While both motorcycle makers would dominate the first half of the 20th century, Indian would eventually halt all production in 1953. The company would end up being bought by several entities in the next 50 years, with Polaris Industries eventually taking over in 2011. Under Polaris, Indian is seemingly making strides to reclaim its glory days, with motorcycles such as the Indian Scout, Challenger, and Chief taking center stage in the company’s modern lineup. However, its growth appears slow compared to Harley-Davidson, which sold 162,771 motorcycles in 2023 (151,229 in 2024). Meanwhile, Indian sold about 30,000 motorcycles in 2023.
You might argue that Indian’s time out of the game has severely impacted how its products are seen today, and you would be right. In the 50-plus years it was in hibernation, Harley-Davidson produced several legendary bikes, like the comfortable yet surprisingly robust Softail, which has more than revolutionized the experience of taking long rides. Today, the manufacturer offers a wide variety of motorcycles, categorized into distinct families, including Cruiser, Grand American Touring, Sport, Electric, Adventure Touring, and Trike. Indian’s categories include Standard, Cruiser, Bagger, Elite, and Touring motorcycles.
Regarding pricing, Harley-Davidson’s most affordable motorcycle is the Nightster Sportster, starting at $9,999 (plus $730 destination), while some of its priciest models are the CVO versions of the Road Glide and Street Glide, with an MSRP of $45,999 (plus $875 destination). On the other hand, Indian’s cheapest bike is the 2025 Indian Scout Sixty Bobber, which starts at $9,999 (before destination charge). At the same time, its most expensive entry is the Pursuit Elite, priced at $44,999 (before destination charge). As you can see, both manufacturers have nearly identical selling prices.