I have a fondness for the Indian motorcycle so I'm following the forum concerning the release of the 2014 models.  It seems Polaris is already giving Indian owners the same treatment they've given the Victory folks for the past 15 years.  According to a poster, he has to take his warrantied bike to an authorized Indian dealer hundreds of miles away and not to the local Victory dealer just a few miles away.  I've heard and read more than once that the Indian rider would be able to take their bike to a Victory dealer, or any authorized motorcycle shop and Indian would work with the dealer directly to help fix the problem.  Apparently this not so, and it's coming straight from Indian.  This alone will put a sour taste in folks mouths, because Indian is now an affordable production bike, not an elite, high-end bike.  This means more folks will have them, and many will not be close to a dealer.  While it takes only a few isolated problems to rattle a cage, it will have a ripple affect that will plague Indian, just as it has with Victory.  The number one reason I hear folks say they wouldn't buy a Victory is the lack of dealer support.  Indian is in a greater dilemma because at this juncture, Victory has far more dealerships than Indian.  While it was perceived as Indian would provide greater dealer support to the customer, it seems the onus is on the customer to get it to an authorized dealer for work.

Personally, I'm glad I have not pulled the trigger yet.  I was telling my dealer yesterday when I got my front tire replaced about how my bike has not been seen by a dealer for about 4 years for any work and I do all of my own.  I asked about them becoming an Indian dealer and he told me Indian wants too much inventory on the floor and too much upfront to be a franchise.  He said they were hesitant in becoming a Victory dealer but glad they did because they keep flying out of the door and they are easier to work on.  He says that he's been a jap bike mechanic for many years and really impressed with Victory's reliability and ease of maintenance.

I would not want to be an Indian owner right now, my closest dealer is over 4 hours away.  If this is the way Polaris will allow the road divisions to operate, I don't see how they can get a foot hold close to coming in competing with HD.

The passionate few is great to be among, however, it is the average masses of the motorcycle community that buy and keep the industry alive. It is their perception that will drive the profit. The plus is Polaris has proven they will dump the dollars on a hope like they did with Victory. I'm sure they will do it with Indian. But in no way will they compete with HD, as they say they want to with the same service they've proven themselves to give with Victory. I'm very adamant about a lot of things, and will go the mile with something I have a passion about. I own a Jeep, and Jeeps ain't cheap to keep up and they have problems, but all-n-all they give great service and have heritage.

I own a Vision and have "suffered" poor dealership and Victory support with the best of them, I'll ride it to the end though. If I had an Indian right now I would probably feel the same way. I don't think it is whining to share what someone is going through, bewaring (? my word) others what they may face with the same issues. The crime is the fact that Polaris is not providing the support without wrangling with them. Like a I told the dealer 200 miles from my house when I trailered my Vision to see if the warranty applied to my bike for the Voltage regulator. He made the smart alec remark that everyone is asking for something free. My bike had about 98,000 miles on at the time, but I was on extended warranty. I made it clear that 1) I didn't like his remark, 2) I wanted my bike fixed, warranty or no warranty. He humbled himself when Victory said it was covered under warranty. Again, another example of a dealer that doesn't need my business, but fair is fair, don't hassle me so I won't want to approach you when I have a problem. Coming out with a heritage bike with promises and then not keeping them is not what anyone should expect.

Here's a recent event that just happened to a new Indian owner:

A week ago Saturday I went out to my shed, where I had put my Indian a few days earlier, to take out the battery and hook it up to a tender in the garage.  Low and behold, the power button was glowing red.  Hmmm.  I pushed it.  Nothing happened.  I pushed again.  Nothing.  I pushed other buttons.  Also nothing.  No power anywhere except to make the power button glow red.

I called roadside assistance.  They said they would get me a tow to my nearest dealer.  Found one...said they could be at my house at 6:30.  That won't work...going to a show.  They found another one that could pick up the bike around 3:30.  That's fine, but they won't be able to get to the dealer (170 miles away, in Lincoln, NE) before they close at 4:00.  They checked with the towing company, who said they could store it inside until Monday.....$20 per night.  "So I'll have to pay $20 per night?".   They said..."Let's see if we can cover that."  About a minute later..."We'll cover that for you."

Monday morning I received a call saying they contacted the dealer, and the bike is there.

Thursday Don at the dealership called and said a connector on the Vehicle Control Module was broken.  They should have it fixed by Wednesday or Thursday.  I said I suppose I'll have to pick the bike up myself.  He said yes...but I could try calling roadside assistance to see what they'll do.  On second thought...you live off I-80 don't you?  I said yes.  Don said they are sending a trailer full of bikes to the Twin Cities dealer on Monday...there might be room for one more.  Sure enough there was....

So today the dealer's trailer met me in the local grocery store's parking lot, unloaded my bike, and I drove it the last 3/4 mile home.  The dealer had also installed a few more of my accessories that had arrived.

So....great service from roadside assistance (who did not charge me for the 170 mile tow, even though the max is supposed to be 100 miles, AND covered the $20 storage fee for 2 nights), and the dealership who fixed the problem and got my bike back to me without my having to drive 3 hours each way.

MaddMAx2u - 2013-12-11 3:32 PM Why would you expect Victory to do Warranty work on an Indian? REALLY? Does that mean that all GM dealers should work everything GM produces? REALLY? General Motors produces vehicles in 37 countries under fifteen brands, including Alpheon, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun, Holden, HSV, Jie Fang, Opel, Opel Performance Center (OPC), Vauxhall, VXR, UzDaewoo, and Wuling.[4][5] As well as owning shares in PSA Peugeot Citroen. So you think you should be able to get warranty work done for your Buick at the Cadillac dealer? That's what you are asking of Vic. Or perhaps you think you should be able to get your Ford serviced at Jaguar? Come on, let's get real. These are different brands and will only ever be serviced by the brand dealer. To blame, "dis" or disparage Polaris for not doing warranty work on an Indian is just plain silly. Sure Indian has a small network of dealers. But people know that when they buy them. And the current network is WAY bigger than it was before Polaris bought the company.

They said it.

From "They" website under FAQ:

Can I take my Indian Motorcycle to a Victory and/or Polaris dealer for service/warranty work?

In all warranty situations, you will need to initiate a warranty transaction with an authorized Indian Motorcycle dealer to obtain service. If there is a customer or dealer concern regarding the distance required for warranty work, your dealership can contact Polaris. If your Indian Motorcycle dealership recommends warranty service at a non-Indian Motorcycle dealer, a member of the Polaris Dealer Services staff will work with you, your dealership and a Victory dealer to arrange for warranty service work at an established Victory dealer.

very easily found on the official Indian Motorcycle website.

http://www.indianmotorcycle.com/en-us/frequently-asked-questions