Very few legacy motorcycle brands have gambled on the premium electric motorcycle market as of yet. However, the tide could soon turn with Triumph recently unveiling its TE-01 prototype and Ducati showcasing its V21L MotoE racer. As more manufacturers continue to develop new technologies and platforms in the EV space, pressure builds on those lagging behind the competition.
One such brand is Indian Motorcycle and Italian outlet Motociclismo recently sat down with the firm’s European Sales Director Boguslaw Dawiec to discuss its future plans. While the interview centered around the new Indian Pursuit’s position within the grand tourer landscape, the pair touched on the company's potential debut in the brewing electric battle.
"Electrification is one of the most important short-term goals for the motorcycle industry, and we also have our strategy, but right now I can't say more," teased Dawiec.
Thus far, Indian has merely dipped its toe into the electric market with the eFTR Jr and Super 73-powered eFTR Hooligan 1.2 e-bike. The former caters solely to youngsters while the latter appeals to kids and adults alike, but the brand hasn’t segued those efforts into a road-legal, full-size electric motorcycle up to this point. All the while, Indian’s main rival, Harley-Davidson, released its halo electric project, the LiveWire, before branching into the electric bicycle market with its Serial 1 offshoot.
Though the two OEMs have taken different approaches to the electric transition, they still fight for the same piece of the American V-twin pie. With Polaris' (Indian's parent company) recent sales slippage, it seems like the company is primarily focusing on its competitiveness in that market.
“In the last seven years, we have created seven platforms with seventeen different bikes. It was a huge effort, and so right now we would like to try to get the fruits of all this work by focusing on these models,” explained Dawiec. “For sure, if you ask me personally, I think we will have to think about some news shortly, but for now we are looking for stability to gain market percentages in the segments in which we are currently present.”
The introduction of the FTR 1200, Challenger, and Pursuit prove that Indian isn’t satisfied playing second fiddle to the Motor Company. On the other hand, if it doesn’t start developing a flagship electric motorbike soon, it will continue playing catch-up with Harley-Davidson.
