Indian Motorcycle has a rich history and a strong product catalog. When I think of Indian Motorcycle, I basically imagine relaxing cruisers. However, my imagination was shaken up by the American brand when the new FTR 1200 was launched. I knew Indian had a strong past with Flat Track racing, but what I didn’t know that it is planning to make the iconic FTR750 almost attainable by the normal people.
After the launch of the FTR 1200, my perception of and expectations from Indian Motorcycle changed. I wondered, the company has an immense presence worldwide, has a great fan following, is capable of making bikes like FTR 1200, so why is it that it isn’t entering into other genres of motorcycles? Is it its history that’s holding it up? What could be the reason, I pondered.
Well, it seems that there isn’t one anymore. The latest news tells us that Indian Motorcycle has filed a trademark application for the name ‘Indian Raven’. The application was filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office for the intended use of the “Indian Raven” mark for a “motorcycle and structural parts therefor.” It is expected that a similar filing would be done with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office pretty soon.
ALSO READ: 3 Reasons That Make The Indian FTR 1200 Special
So is the ‘Indian Raven’ the answer to my questions? Is Indian Motorcycle planning to enter the sportbike segment after all these years with its new Raven? Unfortunately, it is still unclear. Indian has not released any official statement regarding the Raven. But that doesn’t mean we can’t contemplate.
It is highly unlikely that Indian would use a name like Raven for some laid-back cruiser. It feels something that is quick, nimble, and agile. It also doesn’t sound like a bike with too much weight on. Maybe it would be an adventure tourer or a naked street bike or a sportbike. Considering the fact that the FTR 1200 is already a naked street bike, Indian might be open to exploring new genres of motorcycles and bring an adventure tourer or will it be a sportbike?
Speaking with MCN, Ola Stenegärd, Indian’s director of product design, commented about the possibility of a sportbike, saying, “A race bike is probably the best way forward because Indian have never done a supersport bike. There’s no heritage to fall back on, no icon to refer to – but maybe it’s a V-twin and you go into that kind of territory and the engine provides the heritage.”
It seems like we’d need to pull up our pants and wait for the right time for the ‘Raven’ to land. But this is good news. I am pretty excited about this new Indian. Are you? Do let us know what you think about the kind of motorcycle the Indian Raven would be?
