Indian Motorcycles proudly proclaims itself as ‘America’s first motorcycle company,’ but this sounds eerily similar to Skoda’s history, riddled with gaps. A period of 57 years, during which the original brand was virtually forgotten, saw motorcycle design and engine development run wild. It wasn’t until Polaris’s acquisition that structure was finally brought to the table. Two years after the 2011 takeover, they launched a brand-new engine with an impressive 111 cubic inches, a traditional American V-twin with substantial torque from its long-stroke, narrow-angle design. Six years later, Indian decided to boost performance the traditional way: increase displacement. Thus, the Thunderstroke 116 was born, and it remains Indian’s largest production engine to this day, powering some of the most iconic Indian models. However, these descriptions seem to imply that Indian’s success is more a result of acquisitions and investments rather than internal R&D capabilities.
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