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Indian Motorcycle Taps 100-Year Roots With Japan Relaunch

  • Polaris opens local office to directly sell bikes in Japan
  • An early brand in motorcycle history, Indian relaunched 2011
Indian Motorcycle Co. CEO Scott Wine Interview
Photographer: Peter Foley/Bloomberg
Updated on

A century ago, Indian motorcycles were the brand of choice for Japan’s police. They were called “aka-bai” — or red bikes — because of their color. Now, the maker of big American two-wheelers is seeking to recapture some of that glory with a brand relaunch.

Recreational vehicle maker Polaris Inc., which makes and sells Indian bikes, is betting that it can gain market share from entrenched foreign rivals such as BMW Motorrad and Harley-Davidson Inc. Instead of relying on a single distributor, the Medina, Minnesota-based company now has its own operations in Japan, with plans to double its store count to 30.