If Toyota bought the name "Studebaker" and came out with a new line of cars named Studebaker does that mean the new cars carry the heritage from Studebaker?

Same darn thing.

PS I like Indian motorcycles. I just think the heritage claim is very disingenuous.

 

That's the main point. If you like the bikes then that's all that matters. But it's just a brand name a company bought. There is no heritage there.

 

Ok, I don't know details of those examples, but I don't think wrote that Polaris purchased ALL of the patents and IP but that's not my point. My point is that Polaris purchased Indian, they own at least the vast majority of the IP and therefore, the history...all of it...and therefore it's genuine. I, for one, am grateful. We should all be grateful for the competition that drives both brands to deliver better product for us.

Some may not like Polaris for whatever reason and I can respect that. Some hate the way they look. I respect that too. But those different issues than whether or not the Polaris indians are "real" Indians. Polaris bought the DNA (the IP) whether some believe it or not. If you've not ridden one, can stomach they look and any adverse feeling toward Polaris, then you might want to set your prejudice aside and take one for a spin.

 

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I disagree. Here's an example. if entity 1 purchases entity 2, then entity 2 comes with all of it's baggage (aka heritage...IP, payables, receivables, warranty claims, everything)

If Harley were sold to Honda and Honda established a Harley division located in WI, would those new Harleys be real? Not liking the adopting "father" doesn't mean you can erase the adopted "child's" DNA.

 

I agree that it's great to have competition. Polaris took the design ques of the old Indians, from the engine heads to the push rod engine design. But that's a far cry from saying they have heritage. They slapped on the logo to a bike that had design ques from the past. Let's just call a spade a spade. I don't hate on Indian .... Its just not my thing. I like all bikes because I love to ride, but I wouldn't buy every bike.

 

Ditto.... I'm not at all likely to own another Indian once this one falls out of favor with my wife

 

I had a King's Mountain Indian and I bought it because it was different but it didn't take long before the looks wore out on me and I started not to like the lines.

 

How does one "purchase" a history or heritage and then call it their own?

The Polaris Indians are exactly that "Polaris Indians", one of many incarnations of the Indian brand. The list is long and varied.

I don't mind the look of the Indians and actually like the Springfield and new Limited. And I have test rode them at bike rallys and they were OK. However, I don't like or trust Polaris as a company because they have a history of crappy customer service and a history of dumping a product when they don't make the profit they want or the market gets soft. And I'm not just talking about Victory. Sales growth of the Polaris Indian is on the slide as shown by the 1st quarter 2017 report. Polaris motorcycle division sales (Slingshot/Indian) was down 35%. Yes, Indian sales were up 11% BUT, for the same quarter in 2016 Indian sales were up 50%...that's a 39% decrease in sales growth in one year for that quarter. If that keeps up goodbye Indian...again.

My favorite version of the Indians as far as looks is the Kings Mountain version with the PP105 bottlecap engine. It had it's problems but the fit and finish and that engine was beautiful.

 

Frame anyway you want. The Indian name they are passing off now has nothing to link it to the Company long gone.

 

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Payables, receivables, warranty claims from a company that went bankrupt in 1953? Really don't see what you are trying to convey here.

If Honda bought Harley, of course the Harleys would be real. If Honda bought Harley in 2077, fifty-five years after they ceased to exist they won't be real.

It's really not that complicated.

Still like Indians though. Nice looking bikes. I'll stick with my Harley though. Always wanted one when I was a kid. Didn't have Indians back in the 60's, 70's, 80's or 90's.