Harley-Davidson Inc. and Polaris Industries Inc. are unquestionably the American leaders in motorcycle manufacturing
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Polaris Industries Harley-Davidson Inc. and Polaris Industries Inc. are unquestionably the American leaders in motorcycle manufacturing and power-sports vehicle manufacturing, respectively. Polaris, a company known for its snow-mobiles and all-terrain vehicles, is based in Wisconsin. Harley-Davidson, the iconic American motorcycle manufacturer celebrating 100 years of continuous production, is located in Minnesota.
Polaris initiated a run at Harley-Davidson 15 years ago with their introduction of the Victory Motorcycle. This year, with a multi-billion dollar financial portfolio, Polaris revived the Indian brand to compete head-to-head with Harley-Davidson. In 2012, Polaris redefined the Victory Motorcycle brand as bold and provocative. “We’re building the best bikes on the planet by brazenly doing what we believe is right, and we’re attracting riders who feel the same way.” In 2011, Victory Motorcycles’ generated $146 million worldwide. In 2012, after more clearly defining the brand, sales grew 64% to $240 million. It’s only natural that a brand idled for almost 60 years might take some time to get “up to speed” in the marketplace. The Indian Motorcycle brand was born in 1922, shut down in 1954, and resurrected by Polaris Industries in 2013. Indian Motorcycles have a rich 112-year-old heritage as America’s first motorcycle company.
To build on that heritage, Polaris maintained the bike’s classic styling cues. In addition, after WWII, more than 40,000 Indian bikes used for military service were left behind in Europe-- so there’s a strong platform for brand resurrection there. On Saturday, August 3, 2013, in front of a “packed house” on the main street of Sturgis, Polaris rolled out the first three Indian Motorcycles it had produced, among them the traditional-styled 2014 Indian Chief Vintage. Now Polaris is taking on Harley-Davidson Inc., which sells one out of every two motorcycles purchased in the United States each year and practically owns the "Made in the USA" segment of the market.
