922]

Can you get forwards in these other bikes. Some don’t find that upright fetal position comfortable, or even possible. Cheers

[@TheMotoBarista]

@@gasman6922 the good ones have feet positions for both rear and forward positions.

[@FranBunnyFFXII]

@@gasman6922 For the Concours? No. But there is a passenger floorboard kit for it which will give you some leg room to move around a bit if you're riding solo.

[@Kash6161]

Pity Indian Perth DONT have any other Challengers in store. Only having a demo won’t sell bikes. Losing sales 😂

[@TheMotoBarista]

Yeh, it would be nice to see some more colours and have customers ride out quickly on one. Give them a few months to work out the kinks. I think they expected to sell mainly scouts and didn’t realise the demand for the big bikes.

[@geneclarke2205]

Nice review and glad you're back on the bikes. We had a good discussion the other day on Polaris and what is their strategy with the Indian brand. I get the impression that Indian and Slingshot are small specialty divisions within Polaris and they're happy to flex their engineering capability and capture a niche marketing segment without becoming a major full line motorcycle manufacturer. Their goal appears to be positioned as the "anti-Harley" and appeal to those who want an emotional connection with an American v-twin with better technology and performance and supported by a historical brand name but without all the baggage that comes with owning a Harley. At this point, Indian realizes it can compete head-to-head with Harley and carve out a block of loyal Indian riders. The other bike you can toss in the mix is the new BMW R18 Classic which appears to be designed for the loyal BMW riders looking for a big cruiser. Again, another anti-Harley that will fill a niche market for those who don't want to go down the "Harley many roads" road. Of course as these bikes bleed into the $25k+(USD) range, the question is if these prices will kill off the baggers as folks switch to ADV bikes and sport tourers. The days of the heavy bagger may be on the wane.

[@TheMotoBarista]

That would make sense, it is pretty clear Indian won’t be growing into major shareholder of the motorcycle market but they seem to have some design freedom to reinvent the American vtwin motorcycle as they don’t have the constraints Harley do. However they can’t just build great performance bikes and expect them to sell to Harley riders - they have to a great design that goes with it. Why doesn’t the new Chief have the Challenger’s liquid cooled engine? That’s a swing and a miss. The BMW R18 is a beauty of a bike, I think they did a great job with that one, but it seems to appeal to current BMW owners only. But you know my love for ADV bikes, and I think your right that this is the market many people will shift to.

[@geneclarke2205]

@@TheMotoBarista From what I can gather the PowerPlus wasn't used in the Chief due to keeping the price point competitive, weight, and the radiator is hard to incorporate into the design. Hopefully they will use this in more than just the Challenger but they seem to be taking a very measured approach. Where Polaris will become a market leader is in industrial, powersports, and motorcycle EV's.

[@motoGPness]

I disagree. At least in America, baggers aren’t going anywhere. When I was younger we all rode sport bikes. It was every kids dream to end up on a liter bike of some sort. Now days I see young riders aspiring to get on a bagger some day. Tons of younger folks riding the big bikes. I didn’t know a single person on a bagger back in the early 2000’s, it was purely an old mans game. Adventure bikes have taken off in the last decade, but I don’t see that coming from folks who would have bought a bagger. Adventure bikes IMO will always have a limited audience until they can figure out how to design bikes that are better managed by folks under 6ft tall. I think we’ll see some cross pollination of tech from the adv bikes though. For example, I think the next thing we’ll see is active suspension on the baggers.

[@geneclarke2205]

@@motoGPness LOL, baggers are going the way of choppers and aging boomer bands. In HD's latest dumb move they announced a special fashion collection in collaboration with Aerosmith a band that hasn't been relevant for over 20 years. Harley's goal is to milk the last bit of cash from the baby boomers and then sell off the brand. They understand that by 2035 the age of the air cooled big v-twins will be over and Aerosmith will be performing in retirement homes in Florida.

[@motoGPness]

@@geneclarke2205 Don’t confuse HD’s dumb marketing attempts and your opinion with the reality on the ground in the largest segment of motorcycles in the U.S., heavy baggers and touring machines have and still do dominate the market here. You’re smoking some real good stuff if you think that will just dry up and everyone will be on ADV bikes. Air cooled engines days are numbered due to EPA compliance for sure, but that has nothing to do with baggers going anywhere. We’ll just see liquid cooled baggers. The baggers that ARE going the way of choppers are the big wheeled stretched bag customs. Those were always cartoonish novelty items. Actual normal rideable baggers ain’t going anywhere.

[@totobill22]

Bel essai et commentaires logique. J'ai un Challenger Dark Horse depuis quelques mois. Très sympa à conduire, une latence de réponse au niveau de l'accélérateur qu'on pourrait sans doute corriger. Les modes de conduites sont très différents les uns des autres : le mode pluie est inutile à mon sens car trop "mou". Je roule principalement en mode Normal et encore très rarement en mode sport car il me faut encore apprendre à bien maitriser la moto. Au niveau de la peinture hélas, je ne suis pas satisfait de la qualité sur le réservoir car au niveau du bas, il semble que ce soit hélas déjà bien usé alors que la moto n'a que 4000 km, je vais voir avec le concessionnaire la semaine prochaine. Ailleurs, c'est de très bonne qualité il faut le reconnaitre. Autre critique, cette fois ci sur le GPS de cette moto qui est à mon sens entièrement à revoir tant il ne sait absolument rien faire ! J'ai mis toutes les cartes à jour et pourtant, dans mon pays (France), il ne me trouve pratiquement rien ! Il m'est arrivé par exemple de me trouver à Quimper, de lui demander de m'emmener à ... Quimper et il me répond qu'il n'y a rien dans cette zone. Il n'y a que lorsque je suis arrivé quelque part et que j'enregistre le lieu qu'il accepte de le faire en appelant ça... local road ! Conclusion : Sur le plan mécanique, confort, agrément de conduite, sureté et beauté du vélo, je ne lui trouve que des qualités ! Mais sur le plan des finitions peinture, c'est largement à améliorer. Quant au ride command, plus précisément du GPS, je ne sais pas à quoi c'est dû, mais c'est une vraie catastrophe. Je ne regrette pas mon achat cependant, mais je pense que pour ce prix là (ils sont beaucoup plus cher en France que partout ailleurs !) ils auraient pu offrir une moto sans ces défauts qui me font hélas lui mettre un 7/10 quand il méritait au départ un 9/10 ... Merci pour la vidéo et bonne route !PS: je ne suis pas fan de Harley, je ne me sens pas vraiment à l'aise là dessus et à haute vitesse, j'ai toujours eu l'impression que toutes les pièces tombaient par terre. Sur le Challenger, même à 150km/h, rien ne bouge ! Pour améliorer les Harley, je ne suis pas bien placé pour dire ce qu'il faudrait faire mais déjà, que ce soit Harley ou Indian, ces motos devraient voir leur prix baisser d'au moins 25% car dans ces tarifs, c'est vraiment exagéré (tout comme Honda ou BMW d'ailleurs)

[@harryhowell5644]

Got to test ride the challenger. I like how smooth and easy to ride it was. Liked the clutch and suspension. I'm fine with the looks of it personally. Dislikes were the stock stereo system and the bike had that throttle lag. Felt like it needed some tuning, I really expected it to be alot faster. But for a stock machine, not bad.needs exhaust , tuner like most bikes

[@DarkHorseParatrooper]

Faster lol. It's faster than any stock cruiser, and behaves like a sport bike. I've ridden a few, and am buying one soon. Also, not sure which model you rode, but the dark horse and limited stock systems are LOUD. They outperform any factory bike system I've ever heard.

[@davidjoel111]

I love the look of baggers like this and the road glide, but I don’t care for speakers. In that note I rented a softail heritage (in paper the perfect bike for me) and hated the handling, had to push it thru the turns, the bike only wants to go straight. Should I just eat the cost of features I don’t care for a performance bagger like this? Do all softail handle the same?

[@TheMotoBarista]

Give the sport glide a go, its tyres and wheel sizes are better for handling in corners than the Heritage. Otherwise you could always try a Road King or Electra Glide if you want a touring frame and no speakers. Indians do handle better though from the factory, so maybe check out their Springfield Darkhorse too?

[@tejz22]

This bike looks better . & it wins races. 🏆

[@guyver77]

That lag is the lack of a proper tune

[@philiprobinson593]

good to see you riding again ands you have recovered.. Interested if that are the other model Indians that go as well as the challenger

[@TheMotoBarista]

I will be sure to get some more Indian videos up soon! The FTR1200 is definitely a highlight of the lineup for me.

[@philiprobinson593]

@@TheMotoBarista if you get a chance to do the Springfield, that would be awesome

[@TheMotoBarista]

@@philiprobinson593 will do, I know the dealer has a Green Darkhorse on the floor 🤘

[@garvin7599]

Hi , you did not talk about the heat factor on a hot day in comparison to HD or other baggers.🍳🥵

[@TheMotoBarista]

Can’t say I noticed it much on this when riding, maybe slightly on my leg from the rear cylinder. But I don’t notice it on my Harley or other Harleys during normal riding to be honest. I have ridden a couple of ADV bikes that really burn your leg up at stop lights.

[@gabriel24br]

Solid review! 👌👏

[@joseVazquez-sk5dt]

That’s true have 110 speed limit?

[@TheMotoBarista]

So I have heard. But can not confirm.

[@jmangus83]

Looks are definitely subjective. Many love the looks of the Indian challenger as is, myself included. I agree that harleys paint quality is slightly better but not by a wide margin. It's not like we are comparing a concourse paint job on a vintage rolls royce to a production level paint job to a Corvette. Could the Corvette be better. Of course. But the paint it has, does the job and satisfies the needs of its customers just fine. If the were looking for a concourse style paint, then they'd pay to have it custom painted. I will say I don't like any of the matte finishes and would never own another. And the only problem I have with the gloss paint is that the clear seems to be a little soft. Now indian did skimp on painting the bags in areas that aren't visible once it's installed, and areas like that, but otherwise the paint work does what it is intended to do.

[@kylestewart8354]

This guy just said it was a tough decision between Feeling the road. Handling the corners, Best vtwin Power, And outstanding brakes. OR. the feel of a handle bar switch. Lmao. Harley has reduced its "Riders" down to believing a handle bar switch or a plastic panel is what motorcycle riding is all about. LMAO. Hey. Just so you know. All my handlebar switches on 50yr old Honda and yamahas etc etc. Are still working 💪. How's that get your juices flowing . Lol.

[@TheMotoBarista]

People buy expensive cars for the fit and finish and quality of the design and build, not for performance. Why shouldn’t bikes be any different? It’s good to have different experiences from different bikes to suit a range of rider needs. Performance is great but not the reason I would buy a touring motorcycle.

[@bjornaltmann8184]

@@TheMotoBarista you said:" Performance is great but not the reason I would buy a touring motorcycle."....I