DEAR EDITOR:
I read Peter Crowley’s story on Indian Motorcycles. I am a proud
owner of an Indian Motorcycle (2000 Chief) and I was very happy to
read that Rey Sotelo was hoping to revive the company.
DEAR EDITOR:
I read Peter Crowley’s story on Indian Motorcycles. I am a proud owner of an Indian Motorcycle (2000 Chief) and I was very happy to read that Rey Sotelo was hoping to revive the company. However, I was somewhat dismayed that the plan was “No advertising, just build a great motorcycle.”
Indians are great motorcycles! The reality is that the vast majority of the consumers who would potentially buy an Indian do not even know they exist or have only limited knowledge. I encounter many everyday riders, including veteran Harley riders, who’s reaction to my motorcycle is typically “oh, they are making Indians again?”
Although I do not read a lot of motorcycle magazines, I have yet to see an advertisement in Rolling Stone, Maxim, Playboy or any other mainstream lifestyle magazine. To move from 4,000 to 30,000 bikes sold a year by word of mouth is not going to cut it!!
The bottom line is that people do not know about this motorcycle and if that is what whoever ends up buying the company believes, then they are kidding themselves!!!
I strongly feel that that the new Indians could be incredibly successful. I just do not think that they know their own market. It is not Harley loyalists, it is the person who is 27 to 50 plus who is thinking about purchasing a bike and is not exactly a culturist but thinks that they might check it out.
As a matter of fact, this person could actually as easily buy a Japanese bike. They know that Harley is the standard for American bikes, and Japanese bikes are cheap and efficient. That is it!! This same consumer could be swayed by the retro styling and the fact that there are not that many. It is so much cooler to tell people at the office about your new Indian rather than your Harley that everybody owns.
The simple realty is that Indian needs to create their own market by targeting potential first-time buyers and consumers who may have previously owned motorcycles. This is not to say that Indian should ignore established culturalists and Harley’s loyal consumer base, but rather build their own story through a uniquely positioned sales strategy aimed primarily at a mainstream consumer group that are reachable through high-end advertising vehicles. This would definitely re-introduce Indian as the American product icon it should be.
Chris Schwartz, Gladwynne, PA
Submitted Monday, Oct. 13 to ed****@ga****.com
