Indian Motorcycle announced that the sale of a majority stake in the company officially closed today, marking just the latest twist in a 125-year-old story that has seen the highest highs and some low lows.
Last fall, parent company Polaris announced it was selling a majority stake in Indian to Carolwood LP, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm. Polaris has also sold other lines of business in recent years, such as its Transamerican Auto Parts division, to focus on its core businesses in four-wheel off-road vehicles, boats, and snowmobiles. Indian accounted for just 7.0% of Polaris’ revenues over the 12-month period ending June 30, 2025, according to the company. Having shut down the Victory brand of motorcycles in 2017, Polaris now ends its nearly 20-year involvement in motorcycles (though it continues to produce the Slingshot three-wheeler, which is legally a motorcycle in some jurisdictions).
Indian now begins a new and uncertain era with industry veteran Mike Kennedy as CEO. He is a former CEO at both RumbleOn, the nation’s largest powersports dealership group, and Vance & Hines, the aftermarket parts and accessories manufacturer, as well as a long-time employee at Harley-Davidson.
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“Kennedy and Carolwood are committed to a long-term strategy centered on delivering an even better ownership experience for riders and stronger, more focused support for the dealer network,” said a company statement. Kennedy added, “We will achieve our vision through a deeper level of differentiation, leaning in on what makes our brand unique, and with products that possess a style, craftsmanship, and performance quality that is uniquely justified by our historic legacy and spirit of innovation.”
With the country marking its 250th year and Indian marking the 125th anniversary of its founding, it’s sobering to note that Indian has been around for half of U.S. history. And it has been a turbulent history for Indian. As noted in the Motorcycle Trivia Challenge episode of the Highside/Lowside podcast three years ago, Polaris’ ownership of the Indian brand was the 18th time the trademark had changed hands since it was first registered by George Hendee in the late 1800s for the bicycles he was building. So the sale of a majority stake to Carolwood is the 19th time that ownership of the Indian name has changed hands.
Clearly, the Polaris years were the most stable period for the brand since the original company, based in Springfield, Massachusetts, went out of business in the 1950s. In the early 20th century, Indian was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world for a time, but after the original company stopped production, the name changed hands numerous times and the brand was slapped on products that had nothing to do with the original products, such as cheap, imported scooters. For a while, before Polaris acquired the brand, Indian’s ownership built Chief and Scout models in California, using aftermarket frames and engines based on Harley-Davidson designs.
About 900 employees are part of the shift in ownership and production will continue to take place in plants in Spirt Lake, Iowa, and Monticello, Minnesota. The sale also includes design centers in Burgdorf, Switzerland, and Wyoming, Minnesota. Another plant in Osceola, Wisconsin, which manufactured engines for Indians and for Polaris snowmobiles, was closed by Polaris as the company said it would no longer be necessary after the Indian spin-off.
“America’s first motorcycle company will put America first,” said Kennedy. “Our brand and business will be grounded in our American identity and more importantly, American manufacturing. ‘Built in America’ is not a slogan. It’s a competitive advantage, and we intend to use it.”
Honda adds 2026 CB750 Hornet to growing E-Clutch lineup
Honda’s CB750 Hornet was a big hit in 2025. Well, it was with the Common Tread team, anyway.
First, Lance praised the middleweight model in his first ride review. Zack only reinforced the Hornet’s high standing by placing it atop the 2025 Daily Rider Leaderboard. Even with all that acclaim, Big Red felt there was still room for improvement. At least that’s what the addition of its E-Clutch system suggests.
The CB750 Hornet returns largely unchanged in 2026. That goes for its 755 cc parallel twin, Showa suspension, and Nissin brakes. The lone mechanical change comes in the form of Honda’s semi-automatic technology.
For the uninitiated, the system automates clutch functions at idle, to/away from stops, and during gear shifts. It isn’t a fully automatic system, however. The rider is still responsible for operating the foot shifter when changing gears. Riders can also disable the mechanism if they prefer manual clutch actuation instead.
If that flexibility doesn’t convince the naysayers, maybe the model’s price tag will. That’s because the 2026 CB750 Hornet E-Clutch still starts at $7,999. Basically, Honda is giving away the E-Clutch system for free. Still, there’s no telling whether the new addition will increase the CB750’s value to customers in 2026. After all, the Hornet was already a big hit in 2025.
BMW was actively trying to move beyond the flat-twin boxer engines, affectionately known as airheads, that had defined the brand for decades. Instead, the company was betting on the long-awaited K platform, with three- and four-cylinder liquid-cooled engines. Airhead production carried on, but the company was clearly investing in the future, building and refining the K platform as a new foundation to compete with the Japanese sport bikes while meeting the newly proposed European emissions standards. The K model that most pushed the boundaries was the K1.
With fewer than 7,000 ever built and just over 600 imported to the United States, seeing a K1 on the road is rare for most enthusiasts. The bike debuted with its distinctive, iconic, and divisive full-coverage fairing. The K1 didn’t arrive quietly; it made a spectacle of its entrance with daring color schemes such as the Brilliant Red and Yellow or Lapis Blue and Yellow. These were not the only color schemes, but the two that would be seen and sought after the most.
Beneath the bodywork lies a 580-pound sport-touring bike. The liquid-cooled 987 cc engine provided the rider with a five-speed transmission, 74 foot-pounds of torque, and a top speed of 143 mph. With a claimed 100 horsepower at the rider’s disposal, it felt like an improvement from the 75 to 90 horsepower on the earlier K bikes. However, it was lacking compared to the Japanese competition that was pushing bikes into the U.S. market with over 100 horsepower. The analog dash and the fairing-mounted switches may look dated today to some, but they are perfectly charming and period-correct.
The K1 lacked the outright speed to best the Japanese competition in spec-sheet wars. But its sophistication and greater comfort made it a gentleman’s sport bike, not the street racer some expected it to be.
While some vehicles don’t stand the test of time, the K1 ended up being influential beyond its small numbers.
Getting a chance to ride the BMW K1
It was that mix of myth and history that set the stage for my own encounter. After seeing and drooling over the iconic Brilliant Red bikes for years, I finally had a chance to spend the day on a 1990 model that had just over 100,000 well loved miles on it. My trip took me through the city streets of Albany and Troy, New York, to the scenic byways of the Catskill Mountains to meet up with an amazing group of riders who braved a 40-degree overcast fall day to attend the last MotoSocial event in the Hudson Valley for the season.
I spent much of the year riding old BMW airheads, so any chance I get to taste the glassy smoothness of a 1990s K bike is always welcomed. Fully faired machines of this vintage ask you to learn them, how your legs slip past the fairing and how your body tucks in and becomes part of the shape. After a few moments of quiet familiarization, my six-foot frame folded effortlessly behind the fairing and knew I was in for a treat.
After fully acquainting myself with the bike on rural farm roads, I hopped on the highway for a quick 20-minute ride along the Hudson River to meet with a group of friends who would lead the way through the foothills and into the elevation. The power delivery on the K1 was smooth and plentiful. Even though it did not have the same torque as my flat twins, the machine knew what to do and when to do it anytime I asked. Acceleration in and out of the twisties kept a smile firmly planted behind a slightly foggy face screen as we made our way through the lower elevations of the Catskills. Heavy on the spec sheet, the K1’s mass disappeared while in motion. Whether I was planning my lines or easing off the throttle to breathe in and enjoy the mountain air, the K1 moved beneath me as if I were a centaur. It was my animal half.
A relative rarity you can ride
Yes, this bike lives up to its reputation and, in my opinion, should probably be worth twice what they go for and someday will be more sought-after. The K1 took the feeling of the early K100 and refined it into something more meaningful and long-lasting because of its uniqueness, but it also performs well. The K1 might leave you wanting a little more in some categories, such as lighter weight if you lean sport or true storage capacity if you lean touring, but it always satisfies the rider’s core desires. And once you get past the looks and the jokes, something deeper reveals itself. The soul-searching, long-way-taking, always-riding-but-often-alone rider should make it a point to commandeer a K1 at least once. Letting go of your TFT screens and the digital world connecting you to everything is more important than ever. When you do this on vintage motorcycles, you can be more in tune with your mind, body, and soul. The K1 has all three of its own and wants to share them with you.
Just as BMW was going through changes in 1988, I recently I went through a professional and personal rebranding. After years of chasing greenbacks, titles, and navigating the toxic corporate world that is American capitalism at its finest, I realized that I had become a rat in a race I no longer wanted to run. I finally had my chance at an exit, and doing something that many of us long for but don’t get the chance to do, working with motorcycles — more importantly, BMWs. This could be the reason I feel so connected to these machines; a second chance at life is freeing and inspiring.
Some 35 years after it was built, the K1 remains iconic enough to remember and practical enough to ride.
For decades, India’s role in the global motorcycle industry was simple: build bikes cheaply, in huge numbers, for its own domestic market. The machines were small, basic, and designed for short commutes, overflowing traffic, brutal heat, bad roads, and relentless daily use. Whatever survived India was considered durable. Whatever failed was quietly forgotten.
What’s changed is how much the rest of the global motorcycle industry now depends on India. Today, India is no longer just a manufacturing center for domestic consumption. As the world’s largest motorcycle market and home to multiple manufacturers, it has the lower labor costs, manufacturing capacity, and supply chains needed to make building motorcycles less expensive than in Europe or the United States. That combination has also made India not only a motorcycle manufacturing center, but also an important proving ground for the next generation of lightweight motorcycles sold globally. New sub-500 cc machines flowing into American showrooms may wear European badges, but many of their core platforms were validated, stress-tested, refined, and built at scale thousands of miles away on Indian pavement and in Indian factories.
Motorcycles in India experience a combination of punishment few other markets can match. Heat regularly exceeds 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Traffic is constant. Fuel economy is important. Roads range from modern expressways to broken tarmac, dirt, gravel, and construction dust, sometimes all within the same mile. Riders carry passengers, cargo, and families. Maintenance intervals are stretched. Everything is a stress test.
A motorcycle built for India must tolerate prolonged idling in extreme heat, exposure to dust and to water during monsoon seasons, frequent starts and short trips in stop-and-go traffic, heavy loads, and inconsistent fuel quality. Everyone knows more manufacturers are building motorcycles in India to reduce expenses, but also, as a result, these engineering concepts are being tested in India’s harsh, real-world conditions.
It’s all part of India’s growing role in the global motorcycle industry.
Case study 1: Royal Enfield and the global 450 platform
Royal Enfield’s transformation from a niche heritage brand into a global middleweight force is one of the cleanest examples of India-led platform thinking and the new Himalayan illustrates the shift.
The old Himalayan 411 was charming and capable, but it was slow, heavy, and underpowered for highway use in places like the United States and Europe. Instead of simply revising that engine, Royal Enfield built an entirely new liquid-cooled 450 platform from the ground up. The Himalayan 450 that emerged is not just an Indian adventure bike. It is clearly designed with global markets in mind.
Power output rose significantly. Electronics arrived with traction control and ride-by-wire throttle. Chassis rigidity improved. Thermal management became sophisticated enough for sustained highway operation. Suspension travel is now competitive by global standards.
What’s critical is where this platform was developed: India. Royal Enfield’s engineers designed the Himalayan 450 to be a global motorcycle, one that had to meet Western expectations for performance while surviving daily use in far harsher conditions. Indian riding environments provided a relentless proving ground for cooling, durability, and drivability before peak horsepower became the primary focus. The result is a bike that can handle American highways and meet Western performance expectations as well as withstand Indian riding realities because it was designed for both, rather than being built for the domestic market and adapted for export after the fact.
And the Sherpa 450 engine in the Himalayan is not a one-off. It is now the foundation for multiple future global models — scramblers, roadsters, and touring machines, many aimed directly at Western buyers.
Case study 2: KTM and Bajaj’s global small-displacement network
If Royal Enfield represents India’s motorcycle industry both expanding abroad and moving into more premium categories, KTM represents industrial-scale global integration. Bajaj Auto builds nearly the entire global lineup of KTM’s small-displacement motorcycles in India, including the 125, 200, 250, and 390 Duke and RC families. The advantage of this strategy lies in scale. India’s domestic demand provides a ready market and India’s manufacturing capacity and established supply chains allow companies like KTM to build motorcycles in greater volumes and with greater efficiency.
For riders in the United States, Europe, and other developed markets, the biggest benefit has been affordability. Bikes such as the KTM 390 R Adventure deliver modern features, such as a liquid-cooled engine, electronic rider aids, and quality suspension while significantly undercutting competitors on price. None of those features are new, but they haven’t always been available at an entry-level price. Indian production volume made it economically viable.
Now, with Bajaj in control of KTM after the Austrian company’s financial problems, a new chapter will be written. While the details aren’t yet certain, it will definitely mean an even bigger role for Indian companies in the global motorcycle industry.
Case study 3: BMW and TVS Germany taps India to produce its entry-level line
Perhaps the most symbolic shift came when BMW Motorrad chose to partner with Indian manufacturer TVS to develop its smallest global platform instead of manufacturing in Germany, as it traditionally did. The G 310 R and G 310 GS were developed through a close collaboration between BMW Motorrad and TVS Motor Company, with engineering oversight led from Germany and production handled in India.
While BMW maintains that the core design and development were completed in Germany, the decision to manufacture the platform in India marked a strategic shift. It allowed BMW to leverage India’s manufacturing scale and cost efficiency to create a smaller, more affordable entry point into its global lineup. The result was BMW’s first truly global lightweight platform, sold in Europe, the United States, and emerging markets alike. For U.S. riders, the result was access to a genuinely usable BMW-badged motorcycle at price points previously unthinkable.
What it means for riders in the United States
Although these platforms are global, the demands of riders in India are different from what riders expect in the United States. In India, top-speed bragging rights matter far less than heat management, fuel efficiency, tractability in heavy traffic, and affordable maintenance. In the United States, the ability to sustain highway speeds, comfort over longer distances, premium suspension behavior, braking feel, and electronics integration carry much more weight. Vehicle weight, fit and finish, and component quality are also scrutinized differently. As a result, even though these are global platforms, details change from one market to another.
For riders in the United States, the growing involvement of Indian manufacturing has delivered something rare in the modern motorcycle market: better motorcycles at lower prices, without many of the compromises that once defined entry-level bikes. Not that long ago, buying an entry-level bike usually meant getting a carbureted, air-cooled engine and bargain suspension and brakes. Today’s 300-to-450 cc motorcycles are liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, electronically managed, emissions-compliant, and capable of real touring duty. This is possible because costs are spread across multiple continents and massive global volume and India’s lower manufacturing costs allow manufacturers to refine platforms and remain profitable.
For U.S. riders, the end result is simple: accessible motorcycles that no longer feel like compromises.
In my opinion, the most significant shift is philosophical. India is no longer merely a place where motorcycles are built cheaply. It has become a place where lightweight motorcycle platforms are validated, refined, and made viable at global scale.
Engineering and manufacturing centers in Chennai and Pune now play a critical role developing lightweight motorcycles sold from Los Angeles to London and beyond. What survives continuous usage in India thrives everywhere else.
As emissions regulations tighten, cities densify, and new riders enter the sport through smaller machines, the center of gravity has shifted. The global motorcycle industry still designs big bikes for open roads, but it increasingly perfects small ones in India first. And quietly, without much fanfare, the world now rides on what survives here.
You don’t have to live in Miami or Phoenix to be able to ride through the winter instead of storing your motorcycle. But at the same time, you don’t have to be exploring the ice roads of northern Canada to encounter challenges if you keep riding when cold weather hits.
Riding in cold weather makes some demands on us, if we want to stay as safe and comfortable as possible. Now maybe you’re the type who’s about to say, “That’s why I have a $50,000 pickup truck with a nice roof and heated seats, because riding in the winter is no fun.” That’s fine. I won’t think you any less of a motorcyclist but recognize that some of us actually enjoy taking on the challenge of winter riding and don’t want a multi-month layoff from riding. Let’s just respect each other’s risk tolerances and preferences. I don’t ride as far or as often in the winter, but even short rides as part of my everyday transportation improve my mood and I also like not being totally rusty when the first nice spring ride comes around.
If you’re like me, and you’d rather winter ride than winterize, you have to deal with the challenges of cold-weather motorcycle riding that require extra thought and vigilance. Those fall into three categories: the environment, your body, and your equipment. Here are 10 things to consider.
Winter riding: The harsh environment
It’s a cold cruel world out there, so consider these dangers.
Expected loss of traction: snow and ice. Get the obvious out of the way first. I’ve been caught out in snow on a motorcycle two times, about 25 years apart, both while commuting and, fortunately, both times I was less than two miles from my destination. I survived, but I’ll never do it intentionally. Riding a dirt bike in a snowy field or riding a motorcycle set up with studded tires on a frozen lake can be a lot of fun, as I personally learned last winter, but riding on the street in snowy or icy conditions puts you at the mercy of traffic situations you may not be able to deal with. As I mentioned above, we all have to determine our own risk tolerance, but ice or snow is where I personally draw the line. You make your choices and live with the consequences. If you do decide to ride in the snow intentionally, you’ll want studded tires and laws on those vary widely, so check locally.
Unexpected loss of traction: hidden ice. Even if you never intentionally go out in icy conditions, you still have to increase your vigilance. Say it’s sunny and dry with temperatures in the 40s at midday. You can still encounter leftover frost or ice in shaded or low-lying areas, so be alert to those situations. It’s never a good idea to ride a motorcycle on the street in a carefree fashion with your mind wandering, but in winter weather, you have to be even more engaged, constantly scanning and analyzing potential hazards.
Unexpected loss of traction: salt, cinders, patches, damage. We love to complain about the corrosion damage road salt does to our motorcycles and for many people that’s reason enough not to ride. (If you’re one of those, see suggestion number one in the equipment section below.) But salt can also rob you of traction. It’s similar to gravel when freshly strewn on the pavement and similar to dust when it’s been ground up by a thousand passing vehicles. Yes, even that fine dusting of salt reduces your tires’ grip. Other jurisdictions spread cinders, and that creates a winter hazard that lasts into spring. Another thing motorcyclists love to complain about on hot summer days, tar snakes, are also a cold-weather hazard. Just as they get gooey and slippery in the heat, those asphalt patches turn hard and slick in the cold. Finally, we all know the freeze-thaw cycle causes potholes and snowplows can gouge them up even worse, so be alert for new hazards even on your regular route.
Expected loss of traction: cold tires. I’ve had two minor, low-speed crashes on the street that both occurred on especially cold April mornings and both within a mile of my house.
Winter riding: Care and feeding of the operator
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In his Common Tread article and video, Brandon has already provided some tips about gear and accessories that will help you stay comfortable (and therefore safer) while riding in cold weather. Beyond having the right gear, you also have to keep yourself in proper operating condition.
The cold makes you tired. The longest cold-weather ride I ever did was a trip from central Ohio to ZLA HQ in Philadelphia in February. It was sunny with temperatures in the 40s, so I didn’t have to worry about ice or snow. A 500-mile day is tiring under any conditions, but in the cold your body is working harder, generating heat. Extra rest stops and eating right and regularly are important. Don’t think you can only get dehydrated in hot weather, either. The dry air of winter sucks moisture out of you without you noticing. Days are shorter and temperatures can drop rapidly after sundown, so factor that into your planned distance. Nearly all my cold-weather rides are short ones, but if you are going to cover distance, consider what distance is realistic.
The cold reduces dexterity. So there you are on a salt-dusted road with cold tires and wearing insulated gloves when a car turns left in front of you, forcing you to threshold brake at the limits of reduced adhesion to avoid a crash. Do you have that level of fine control in your fingers when you need it most? When I choose winter gear, I put a lot of effort into keeping my hands warm. I’ve deployed various combinations of heated gloves, heated grips, handguards, and quality insulated gloves. On the road in winter, two things call for a mandatory stop: a shiver (means my core is getting cold) and stiff hands. A little warm water and time with the air hand dryer at the rest area restroom restores blood flow in my metacarpals.
The cold reduces mental concentration. It’s not just your frozen fingers. Hypothermia sets in gradually and it also affects your most vital organ, your brain. Words of warning from my friend Eric Trow, principal at Stayin’ Safe Motorcycle Training: “We tend to associate hypothermia with physical effects, such as stiff, numb, or aching hands and feet. But perhaps the greatest threat to the rider is the impact hypothermia can have on mental sharpness. Our thinking often slows, our active scanning and anticipation of potential threats diminishes, and our judgment can become seriously compromised. As a result, bad situations seem to develop more quickly and more often. And when they do, the physical limitations of stiff and numb hands and feet make responding to a threat even more ineffective. That’s a rather ‘chilling’ combination when you think about the potential consequences.” Stop before you get to that danger point.
Winter riding: Equipment matters
There is no ride without your motorcycle, the essential third part of the equation. My tips:
Buy a winter beater. Here’s a great excuse to buy another motorcycle. If you’re one of those riders who puts away your expensive bike for four months of the year because you don’t want to expose it to salt or test your throttle-control skills with a high-powered machine in iffy conditions, buy a cheap dual-sport. Many years ago, when I had a Monday-through-Friday regular commute to an office job where it was an unofficial badge of honor to ride year-round, I bought a humble Honda NX250 for $1,100 and rode it to work all winter for several years. The dual-sport tires worked well in the cold, the light weight and modest power made it easy to handle in sub-optimal traction conditions, and since it was already a beater when I bought it, I didn’t feel bad about its hard life.
Don’t neglect maintenance. Days are short. You ride home from work and arrive in darkness. Performing maintenance in the cold sounds about as appealing as taking a staple gun to your forehead. But the salt is at work on components. Sticky cables aren’t likely to move more freely as the temperature drops. Make time to keep on top of what’s happening to your ride (easier to do if you’ve stored your good bike and have only your winter beater to attend to).
Tires, again. We’re probably not going to be like the car driver who switches to snow tires for the season, but it does make sense to consider all-around performance when choosing tires. Compared to high-performance sport tires, sport-touring tires are generally designed with more siping to move water and with compounds that perform well over a wider temperature range, making them a better choice. If you’re riding that dual-sport I recommended, today’s 50-50 adventure tires work great on the street in wet conditions and could be a real lifesaver if you do get caught in some slushy snow.
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