The Long-Distance Motorcycle That Deserves More Attention From Harley Riders
Touring on a motorcycle can be uncomfortable if you do not have the right one, and for the longest time, being uncomfortable on a long ride was the baseline that nobody questioned. We accepted that our thighs would get cooked, that handling would be shaky at best, and that highway expansion joints would send a shock through our spine. These were just the things you endured to earn the badge of a motorcycle tourer. These were the things that were chalked up to character and required a great deal of physical endurance. But we live in an age where the entirety of human knowledge is accessible through a small device in our pocket, so why should covering 800 miles in a single push feel exhausting?
Nostalgia Stalls Real Mechanical Innovation In Touring
The American touring motorcycle landscape is a victim of its own success. The undisputed leaders of the heavyweight touring segment built their reputation around classic styling, large-capacity V-twin engines, and nostalgia. This dedication to the past has worked remarkably well and, in turn, has nurtured complacency.
Legacy manufacturers have only offered cosmetic refreshes, minor engine changes, and expensive options when it comes to updates. The bikes became heavier and more expensive without becoming fundamentally better at the job, leaving riders who wanted something modern underserved.
Liquid Cooling Solves Long-Distance Heat And Power Fatigue
Wanting a large-capacity V-twin and offering customers a modern engine need not be mutually exclusive. Touring today requires an engine that is effortless at triple-digit speeds in all conditions, including the heat. If you are going to maintain those speeds, you need a chassis that can keep up with the engine, and not just in a straight line.
It will also need a full electronics suite to keep safety at a maximum. It cannot be an exercise in nostalgia; it needs to be a showcase of modern technology while still offering the same character as legacy products, but with none of the drawbacks.
Indian Brings King Of The Baggers Race Knowledge To Highway Grand Touring
This is where Indian Motorcycle, America’s oldest motorcycle company, has stepped in. Rather than remaining anchored to its past, it has looked forward and updated its product range with precisely what is required to advance grand touring. It has even leveraged its experience in motorcycle racing to help refine its tourers. It now has in its arsenal a formidable high-output liquid-cooled engine and a cast-aluminum chassis that modernizes the segment.
The Roadmaster PowerPlus Blends Bagger-Racing Roots With Luxury
The Indian Roadmaster PowerPlus is a tradition-breaking machine in many ways. Indian has drawn lessons from its experience in the King of the Baggers racing series and fitted the Roadmaster with the liquid-cooled PowerPlus V-twin engine and a cast-aluminum modular frame. The PowerPlus engine in particular is a standout; it combines strong low-end grunt with the high revs not usually associated with a grand American tourer.
It is not short on luxury either, with features like cooled seats and heated grips. If that were not enough, it is one of the few that offers connected tech in the form of live traffic and weather updates. It might look like a traditional motorcycle, but under the skin, it is a thorough remodel of a familiar product.
The Roadmaster Pricing Ladder Bridges Air-Cooled Roots And Flagship Tech
The Roadmaster range starts at $34,999; this is the variant powered by the air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 engine. This isn’t a bad choice at all; it has Honda reliability and Harley presence. For a thousand dollars less, the 108 PowerPlus-powered Roadmaster is available at $33,999.
If you want the largest liquid-cooled V-twin in America, you will have to pony up $36,999 for the 112 PowerPlus. The recent 125th Anniversary Edition Roadmaster is outfitted with a special paint scheme and all the bells and whistles; it is top dog at $43,999. These prices compare favorably with the competition because the Roadmaster offers considerably more features than its American rivals, but the Japanese and European competitors have the edge when it comes to base pricing.
The PowerPlus 112 Delivers High-Revving Punch Without Sacrificing Low-End Grunt
Despite the Roadmaster being available with three different engine options, we will focus on the PowerPlus 112 engine since it is the flagship engine for the Roadmaster. This engine quietly challenges Harley-Davidson with a displacement of 1,834 cc (112 cubic inches). It has a 60-degree bank angle, a compression ratio of 11.4:1, and a short-stroke design.
The figures are 126 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 RPM. This is then fed into a six-speed gearbox with an assist and slipper clutch and a belt final drive. The figures compare well with the competition from Harley-Davidson and Honda, although they do fall behind the admittedly high output figure of the BMW six-cylinder engine.
A Cast-Aluminum Backbone Brings Bagger-Racing Rigidity To Highway Cruising
Making 126 horsepower means nothing if the chassis can’t channel it — and this is where the Roadmaster PowerPlus separates itself most dramatically from the air-cooled variant. The Roadmaster powered by the Thunderstroke and the one powered by the PowerPlus engines might look identical, but that could not be further from the truth. The PowerPlus models have a cast-aluminum frame that feels built for America’s best summer roads.
This is a modular frame that is similar to that in the Challenger and Pursuit. The suspension consists of 43 mm inverted forks at the front and an electronic Fox single shock at the rear. The rear preload can be adjusted at the touch of a button. The travel available is 5.1 inches at the front and 4.5 inches at the rear.
The brakes, too, are thoroughly modern, with Brembo providing dual 320 mm semi-floating front discs with radial four-piston calipers. At the rear, there is a single floating 298 mm disc with a Brembo caliper. A 19-inch front and 16-inch rear alloy wheel combination is shod with tubeless tires, with a radial at the rear. All of this hardware adds up to a substantial machine — and the features list it carries is equally imposing.
Substantial Dimensions Deliver Planted Highway Stability At The Cost Of Agility
The Roadmaster PowerPlus is 101.5 inches long and 41.9 inches wide, with a wheelbase of 65.7 inches. The seat height is 26.5 inches, and it has a ground clearance of 5.4 inches. The fuel tank can hold six gallons of fuel, while there is over 36 gallons of storage space throughout. The weight in running order is 933 pounds. The Roadmaster’s size and weight make it the perfect touring motorcycle for couples who love road trips, and there is enough luggage space for both rider and pillion as well.
A Loaded Luxury Suite Keeps Cockpit Tech Functional If Visually Dated
The Roadmaster PowerPlus 112 has the most comprehensive features list in the Roadmaster range, making it the best motorcycle for riders planning a cross-country trip. It has an impressive list of standard features, beginning with the seven-inch touchscreen TFT display. This display features Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, and GPS navigation. It seems a little small, and the aspect ratio looks somewhat dated, but that is because it is a dedicated screen for Bluetooth and navigation. It also provides connected features like traffic and weather information, bike locator, and bike health stats.
Other pertinent information is visible in the analog and digital gauges on either side of the screen. The speedometer and tachometer are large analog dials, and within them, there are LCD screens that provide other information like the trip computer and fuel level. Other standard features include a 200-watt audio system, heated and cooled seats for both occupants, heated grips, an electrically adjustable windshield, remote-locking saddlebags and trunk, adjustable fairing vents, all-LED lighting, keyless ignition, and TPMS.
The options list is quite impressive too, with the PowerBand audio system upgrade taking it to 600 watts with six speakers, a quick-release kit for the trunk, a selection of seats better suited to different rider sizes, different handlebars, highway pegs, luggage liners, and protection for the motorcycle.
It is not short on electronics either. The Roadmaster has a by-wire throttle and a six-axis IMU. It offers three ride modes as well as cornering functions for the ABS, traction control, and drag torque control. Electronically linked brakes and hill hold assist are also standard.
Massive Curb Weight And Steering Inertia Expose Its Limits
The Roadmaster PowerPlus is a substantial motorcycle that feels built for riders who go far. However, the downside is that maneuvering it in traffic can be incredibly difficult. Indian does not offer any reverse assistance either, which is an oversight. Whether at low speeds or high, the heavy handlebar-mounted fairing adds inertia to the steering with its weight at low speed, and at high speed, crosswinds can affect the steering, increasing rider effort.
There is nothing inherently wrong with the cockpit’s design, but with everyone else moving to an all-digital display—a much cleaner look—the Roadmaster’s design appears somewhat dated and cluttered. Finally, the PowerPlus’s high-revving character means that it loses the character and charm of the torque-heavy Thunderstroke engine that a lot of purists prefer.
The Roadmaster is a fantastic motorcycle, no doubt about that. The problem is that its competition is equally good, if not better. The Honda Gold Wing still sets the touring bike standard, and in the form of the Gold Wing Tour Airbag DCT, this is the most luxurious bike Honda has ever made, still priced at just $33,800. It offers a number of segment firsts like an automatic gearbox, a gyrocompass, and the world’s only motorcycle rider airbag.
Then there is the Roadmaster’s natural competition, the Harley-Davidson Street Glide Limited, the full-dress version of the Harley touring bike that proves heritage still matters. It has a base price of $32,999, but slapping on a few options like paint will take it to the level of the Indian’s base price.
It might not handle as smartly as the Roadmaster, but the Milwaukee-Eight engine is a legend in its own right and offers the right character and feel for those who like traditional American tourers. Its massive 12.3-inch TFT touchscreen display is also the largest in the segment, and with Skyline OS, looks a lot more sophisticated.
If you want to take the PowerPlus engine’s liquid-cooled, high-revving character to an extreme, there is the BMW K 1600 GTL, which has the motorcycle world’s only inline six-cylinder engine. Like the Honda, this balances luxury and highway performance, and it makes an impressive 160 horsepower. It has got the lowest base price here too, at $30,095. Both non-American options offer reverse assistance in one form or another.
Source: Indian Motorcycle
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