Indian challenger vs the Harley Davidson Road glide cvo / which is the better bike?

[@sharkdog111]

Uhhh, that doesn't look like a 2023 Indian Challenger Elite. The Elite comes in one color, Sapphire Blue Smoke, all blacked out, and costs $35,999k. To me that looks like an Indian Challenger Limited in Black Metallic at $28,499k. If you going to compare an Elite to a CVO, make sure you have an Elite.

[@emmanuelchase5638]

ur 100% correct smh he botched this one

[@aldenrichie]

Comparing apples to oranges in this one for sure. Compare the elite to the cvo. And then compare a $28k road glide to the challenger limited.

[@MattB13]

Also that CVO is prob tuned and has stage 1/2 exhaust and intake. That challenger was bone stock.

[@chiefjoseph8154]

Pretty sure he’s a Democrat.

[@fillupread]

Funny, when you hit bumps on the 60K HD, it literally made your voice change.

[@HabitualFixation]

For the cost is that even really a question though? HD has made good steps for sure but absolutley the Challenger in my opinion

[@ericperry72]

I never understood why people say that adjustable windshield is a gimmick? They cant possibly ride long distance or they are definitely under 5'10, because Indian and Honda really have shown how that one feature alone is worth it for rider 6' and up.

[@Marvelkid87]

It’s a cool feature

[@stellarida8797]

Yeah I’m stumped why Harley wouldn’t just add the adjustable windshield. Everyone else is doing it.

[@supakamario]

​@stellarida8797 harley does bare minimum because American ppl are "keep up with the jones" minded. yall keep buying inferior bikes for more $ so they don't have 2 innovate. if it ain't broke....... I'm tired of hearing this bike is designed for you to make it your own, bs its to male them rich. victory had a system where u could go in and design ur bike amd it would come how u wanted it. harley will sell u seat, apes..... now ur stuck with thousands of $ of parts in your garage u never wanted. why don't they buy them back for warranty work. a harley males yall feel special so yall buy them. I know ppl spending 700 800 a month for a special.

[@anotherbrickinthewall1700]

Its a gimmick because the windshield is a set it and forget it adjustment. When you find the correct height why would you change of after that?

[@supakamario]

@anotherbrickinthewall1700 because on a 509mile trip I will raise it up for comfort but on shorter trips I'm not riding around with that big CHIPS looking goofy ish

[@darcher5888]

Nice video! I owned the Challenger for two years and it’s a better bike than the HD RG Special. I’m on a BMW K1600B now and it’s light years in front of Indian and HD! It’s the real King of the Baggers!!! Just a bad ass bike!

[@grayghost1423]

Fit and finish. Hard to beat HD. I have a 23 CVO, dark platinum so im biased. I have to give it to Indian on the Challengers engine and its price. Both would be great to put miles on. Polaris has made HD step up the game. Both nice bikes, cant go wrong with them.

[@explaindis1]

It is really not apples for apples but for 50k it better feel premium but for the price of the challenger feels like you get more bang for your dollar 👍

[@ericperry72]

Fyi, thats not an Elite. The model that would compete with a road glide special would be the limited or dark horse limited. The elite compares to the CVO directly.

[@Marvelkid87]

I met to say limited my bad

[@markman7]

I considered both a Pursuit and Road Glide Ultra when I was shopping for a fixed fairing touring bike. I ended up with the smoothest running, most comfortable riding, and least top heavy bike with the best brakes, most lean angle, and most features. I have zero regrets having selected a DCT Tour Wing, and I wouldn't trade it for both these bikes.

[@fordboy4life20081]

Strong work as always brother. The Challenger definitely looks unique with the arch of the tank, but I am really digging that CVO!

[@Marvelkid87]

Thank you sir 🤘🏽

[@joevsfood]

Yes, the Challenger is missing the premium touch, but it is also missing the premium price. I understand these are the two bikes you had on hand to review, but make the price difference clear. $14K is HUGE. THE 108 PP would still smoke that 121.

[@Marvelkid87]

I have my food glide special as well which I’m doing the side by side with. People have just been asking for this video though.

[@peterchown1552]

The 108 is still faster than the 121

[@aarondeere]

As always when you do comparisons you show all the good and bad points and give a fair unbiased opinion. Ive ridden the challenger a few times and cant wait to take a test ride on the cvo.

[@myrongrant8240]

The Indian temp gets 182 to around 212 the engine runs cooler. The heat you feel is because the Indian has a bigger radiator to dissipate the heat which is blown back which limits the air flow going across the engine and exhaust. Oil cooled bike typically run anywhere from 230-350 depending on the heat or traffic. So it runs cooler but because of the radiator restricts air flow through the front of the bike so you feel more heat.

[@sokodad]

My HD don’t run that hot according to my oil temp gauge.

[@chrishunter5041]

Thank god we have a choice and that choice means different things to different owners "if you like it buy it"

[@albertmcfry6322]

I will take the idisn

[@albertmcfry6322]

Indian

[@duffy7029]

You know me bro i love Harley and my Roadglide but if my only two choices was the challenger or the cvo, I’m buying the challenger. I’ll take the 10 grand i saved and put it into the challenger

[@benjaminfishburn6114]

Hope you like it

[@jacksidney3907]

My 2023 CVO’s suspension (rear shocks) was not set up leaving the showroom. After getting it home I adjusted it as per the normal weight I would be carrying. Made a huge difference. Most dealerships leave the settings at zero as the factory shipped it leaving it up to the new driver to properly adjust to his weight requirements. I haven’t ridden an Indian, so even after adjusting the CVO shocks Indian may still have a better suspension feel.

[@Puck4130]

I think its a bit of a misconception that a liquid cooled bike isn't going to feel as hot because its liquid cooled. The cooling is aimed at performance. You aren't going to overheat in stop and go traffic on a hot summer day. The challenger makes all of its power above 3500 RPM. You're likely going to have more top end power coming from a liquid cooled bike. Now some bikes run hotter than others. I know the rear cylinder on the challenger is a lot closer to the left leg. She does get pretty freakin warm. The fan kicks on at 211. On a nice hot day, you feel all of that 211 on your leg...

[@Marvelkid87]

👍🏽

[@Puck4130]

@@Marvelkid87 I've been thinking about this a little. I wonder if maybe the reason for the heat is that there are no cooling fins on the powerplus 108?

[@GEN084]

Talking numbers.. I just saw a challenger stage 1 with Lloyd’s tune beat a Harley 131 kit 🤷🏽‍♂️ so that 121 💩

[@GearHead-Moto]

Ok here I go…….. Yes, I don’t believe I’ve seen this comparison yet so good job there. Yes the comparison is apples to oranges and the Indian should be compared to a lesser Harley model so I agree there. Good talking in the garage and mix of riding content. Overall good video.

[@Marvelkid87]

Thanks man 👍🏽 I appreciate your honesty

[@GearHead-Moto]

@@Marvelkid87 Appreciate you taking my feedback. Noticed it at the beginning of the video.

[@His_Scout_Sixty]

As you can see in my videos I have an Indian. Indian Scout line up is one of the best thing Indian has done, but that’s it. I’ve done a lot of demo rides on HD and Indians and HD just takes that extra time to make their bikes better. If I ever get another bike it will definitely be a HD. I started with the Iron 883.

[@sokodad]

From what I gather the cheaper Indian did pretty good against an extremely higher priced bike. I ride a road glide and love my road glides but thinking of getting a Challenger. I’ll keep my Road Glide though.

[@BrewTownBiker]

Only thing I didn’t like on my 20 challenger was the throttle response like you said, otherwise a very good bike, and I owned everything from 883’s to CVO’s, now a 22 RG Spec

[@victorviveros3745]

Thank you for the review. I may have to say thank very much to Indian ( polaris) cause the made hd to improve or do something different for example the fairing ( integrated turn signals). At the end we customers deserve the best for tbe $

[@ThePot63]

Great comparison bro,u were spot on with everything u said.!!! The CVO runs very cool even sitting in traffic and long rides!

[@Marvelkid87]

Thanks bro trying to be as fair as possible

[@joesainato8051]

Good job and I think by doing it you are going to get a lot of people complaining either way. The CVO is in a class by itself. Look forward to seeing the comparison of the special. I just can’t get into the cheaper materials on the challenger and like you said looks are subjective. There’s no doubt Polaris has put money into other areas, just the suspension alone to name one.

[@tjf2258]

Both great bikes…which is better? Ride them! They have very different and distinctive rides which makes for an easy choice. I did and personally like the ride of the HD better…Indian is a great bike so it comes down to rider feel. They really feel and handle differently but for me the CVO felt much more a single chunk of bike

[@drewloney]

2024 Challenger Elite comparison with 2024 CVO, that is more realistic for standard features, and Indian still cheaper

[@johnnydangerously7186]

Good comparison although I would disagree on several points. I would bet money that the Challenger will outrun the new 121. Get one of your buddies and do some side by side pulls on the road. Now that will be some interesting content. Keep killing it "KID"

[@ThePot63]

Tried it,it doesn’t beat it

[@peterchown1552]

I don’t believe that the 121 would quicker than the 108.

[@joseclaudio385]

I have a challenger , I raced the new road glide 3 times. Though the races were close , my challenger won all 3 . The other rider seemed shocked after he told me how fast his bike is . I stated the challenger was much faster and if he really wanted to find out I’d race him without my 110 lb girlfriend on the back 😂

[@ragingninja4292]

The Challenger gearing is much shorter than harleys. I think that is what it comes down to.

[@supakamario]

challenger is liquid cooled if order to push the engine harder and create more power, not to keep your leg cooler. u would blow engine trying to get those #'s out of air cooled 108. it's cooled for tour fun not ur leg

[@ChrisGlides]

Excellent Review Man. Thank you. Great comparison. I love HD but after riding I felt under impressed with the CVO with only 115 HP and the weight. The 117 RG ST has 106 HP with 126 torque. So not much difference with the 121ci. Adding a 135ci to it would help for sure but. Hopefully the new RG and Street Glide Specials have the new display and fairing. If so that would provide consumers with more color options and ways to do personal modifications to make the new design look even better than the new CVO design models. The Indian certainly now has the next move that they can make in this chess game. Indian prices are certainly creeping up slowly now that consumers are showing interest. Yes the bike does feel premium but only comparing to the older HD models. I feel that finally HD is listening to what we want and giving us something new to customize. Still not all the way there yet but enough to work with as usual. Lastly, the Indian Challenger Elite may have been a better comparison. I think has so same cosmetic flaws here or there but different power and features. Certainly not an HD but I think if a blind ride test could be done by covering the bikes up so that riders didn’t know what they were on. I believe most of us who are pro HD would select the other choices as better.

[@wnt2gofst]

Having owned both bikes, 23 Dark horse, 23.5 CVO. The CVO is better bike IMO. Both are great bikes. But there isn't that much difference in price. my 23 Dark horse out the door was 38k my CVO out the door was 42k. Both with tax and GAP.

[@grayghost1423]

Did you do the 4 adjustments on the CVOs suspension? Nice details.

[@darthdad7138]

I rode last years CVO with the 117 & the Indian Pursuit (full dresser touring bike) with the 108 liquid cooled engine & must say I was impressed with the Indian. This is coming from a long time H-D guy. I’ve owned 7 H-D’s over the years. I haven’t ridden the new CVO, but it’s price tag compared to what you get with the Indian isn’t worth it to me. I’m riding a Pan America now & love it as I’m into ADV bikes, but when I’m ready for another touring bike will it be a H-D or Indian 🤷‍♂️

[@Marvelkid87]

Both are great bikes. I bet your saving a great time on that pan am if your taking it off road

[@markmcintosh7095]

It's hard to beat a mono shock set up. One of my local Harley dealers wished Harley would have come out with a mono shock .

[@juanfabregas3282]

@Marvelkid87 hit me up I'll school you on the Challenger. There's a reason for all your cons of the Challenger. Also your comparing 2 bikes that are 3 years apart. Don't get me wrong the CVO is a beast but it's almost 2 times more expensive.

[@Luckky-13]

This guy is a harley fan boy!

[@bobbyvegas666]

I love your channel but? Your comparing a top of the line Indian! To a CVO , with an absolutely huge price difference between to the 2. I'm a HD guy THROUGH AND THROUGH! But I gotta say the the Indian is really something else bringing it to the Party! Just sayin 😊

[@myronmosley2167]

That particular bike is not the top of the line Indian. That’s a challenger limited. The top of the line challenger would be the challenger elite. The true equivalent to this particular challenger in this video would be the road glide special. Not a true 1 to 1 comparison. With that being said, the fact that a lower class bike can even be compared to a CVO says a lot about what Indian is doing with the challenger.

[@cusedigiamo2603]

Bro this sounded like you are bias as hell …against the Challenger

[@fourftr]

Normally I can’t stand all the comparisons to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. I will say you did a great video and really enjoyed it Thumbs Up 🍺🇺🇸👍

[@stellarida8797]

Solid, honest comparison. That CVO is beautiful. And as a Indian owner to hear that the challenger runs hot is disappointing. My chieftain gets hot and I would expect a liquid cooled engine to that have that kind of heat.

[@myrongrant8240]

You think the bike is designed to run cool to make you feel cool no it designed so the engine run cooler and a cooler running engine makes more power challenger run at 182 unless in stop and go traffic then it’s around 212 where as non liquid cool or head cooled bikes can run around 230-300 degrees in stop in go traffic. So again it to keep the engine cool not you.

[@stellarida8797]

No I don’t think the bike is designed to make me cool but I also don’t think it’s designed to burn my damn leg off or get so hot to a point where I have to stop riding it. Clearly there are bikes that don’t do this so the ideal of advising riders to just deal with it and not find a solution is dumb. That’s why there are some solutions that both keep the bike and engine from breaking down and improving the experience for the rider.

[@Grizz382lane]

Challenger for the Win 💨🏁 😂 it might be because I have 1 lol

[@Jonathan_Knight]

I wouldn't say the CVO is more expensive because of the parts...the fact that it's a Harley-Davidson and has the CVO badge is why I would say it's more expensive...just me though I guess....

[@chiefjoseph8154]

At the risk of hurting someone’s feelings: The Challenger is in a class by itself. When HD makes a liquid cooled cruiser, let me know, until then this is a moot point. Compare the air cooled Indians if you like. The Challenger is light years ahead of HD. 👌

[@wnt2gofst]

Aftermarket was biggest reason I got rid of my Challenger.

[@PBAKER1901]

Bad Comparison one bike is 3yrs old and Harley-Davidson had 3yrs to work on this bike. Compared to BMW 1600 GT I like all bikes.

[@dwight072]

CVO #1 🤘🏻

[@joseclaudio385]

My challenger does not have a lag in sport mode . You’re in standard mode . Huge difference

[@willydiesel2081]

Mine does a little

[@marcusturner5291]

Nice video keep up the good work MarvelKid 87

[@Marvelkid87]

Thanks

[@ZoePaschalis]

Finally HD woke up. Now build a HD with a automatic transmission and you will be great again. Ride safe

[@myrongrant8240]

Do you guys understand the engine does run cooler 182 degrees it’s not saying you will feel cooler and I’m sure the Harley feels cooler because you have air flowing and not coming in through a radiator. But the Harley runs hotter at around 230 degrees.

[@viperq]

Pricing aside, you can't go wrong with ether bike.

[@ivansilva4559]

Both cool, but I prefer the CVO

[@curtisg5117]

First sure you know that is not an elite..lol Good points made though! However, for Indian Challenger Elite Starting at $35,999 US MSRP Then its the same as Harley dealers I went before I bought a cvo.. They charge 2000-2500 on top of price just like Harley does so add at least 2000 = 38,000 Worse part was that the gauges felt cheap like he said Velcro or something holding the top part on wait a yr or to and watch the shake I bet. Then I can almost get no custom parts for the bike I looked. A lloyds tune was close to all you can get... or pay for an Indian cam and labor 3500 for 2 hp You can get lloyds jugs I only see one youtuber with them though. Want a saddle man seat or mustang for the Indian some Paul Yaffe handlebars nope no soup for you!!! Just saying I paid 45,000 + tax etc. American cycle put an air cleaner exhaust the crappy screaming eagle tuner base map only. it's so new dyno jet has nothing yet. He was limited in 6th gear because of 112 mph limiter rpm 4000 rpm he hit 135.84 torque at the wheel on dyno. I looked at my 122 dyno and this if keep equal to 6500 rpm will hit the 144 torque I do with my old bike. No motor work needed, so I paid up front with 3-year warranty unlimited milage. Hope Indian revamps the fairing for 2024 and partners with other companies for aftermarket parts!

[@MatlockMoto]

That’s definitely not a Challenger Elite. It looks like a base. At most it’s a limited but pretty sure it’s a base.

[@brianirons3958]

Challenger might have the better suspension? the Challenger by far still has the better suspension, overall its a better ride than the CVO and I love Harley but I'm no idiot. Polaris/Indian builds the hell out of riding bikes. The thing about Polaris/Indian. They did this is such a short amount of time...super impressive

[@grayghost1423]

There are 4 suspension settings on the CVO. Its the best suspension to be on the glides yet, all new both front and rear.

[@dontehopkins9862]

Numbers do lie that 121 in the Harley cannot keep up with the 108 in the Challenger. Forgot what it says on paper in the real world it’s night and day.

[@Bikerbug2020]

$42,999 is not a realistic price to be able to get one of those CVO’s… my local dealers are asking $54,999 +++

[@BryanGraves-jv7wq]

Harley CVO , with no doubt

[@Audi59]

Indian all the way .. better price , More standard options out the bag .. no brainer

[@drodNY]

Wrong Indian model to compare with the CVO. But love your channel.

[@cbard424]

Dude invest in a mini microphone that you wear. Would give you wayyy better sound quality! Your voice almost sounds like it echoes!

[@Marvelkid87]

My audio is always good. this day there was just a lot going at the dearlership and it wasn’t the best location to film

[@thomasreyes2857]

Indian 116 thunderstroke, you get a lot more for your money overall better motorcycle and it'll smoke that CVO without even having to put it in sport mode.🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@ThePot63]

Ive done a head to head on both,it does not smoke this new CVO

[@Marvelkid87]

Thunderstroke is a great engine

[@ThePot63]

@@Marvelkid87 it is a great engine,but he said its smoking it and i dont think so

[@joevsfood]

@ThePot63 i would sure love to see a new 116 against the 121, though. Even if the HD wins, it won't be by much

[@ThePot63]

@@joevsfood a win is a win bro😂

[@bobbywilliamson6139]

The problem is there is no Indian company my friend,Indian is a carbon copy of Harley…Really 😮

[@joevsfood]

What a dumbass comment

[@klchristian1522]

The new CVO Road Glide is a copy of the Challenger

[@trevorschaffner7234]

So when will there be a head to head drag race? 🧐

[@frankhernandez4642]

Awesome video..keep up the good work 🫡

[@J.R_Guitar]

I can't afford Road Glide Special 2023, but I can afford Indian Challenger Dark Horse 2023, if you know what I mean 😉

[@J.R_Guitar]

It's not fair to compare CVO with Standard Challenger...

[@airtexaco]

I understand looks are subjective. The RG has never been a good looking bike and after the refresh Still looks bad to me. He mentions inverted forks, maybe the CVO has it, but every Challenger has it and always has. The Challenger with its 108 is fsr above anything that 100 year old HD engine tech has to offer. It is so much better right out of the box-even on the base model! Add tge Lloydz tune and you can spend all you want on that CVO, youll never touch the performance. Indian is just a better bike. Period. And youll save a ton of cash. Dont take my word for it, ride one and see for yourself. I havent even gotten to the ride portion and am looking forward to hearing...

[@michaelschmitzerle2587]

Harley can thank Indian for forcing them to build a better motorcycle. Not better engineered than Indian, just a better Harley!

[@Cletus57]

Indians dash looks like the character on star trek next generation ,with the big ears 😂

[@reefish5704]

You cant compare a base Indian Challenger with an HD RoadGlide CVO, cmon man. Next time use a regular HD RoadGlide against the Challenger and you will see a big difference, Challenger wins!!

[@jeepdad1954]

Thats not a Challenger Elite. It's a Limited model. There is a difference

[@phillippugh2161]

Remind me again why were comparing a 50k bike to a 28k bike 😮😮

[@quickjan]

Totally unbiased 😂😂😂. It is not an Elite version to start with.

[@jamess3532]

The Challenger might be the better performing bike, but it's ugly as sin, the lines don't flow and it will never out sell or hold its value as well as the H-D.

[@michaelmarimpietri423]

You need more knowledge on challenger . That is a limited . That’s like calling the Cvo a limited. The cvo is compared to challenger elite

[@Marvelkid87]

Yea I pointed that out in the comments thanks 👍🏽I know enough about the horn pal

[@Neveralone412]

CVO sounds like a lawn mower with a hole in the rusted muffler. Challenger all day long

[@nunyabiz42]

You say they made the Challenger to compete with the Road Glide but you won’t say they made the new CVO to compete with the Challenger even though most of the new CVO features are same as Challenger already had. Cmon man😅

[@Marvelkid87]

I actually did in another video…. Comn man

[@nunyabiz42]

@@Marvelkid87 I’ll check it. Great commentary. You have good flow that makes vids easy to watch. Keep it goin👍🏾

[@revinit]

Why bother doing a comparison when you're obviously a fanboy? First of all that Challenger is a Limited, not an Elite. Big difference. Secondly, the Challengers suspension is so much smoother that you can see it just by watching your video. Every time you hit a bump on the Harley the camera is jumping like crazy! As for the throttle lag, did you have it in sport mode? I'll agree that HD has better fit and finish around the dash but you're paying $15k more for it plus another $5k+ to upgrade the suspension which still won't be as smooth as the Challengers stock Fox mono shock. I will gladly accept a few cheap plastic trim pieces for a smoother ride and better cornering. And with all the money I save I'll get a proper ecu tune and have the cheap plastic dipped in 14k gold

[@Marvelkid87]

👍🏽

[@BlownC52000]

Bro know your bikes before you review them... That's not an Elite..

[@jeremiahwilson1990]

Let not talk about horse power 😂

[@peterchown1552]

Yeah we don’t want to talk about the elephant in the room.

[@ramelwyke4915]

What was the point of this ? You compared a complete redesign to a 2020 design.

[@Marvelkid87]

What was the point of you watching the video …..

[@alanhouse4644]

the Indian looks like a Challenger Limited. Not an Elite

[@rauloliva8819]

Cvo for 42k where lol… that cvo is not 42k more like 70k

[@earlkozak6538]

That challenger is not an elite. Your basic premise is flawed from the start. You need to consider getting a little more well versed on the indian line. At least be factually correct. Good video.

[@amjrpain919]

The Challenger is a rebadged Victory...

[@BoneyardCali]

Bad review!!!!!! You need to get an Indian pursuit against a CVO!!!!!!

[@dpinedoblog]

That CVO cockpit looks hideous and massive. Just my opinion. Ugly!

[@hectorsantiago321]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@Marvelkid87]

👊🏽

[@MartySmith-i5s]

Thats not an elite.

[@emmanuelchase5638]

I can't even tell u how much this video annoys me. U straight up botched it from the start by misrepresenting the Indian Challenger Limited as an Elite which would b Indians answer to the CVO. U out here pumpin bad dope talking bout u ain't biased smh. If u were gonna compare the brands super premium models u shoulda done it correctly! Stop handing out bad info this comparison makes no sense. Step ya game up homey!

[@Marvelkid87]

You obviously didn’t listen 👂🏽 you should make your own video then if u can do better 😀

[@BadTrainDriver1]

No one in their right mind would pick the Indian over the Harley. Perhaps if you weren't comparing the Indian against the CVO, the Indian might stand a chance...but not against the CVO. It's on a whole other level.

[@peterchown1552]

So a bike that costs 14,000 more but doesn’t handle as good, is slower with inferior suspension, yes it’s on a different level alright!

[@stoodz]

I think you mean no one in their right mind would choose the Harley..

[@BadTrainDriver1]

@@stoodz That's not what I mean. Only a completely ignorant person would choose any Indian model over a CVO Street or Road Glide.