How to Buy a Motorcycle that ISN'T a Harley Davidson- the 2015 Indian Motorcycle is a Classic Alternative!

Being popular doesn't mean that everyone wants you.

There are people in the world looking to separate themselves from the crowd. They seek out the different, the unusual and the unknown. Motorcycle enthusiasts know this well and look for choices that speak to their personality- that's the reason they buy motorcycles and not a station wagon.

Harley Davidson motorcycles are fantastic bikes, but every dentist, accountant and insurance agent with a mid-life crisis has one. And usually in black. What if I'm one of the folks out there shopping for a different kind of bike? A choice that isn't necessarily the popular or expected one? There's even a Facebook page dissing the ride from Milwaukee.

That's why the free market exists, my friends. There is apparently enough demand for a classically styled  motorcycle that isn't a Harley to support competition for that 53 year-old salesman's hard earned money.

Put this in a group of typical black Harleys and see who gets noticed.
(motorcycle.com)

Indian Motorcycle is a name nearly as legendary as Harley Davidson. Born at the turn of the last century, Indian disappeared from the scene in the 50's but was resurrected in the early 2000's as an entry into the growing market for classic motorcycles.

NOT a Harley.
(Indianmotorcycle.com)

Ever since its Phoenix-like rise, Indian has built a near cult following with it's brawny appearance and relative rarity. This doesn't mean the Indian is primitive, however. It's packed with state of the art electronics and options that allow it to keep up with the Harleys of the world.

But, who are we kidding? In this market, style is king and the Indian is sculpted with classic shapes, covered in dramatic color choices and dressed in stylish accessories designed to tell the world that what you're riding isn't a Harley.

It's an Indian

And that's all any High School principal could ask.

To see the 2015 Indian lineup, go to the website here.

Plus, there's a review of the 2015 Indian Roadmaster on Motorcycle.com. 

Yet more alternatives to buying a Harley Davidson motorcycle- Triumph and Norton- Rule Britannia!

I'll say it again: Harley Davidson makes a fantastic product and satisfies the motorcycle itch of millions of happy owners. Nothing in this world sounds or rides like a Harley. For some, that's just the issue. Not everyone want to be like...well, everyone. For many motorcyclists, it's the unusual that revs their engine.

In an earlier post, I detailed three American-made non-Harley alternatives and the topic proved to be quite popular with the readers. So I rooted around and found two more lesser known makers of fine motorcycles, this time from across the pond. I purposely avoided the Japanese makers not because of any bias, but to find something less common for those who like to be less common.

The two cycles come to America via the United Kingdom. Both Norton and Triumph are legendary marques with a lineage that goes back decades. For both, the business histories of each company have been touch and go with periods of factory shutdowns and no production. But it's hard to keep a good brand down and it was but a matter of time before someone came along to ressurect these classic makers and offer their models to the former colonies across the Atlantic.

A brand-new classic Triumph
(source: Triumph)

Triumph offers a full range of cycles from full-zoot racer bikes as futuristic as any other maker, all the way to classic remakes like the Bonneville that harks back to the classic models of postwar America and the UK when former soldiers zoomed all over creation. Now, you can do the same with state of the art construction, space-age materials and a factory warranty. Triumphs's website has all the info right here, including the dozens of US locations you can buy the Triumph and be the triumph of your neighborhood.

The Norton: modern muscle, classic lines.
(source: Norton)

Norton also makes motorbikes that start with an English accent. Beautiful to behold and even better to ride, the Norton was known (and still is) for its sporty ride and ability to hug the road. In its day, the Norton was the musclecar of musclebikes and everyone who had a chip on their shoulders or a mid-life crisis to satisfy was putting a Norton in their suburban garage. The bad news is current Norton dealerships are tough to find, but if you're one of those people that has to have something no one else has, the Norton is that something. Here's the website- good luck finding the dealerships!

So, if our good friends across the pond can take all the trouble the build these classics for our use, the least we can do is to help them out by purchasing a few...or a few thousand.