Back in 14 when I purchased my Road Glide I really thought about Indian. The Harley dealer actually had an Indian dealership as well next door. Price was similar but there where always a few things that caused me to hesitate.

The main things where at Sturgis I rode a brand new Roadmaster. I loved the engine, the sound and the power compared to my 99 Ultra at the time. What I didn't love was the powered windshield was to low, and the fairing squeaked and rattle loudly during the test ride. I pointed this out when I got back about the noise and I was told it was a brand new bike and there was no way it made that noise. After pushing the issue the tech rode it and came back and tagged the bike due to an issue with the fairing. Then we get to the biggest issue I see with Indian. Is that everything feels like an afterthought. Maybe they have gotten better in the last few years but the audio was just an additional widget bolted to the handlebars. It seemed like if there was an optional feature it included just an extra widget stuck to the bike.

At the price they are asking for these they need to have a similar fit and finish to HD. I think Harley still has a great fit and finish, and some of the best aftermarket support around.

 

...+1

 

Have you ridden the m8 yet? Not much different than a metric either. The Indians are nice bikes but the fit/finish, aftermarket support, and dealer support are horrible. Harley is a much better bike. The m8 and metric feel is here to stay and will be the future of riding so I jumped aboard and bought an 18 road glide special and love it but sometimes I miss the character of the twin cam and especially the sound.

 

The Indians and Victorys all look to me as though they were designed in Toon Town. The Harleys just look like motorcycles. Have never tried either of the competitors.