In the wake of last week’s why-do-they-keep-doing-this announcement of yet another Jack Daniel’s collaboration, Indian Motorcycles has fired back with a second announcement in the run-up to Daytona Bike Week—and this is a bike we can get behind. It’s the new Challenger RR, and it is built to the same spec as the machine that took MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers title last year.
This appears to be a race-only machine, as the photos don’t show turn signals, and Gary Gray, Indian’s Vice President of Racing says the bike has everything needed to land you on the podium. And anyone, anyone can buy it, as long as you act quickly (only 29 will be built and sold worldwide). Oh yeah, and you also have to have $92,229 US—that’s the asking price.
Is that expensive? Yes. But the Challenger is not a cheap bike in stock form, and this motorcycle has been massaged into a race-winner, and that sort of work ain’t cheap. The PR from Indian contains a long list of upgrades:
Specs for the Indian Challenger Race Replica include the following:
- S&S 2-1 race exhaust
- 17″ race rims
- Dunlop race tires
- S&S billet adjustable triple clamps
- Ohlins FGR250 forks
- TTX Ohlins rear shock
- S&S chain drive conversion
- Carbon Fiber saddle bags
- Fiberglass rear fender
- Saddlemen raised race seat
- S&S adjustable fairing mount
- Aero headlight insert
- Aero windshield
- S&S belly pan
- S&S rear set foot controls
- S&S camshafts
- 112 CID big bore cylinder/piston kit
- S&S air intake system with 78mm throttlebody
- CNC ported cylinder heads
- S&S Billet adjustable rockerarms
- Hayes rear caliper, EBC rear rotor, SBS pads
- Brembo M4 front calipers, 330mm rotors, SBS pads
- S&S automatic chain tensioner
- Maxx full adjustable ECM
- AIM DL2 data logger/dash
- Quickshifter kit
- S&S billet clutch cover
- S&S adjustable handlebars
- S&S race modified swingarm
Indian also said the machines are built by the “same hands” that built Tyler O’Hara’s series-winning machine in MotoAmerica last year.
And in case you think “Who cares, cruisers are still slow,”here’s a perspective from someone who knows what’s what:
So. Who’s up for it? We’d love to see a Canadian buy this and campaign in MotoAmerica’s bagger series next year!
