The Touring Bike Built For America’s Best Summer Roads
Indian is America’s oldest motorcycle company, and its legacy has a lot of patriotism behind it. Because of this, it had to toe the line when it came to its tourers – you cannot risk alienating the loyalists and traditionalists when you are a legacy brand with as much legacy as Indian has! But we have seen Indian take steps toward modernity after the Polaris takeover, incorporating some of the Victory magic into its design and engineering, with some great results.
Challenging The Way It Has Always Been
The traditional formula for an American touring motorcycle has always been the same: we need a large-displacement, slow-revving, air-cooled pushrod engine that offers stump-pulling torque rather than high horsepower. These engines are great when you are cruising out on a level, straight road. But in a corner, they do not do as well. Indian recognized this shortcoming and decided to fill in the gaps with its new generation of tourers.
Racetrack Lessons… For A Tourer?
Indian has been very active, not to mention successful, in the King of the Baggers racing championship. Motorsport has made Indian look at solutions from different angles, and it has come up with something that does not seem like it would fit in a cruiser: a high-performance, short-stroke, liquid-cooled V-twin in a cast aluminum frame. Surprisingly, it still has the low-end torque that you would expect from a big-displacement twin, but it marries it with the kind of performance you would expect from a much lighter machine. The same applies to the chassis parts. This tourer turns and stops with the best of them in this segment, and it is no accident.
The Luxury Hasn’t Been Left Behind
It might be racetrack-honed and offer a lot of performance, but Indian has not left behind the core requirement of luxury. This is still a full-dress tourer that has all-day comfort and will have you fresh even after crossing state lines. There is weatherproof luggage, seats that are heated and cooled, an electrically adjustable windshield, and a full suite of electronics. It is appropriate that the touring bike built for America’s best summer roads is an American touring bike.
The Indian Roadmaster PowerPlus 112 Is The Touring Bike Built For America’s Best Summer Roads
The Roadmaster is a very impressive motorcycle in its own right, and Indian has definitely got into the traditionalists’ good books with the Thunderstroke-powered one. Its low-rev massive torque coupled with features like rear cylinder deactivation and the by-wire throttle are exactly what one would expect from an American tourer. However, the liquid-cooled PowerPlus engines offer a different dimension, and Indian has taken pains to make sure that they are far more lively than the Roadmaster Thunderstroke. As a result, not only do you have a quick American tourer, but you also have one that likes to go through a bend with pace.
Good Things Need Good Money
Considering it has the largest liquid-cooled V-twin and a whole bunch of standard equipment, the Indian Roadmaster with the PowerPlus 112 engine has a base price of $35,499. It goes up to $38,749 for the addition of the PowerBand audio system, which is an optional extra. This puts it somewhere above the Japanese and European options, and in line with the options from Harley-Davidson. This makes it fairly good value within its segment.
The PowerPlus Engine Is A Bridge Between Traditional And Modern V-Twin Power
The Roadmaster is available with a choice of three engines. One is the air-cooled Thunderstroke engine, and the other two are different displacements of the liquid-cooled PowerPlus engine. Here we are going to look at the larger 112 cubic inch version, which is the Indian V-twin that quietly challenges Harley-Davidson. This is a 60-degree V-twin with a displacement of 1,834 cc, a compression ratio of 11.4:1, a short-stroke design, and it generates 126 horsepower and a maximum torque of 133 pound-feet at 3,600 RPM. This is fed into a six-speed gearbox with an assist and slip clutch and a belt drive. This is the largest-displacement liquid-cooled American V-twin on sale today, and the power and torque figures compare well with those of the Street Glide Limited and Gold Wing.
Chassis Changes Make It Almost A Different Motorcycle To The Thunderstroke Variant
From the outside, both the Thunderstroke and PowerPlus-powered Roadmasters look identical, which is why it is a surprise when you delve into the chassis specs and realize that Indian has introduced so many differences in the chassis and driveline that they might as well be two entirely different models! To start with, the Roadmaster PowerPlus has a cast aluminum frame, but it is a trellis-style version that is adapted from the platform that underpins the Challenger and Pursuit, with a more aggressive rake and trail that allows it to steer more sharply. The changes make it the best motorcycle for riders planning a cross-country trip.
There are 43 mm inverted forks at the front and an electronic Fox single shock at the rear, with 5.1 inches of travel at the front and 4.5 inches at the rear. The preload at the rear can be electronically adjusted. The brakes are similarly modern, with dual 320 mm semi-floating discs at the front paired with radial Brembo four-piston fixed calipers, and at the rear, there is a single floating 298 mm disc with a Brembo caliper. Indian has fitted the Roadmaster PowerPlus with a 19-inch front and 16-inch rear alloy wheel combination, shod with tubeless tires, including a radial tire at the rear.
This Is A Large, Comfy Tourer For Two
This is understandably a large motorcycle because it is a touring motorcycle that feels built for riders who go far. It is 101.5 inches long, 41.9 inches wide, and the wheelbase measures 65.7 inches. The seat height is 26.5 inches, and it can hold six gallons of fuel. The ground clearance offered is a standard 5.4 inches, and the weight in running order is 937 pounds, which is normal for an American full-dress tourer. You also get over 36 gallons of storage space all over the Roadmaster.
A Features List Any Tourer Would Be Proud To Have
The Roadmaster PowerPlus 112 is the most premium variant of the Roadmaster and, as such, has an envious list of standard features. It starts with the seven-inch touchscreen TFT display that is equipped with Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, and GPS. It is a little small by the standard of the other screens available in this segment, but it is perfectly functional because it does not display information related to the ride, such as speed, RPM, fuel level, and more. These are displayed in analog pods with displays within them on either side of the TFT screen. Indian also provides connected services for the first year for free. These include traffic and weather information and a bike locator, among others — this is the perfect motorcycle for couples who love road trips.
Also standard are a 200-watt audio system, heated and cooled seats for both rider and passenger, heated grips, an electronically adjustable windshield, remote-locking hard saddlebags and trunk, adjustable fairing vents, all-LED lighting, keyless ignition, and a tire pressure monitoring system. The options list includes the PowerBand audio system upgrade that takes it up to a 600-watt, six-speaker system, different seats that make it more comfortable for taller or shorter riders, a quick-release kit for the trunk, and the usual selection of handlebars, highway pegs, luggage liners, and guardrails that you will find across products in this segment.
This has a by-wire throttle and a six-axis IMU from Bosch. Indian has given it three ride modes, and there are cornering functions for the ABS, traction control, and drag torque control. In addition, there is hill-hold assist and electronically linked brakes.
The Usual Suspects Are All Great Options To The Roadmaster
The Roadmaster might have a very impressive engine, but the competition is equally impressive. The biggest hurdle that this Indian needs to overcome is the Honda Gold Wing Tour Airbag DCT, the most luxurious bike Honda has ever made. It is priced at $33,800, and for that money, you get the automatic gearbox and a gyrocompass on a motorcycle that you know will be as reliable as any other. It is difficult to recommend any other motorcycle over this one if all you are seeking is a trouble-free, luxurious experience.
Then there is the traditional American option. The Harley-Davidson Street Glide Limited’s base price is $32,999, which puts it in the same ballpark as the Indian. This might feel a little less agile than the Indian, but you definitely get a much more traditional feel thanks to the mostly air-cooled Milwaukee-Eight engine that will reignite your lust to hit the highway. Still, it is a brand with much better badge recognition than the Indian, not to mention a mile-long options list.
Finally, if you want a more modern touring motorcycle that enjoys corners, there is the BMW K 1600 GTL, which is the most luxurious motorcycle that the Bavarian brand has ever made. It has an inline six-cylinder engine, unlike the Honda’s flat-six, but it surprisingly has the lowest base price here at $30,095. You will need to dip into the options list for things like a two-way quickshifter, but it remains unique with its 160-horsepower power output.
Source: Indian Motorcycles
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments