Wikimedia Commons

The 10 Greatest Motorcycles Indian Ever Built

Indian Motorcycle is the first, and arguably the best, motorcycle manufacturer to come out of America. Known for its highly innovative, well-engineered, state-of-the-art bikes, Indian is a worthy adversary to any of its competitors, from Harley-Davidson to Triumph to BMW.

To see 10 of the best motorcycles that Indian ever built, just check out the video below.

Read More: JASON MOMOA TOURING THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON FACTORY IS LIKE A KID IN A CANDY STORE

It's pretty incredible to see how Indian — now owned by Polaris Industries — has evolved over the years. The 1901 Indian is little more than a bicycle with an engine, while the Powerplus was the first Indian motorcycle to feature the legendary flathead engines that Indian became infamous for.

In 1920, Indian released the Scout, which is arguably the best Indian ever built. Burt Munro of Invercargill, New Zealand, set numerous land speed records on his modified Indian Scout motorcycle. In 1967, Munro set the record for the sub-1000cc class, at 190.07 MPH on his 950cc bike. This is the fastest speed ever recorded on an Indian motorcycle to date.

In 1922, Indian released the Chief, which was more of a cruiser than the sportier Scout, while the company released the Ace in 1927 — Indian's first bike to feature a four-cylinder engine.

In 1928, Indian released the 101 Scout, which was an updated, faster version of the Scout from 1920. In 1934, the Sport Scout was born, marking the ultimate incarnation of the Scout name. The ultimate version of the Chief, the Bonneville, was released in 1947.

If you fast forward to today, Indian produces some of the best motorcycles on the road. The manufacturer's cheapest option, the Scout Sixty, starts at just $8,999, making it a direct competitor to Harley-Davidson's budget offerings.

Indian Motorcycle is an American icon. They have built and continue to create some of the very best bikes in existence. Now, if only folks were buying bikes as much as they used to.

This post was originally published on September 30, 2019.

Read More: THIS HUBLESS HARLEY IS AN ABSOLUTE BEAUTY OF A CUSTOM BIKE