Indian's proposed Chief RoadmasterIn his "Quarterly Update to the Indian Motorcycle Community," Indian Motorcycle Company President David P. Wright reports that the firm has narrowed potential production sites for the firm's motorcycles down to a half-zone, most of them in the southeastern U.S. He also reported "overwhelming response" from parties who wish to be Indian dealers.
The company has also spent a lot of time looking at what changes are needed to resurrect the models produced by Indian's last owners, by surveying owners of those bikes as well as previous employees. It has developed contacts with suppliers for the last company.
Indian's proposed Chief Deluxe model.In its January 2006 Update, the company lists six goals for 2006, with selecting a production facility first and starting production last. In between, it hopes to finalize designs for its initial models, set up dealerships, begin marketing activities, and also start offering accessories for 1999 through 2004 Indian models producted by the previous Indian motorcycle company entity. How soon it completes Job 1 (selecting a facility) will affect most of the rest of the tasks required to return to the Indian brand to the roads. We would guess that the decision needs to be made by the end of the first quarter of 2006 if there are to be any 2006 Indian models.
The company faces some time pressure because, starting at the beginning of 2008, it will have to build its bikes to meet the tougher new emissions requirements (already imposed on bigger companies' motorcycles), which may mean significant revisions to the line of bikes, which it is largely picking up from the previous owner of the brand with some refinements.
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