Indian Motorcycle ADV slated to join range in 2021?

Having only just come around to the prospect of Harley-Davidson heading off-road with its new adventure-spec PanAmerica, it appears cruiser bruiser rivals Indian are destined to be going the same way with a new ‘mystery’ model slated for a 2021 launch.

A name that stretches well back into the vestiges of two-wheel history, Indian Motorcycle is enjoying a significant turn of fortunes under Polaris ownership in its native United States, bucking the trend of Harley-Davidson’s dwindling sales figures by seemingly poaching a number of its customers with its own range of cruisers and bobbers.

Now Indian looks set to follow it all the way off road with its own adventure model based around a 1203cc V-Twin engine to come in 2021.

This surmising comes courtesy of ADV Pulse, which has seen a document that reveals the term ‘adventure’ under the ‘2021 MY’ list. While this is relatively scant evidence, even without this it’s logical to assume Indian will one day move into the ADV class… not least because it’s a popular and profitable pursuit for European and Japanese rivals that currently dominate the sales charts.

More than that though, ADV Pulse points out that Polaris is one of the world’s largest suppliers of snowmobile and ATVs, meaning it is more than qualified to consider taking its motorcycles off-road, even if it would represent another departure for a brand better known cruising along smooth highways.

Indian Motorcycle ADV signals shift in ethos for American brand

Indeed, though Indian Motorcycle has enjoyed a positive revival under the stewardship of Polaris, the dwindling demand for its ‘bread and butter’ models means it needs to speed up its exploration of new markets.

It’s a similar affliction hampering Harley-Davidson’s fortunes at the moment and the reason why it is pumping significant money and resource into a variety of alternative projects that are intentionally not in-keeping with brand image, such as the LiveWire, PanAmerica and Bronx.

It’s therefore no surprise that Indian isn’t being left to rest on its laurels while its biggest rival dips its toe into new waters. The flat track-inspired Indian FTR1200 is a great example of this, the well-received streetbike spurring Indian into new markets and winning over new audiences.

A new Indian ADV will almost certainly broaden that scope further and increase the firm’s international ambitions.