A new water cooled Indian?

A lot of you may have run across this already but there is a good bit of evidence that Indian is going to introduce a new water cooled touring bike for 2020. Speculation is that it will be a V Twin somewhere in the 1800cc range. There are.a few spy photos out there and it looks very similar to the Harley Road Glide.

Here is one article on the motor.

https://www.motorcycle.com/mini-features/fixed-fairing-indian-spotted-with-new-liquid-cooled-v-twin-engine.html

Pretty cool!! I cant help but wonder if Polaris is headed this way due to EPA Regs as it seems, IMHO, that most of their followers tend to follow the HD crowd road of enjoying the Air Cooled scoots and chasing a piece of the HD pie. The guy that used to own our local HD dealership was telling me that that is the main reason that HD took the risk of loss of sales and did the water cooled heads routine = to be able to comply with EPA regs with the more efficient water cooled engine. Polaris still does not release actual unit sales numbers so there is no real way of knowing just how many of their Indian line they have sold but I wonder if this new one will increase their following.. VERY INTERESTING for sure Don - thanks for posting this!!

I tried to find a spy photo of the bike,, nothing seems to be coming up in google. Got a link to one brother? Would LOVE to see it!

You can see a little of it here:

https://www.thevog.net/threads/thread-deleted.155181/page-2

Hard to say, but I would bet a fist full of money Victory $$ paid for the R&D and design of that engine. Then the a$$ board of directors 86'd the brand. I agree if they were trying to "hide" the bike ahhh they missed that. Way to many things point to the Indian. And then its parked next to a FTR Indian. Daa hey dummy probably not stealthy dude. If you have not read the story on the Vision those dudes were pretty black ops

Ahhh yes,,, definitely a step in a totally different direction for the Polaris Indian model Big Twin Line. IMHO, it looks like an overhead cam, chain driven top end engine similar to a Polaris Scout motor on steroids.. At first I thought maybe Polaris had took some direction from HD's now defunct V-Rod (good power, good motor) but seeing this picture says no, definitely not V-Roddish.. If this is whats coming it is definitely a step in a different direction then that which we were told Polaris was headed with their Indian repop while out at the unveiling at Sturgis back in '13. Their intent then was RETRO with push rod air cooled being their thing. This is DEFINITELY off that path.

Our local Polaris dealership still has left over Indian models all the way back to 2015, apparently they didnt sell well. Hopefully this new design gives them a boost in sales as, like @djh3 mentioned, management at Polaris probably won't let their Indian's idle for to long and then, POOF,, they'll shut em off just like they did the Victory (which was a shame IMHO)..

Our local HD shop just swapped owners and they had an Open House today. While down there chomping on Hot Dogs I watched em roll out a Road Glide (fixed fairing) that looked like a Street Glided (no trunk) model of a Road Glide.. Not being able to see the back side of the Spy Photo (THANKS DON!!), I wonder if this new model of Polaris is that theme - like Mom Yam is doing with the Eluder,, or maybe Polaris will do both models,, with or without the trunk.. I know that the Street Glide idea has been a HUGE hit for HD and their top seller of a long time..

Exciting and interesting times for motorcycling for sure!

Well, while this next statement is mostly about the automotive side, it is the EPA's intent all the way across the board. Some know a few years back I changed jobs, I am now in a college as an assistant instructor for an automotive tech training program. During a couple of the sections (mainly engine performance-no not how to hot rod just get to run smooth and correct) We go over design and operation theory and reasons they way things are done. Discussions can get a bit long, but the down low is EVERYTHING manufactures are doing especially engine wise is emissions and MPG based. The reason we dont have 180 degree thermostats? Because they had to get cyl head temps up to help burn unburned gasses before pushing out. Why 8 speed transmissions? Because the PCM/ECM can then control what RPM and shift point. All so mfg can make a predetermined corporate fuel mpg across the board.

Sorry so winded of a explanation. But EPA is even driving emission output on bikes. Thus no 2 strokers anymore. I keep waiting for them to knock the ring dingers out of snow machines. So yes water cooling will accomplish what guberment wants, but........... Read some of the Indian owners complaints. Lots of them concern engine heat on them. Now will this engin find its way into only a "new" bigger badder bagger for Injun? Probably, same route HD uses put in high priced machine and if it goes offer it up in others. Do ya think maybe they could have went Yamahas route and put some fake fins on jugs to keep the "old school" look, yea they would probably help. I kind of like the look of the scout engine and the V-Max sans the fins. But if it has the "old school" fringe, wheel pants 50's look the motor will look like a trans plant without fins IMOP.