The 2020 Indian Challenger is an all-new bagger platform featuring the liquid-cooled PowerPlus 108 V-twin. This is the top-of-the-line Challenger Limited. (Photos by Barry Hathaway)

Since its relaunch for 2014, Indian has struck a balance between honoring the past and looking to the future. Its first few models — the Chief Classic, Chief Vintage and Chieftain — had skirted fenders and an air-cooled V-twin with downward-firing exhausts that evoked nostalgia for Indians your father or grandfather used to ride. But when it brought back the Scout for 2015, it broke from cruiser tradition and gave it a high-revving, liquid-cooled V-twin. And last year Indian introduced the FTR 1200 street tracker with a high-performance engine and optional rider-assistance electronics.
The Indian Challenger is a bagger designed not only for style and performance but also touring. Its fairing and electric windscreen provide good wind protection, its seat and riding position are all-day comfortable and its luggage capacity is 18 gallons (68 liters).

Indian has also renewed its head-to-head competition with Harley-Davidson,
reigniting a fierce rivalry waged on racetracks, at factories and in
dealerships during the first half of the 20th century. Indian ended Harley?s
decades-long dominance of flat track with consecutive AFT Twins championships
in 2017-2019, and no doubt a sizable portion of Indian?s sales over the past
few years have come at Harley?s expense.

Although the Po...