Champagne is flowing in celebration of yet another comeback for Indian Motorcycles and the arrival of the first limited-edition 2009 Chiefs. The retro but thoroughly re-engineered big twins are turning heads, but the icon's return couldn't come at a worse time.
The economy has tanked in the three years since Stellican Limited announced it was reviving the venerable marque, which was the first American motorcycle company when it started in 1901. The company has lined up seven optimistic dealers to sell the 105-cubic-inch Chief and reportedly plans to open 30 more within three years, but you've gotta wonder if there will be enough buyers for Indian to survive. According to the numbers, the outlook isn't good. There's little demand for big bikes these days, and motorcycle sales are expected to fall 30 percent this year. Brokerage houses are downgrading their outlook for Harley-Davidson, a longtime rival to Indian, and Harley has seen its stock slide. Indian builds the same type of bike - big V-twin cruisers - but says it isn't worried. Read More at Wired.com