The Indian is a better bike in every measurable way. However, after I get off of that bike I will never have the urge to turn around and look at it. Neither bike pulls to me hard enough to buy. I would certainly regret either purchase. If money were no object I would buy the harley and dump the 10k into it to make it as good as the Indian. The harley needs upgraded rear shocks, more power, better audio, as well as a windscreen. Good thing harley davidson accessories and upgraded are so cheap.....
HD. While the Indian is the better bike stock, you can do way more to a Harley. Ain’t nothing cheap about either bike, and we the consumers are the ultimate losers in that regard. I’ve seen people complaining about Harley a lot lately, and I get it. Harley is a corporation, so I don’t get why people are shocked by a corporation acting like a corporation, especially one that hired a German philanthropist to head an American brand. Indian likes to boast being America’s oldest bike, they just tend to gloss over, I believe, the period from 1953 to 2011 when they didn’t produce bikes. If my dates are wrong, I’m sorry. We will see what Polaris does with them, but I hate the fact Polaris killed the Victory brand. Those were actually some really decent bikes. Both are beautiful bikes. My girl loves her Indians, and it’s a nice bike. I understand why people are switching, but I grew up on and around Harley, and it’s what I’ll stick with because it’s what I know. Things will change, they always do. Thanks for a great review.
@@lowcountryrob170 Like you said about HD, Polaris acted like a corporation when they killed Victory. They didn't think marketing 2 different name plates of the same style of bike made economic sense. The Victory name doesn't have the cache that Indian has when it comes to going one on one with Harley's marketing. So the decision was made to double down on Indian, which still has the Victory DNA in their Thunderstroke and powerplus engines.
I love Road Glides and have owned two of them, but my test ride of the Challenger impressed me. If I was going to choose between them today I'd probably buy the Challenger.
I rode harleys for years, and year after year was just disappointing failures and hiccups with the bikes. I switched to metric, but being a vet I wanted American made, and this came out! Love my 2020 indian challenger.
I enjoy the new challenger its just hard to trust a company that gets sold and company tanks every couple of years. I own a road glide. Love the looks of the challenger
I own a 2019 Chieftain...I needed my shifter replaced so my dealership loan me the Challenger for a week. Took the Challenger for a 500 mile over night ride and here's my opinion. Right now, the Challenger has no stage options. So you can't make it faster. That's my only complaint. The windscreen blocks all the winds so you peanut Helmet riders will love that. Those of us who like music on our bikes, will love the stock sound system...its loud and clear. The Challenger.. rides smooth and will not have any problems in windy or rainy conditions. Overall very good bike.
I think it's sad that so many hate on the Challenger. The bike is awesome, superior anything that HD has to offer. It fits perfectly in my garage and wouldn't trade it for any other bike.
Me Too!!! Got my Black 2021 Challenger Dark Horse a month ago...I blew through the break in period of 800kms and now I'm waiting to get it back from servicing with added accessories... Low Rise Bars, Flared windscreen and slip on with six shooter tips. I'm Waiting for back ordered air intake to complete stage one. Also... waiting for highway bars, Driving Lights and close outs. Going stage 2 in the Fall. I love this Motorcycle!!! I have always been a Harley Fan Boy...up until the Challengers arrival. Glad I went Indian!!! The ignorance and arrogance of Harley fans convinced me to go Indian!!! Ill let the Challenger's performance speak for itself...There is no comparison other than... looks/appearance and after market options. I personally and by far...like the looks of the Challenger over the Road Glide!!!
@@KC-sj6oi I hear you. I went Indian partly because of the good service I got and the performance. However, since I live in Sweden, were not able to install either stage 1 or 2 due to European restrictions for emissions. However, when the fabric warranty is over, I'm heading down to Netherlands to Lloyd's and tune it up, putting on Stage 1 and 2 but until then, I'm going original. I have also custom repaint, seat, Klockwerks windshield, Indian exclusive rear mirrors and floorboards and some other cool stuff.
I’m happy with my Softail Street Bob, but if my arm was twisted my next bike is either electric or the Indian Chief Vintage. Something about those full fenders is so rad.
im 5'7" and the challenger feel so much more comfortable than the road glide. My knees sit perfect on the challenger whereas on the road glide my knees are almost above the take. And oddly enough my legs are not high. I only have a 28 or 29 inch inseam with short legs so I dont understand why Im cramped on the road glide.
I just went from a fatboy lo to a road king standard and I have to say I miss the way the floor boards on the FB were way more forward. No hwy pegs needed. Just stretch out. So I see what you’re talking about (same bike but RG has the fairing etc) The new touring chassis tho is heavenly. It’s so damn nimble and wants to turn in way more than the fatboy lo with its 200 rear tire. FB lo was such a evil looking bike tho and I miss that part (ppl gave it a wide berth bc they thought I was some tough guy bc the way the bike looked and the way I prob looked riding it.. But for the amount of hwy riding I do and I like to ride with the missus .. RK was the way for me to go (couldn’t afford RG now with the prices all jacked up on used bikes.. Got my 2019 Road King Standard (with Abs) 4000miles $15,800.) Why did I land up giving u my life story in a novella lol when I just wanted to agree about the cramped nature of such a huge bike
Indian Challenger is the shit! I love mine and in stock form it eats a RG stage 4 for friggin lunch! Zero comparison unless you have $12k to bring the HD power, torque and ride quality to the same level as a stock Indian. However, I do think after market and the fit and finish is much better on the HD. However, maintaining a Harley is much more expensive than an Indian or any other bike for that matter. The Indian advantage is overwhelming IMO.
Challenger for the win. As if these bikes aren't expensive enough, you'd have to put at least another $10k into the RG to get the performance and handling even close to the Challenger. The fit and finish of the Challenger is also first-rate and the engine machine work/detail just beautiful.
Challenger, I would go HD just for the aftermarket and dealer network but I can’t get a road glide to fit me, I get on a challenger and it’s like it was made for me.
I just bought a challenger dark horse in matte black from ridenow peoria. Traded in my 2010 victory cross country with 94k miles. I did the challenger challenge, rode a roadglide and challenger back to back. Very different bikes. Being 6'4", the HD was not comfortable to me. Power of he HD was not anywhere close to the Indian. I could throw $5-10k on a HD to make what the Indian does out of the box, but why? The challenger is an awesome machine as is.
I bought the K1600 Bagger last year. I haven't ridden the Indian yet, but thinking about adding it to my quiver. The K1600 bagger is amazing. The power from the I-6 is mindblowing. Love the "semi-auto" shifting too. The electronics on the beemer are behind. I mean it has all the same features, just harder to navigate the tiny screen.
Tried riding feet forward controls, has to be the most unintuitive and uncomfortable position, can't stand up to relieve arse ache and balance is all wrong
This past March, on a day off from work I swung by Tytler Cycle over in Kaukauna Wisconsin. Covid was just starting to really get around and the place was quiet. I did sit on one of the two Challengers in the showroom. Red told me to take it for a test ride. It was mild outside and I thought, why not, so he wheeled one out of the showroom. One borrowed helmet and 20 minutes later I came back and told him that we're going to have to talk about trading my Chieftain up for a Challenger. One week and a half later, I rode out on my 2020 Challenger Deluxe. 13,119 miles later, this Indian Challenger is, with one slightly irritating issue, hands-down the best motorcycle I've ever owned. In September I did install a pair of TAB 2-1-2 slip-ons with "Zombie" baffles 😃 on it, along with the Indian air cleaner upgrade. Tytler tuned it and everything is working well together. I'm going to wait until next year to have the cat delete installed along with the Power Commander V. Ryan who works for RVS Performance highly recommended that I wait until next spring. So far all of the Dynojet units they've gotten for the Challenger needed a lot of work to get them to perform properly. My bike does occasionally cut out when coming up to a stop sign or downshifting into a turn, which seems to be pretty prevalent on the Challenger. Tytler has tried to track down what the problem is so far without success. From what I read on these blogs quite a few other folks are having some trouble with that as well with their Challengers. I'm guessing that PII will have it straightened out by next spring. At least they better have it straightened out.
I owned an Indian and test rode the challenger twice before I chose the RoadGlide special. Now to the reason, owning an Indian made a couple things clear to me... 1)They just didn't have the quality feel to them or at least not as quality as HD, and 2) the aftermarket scene was laughable. I rode the challenger and it felt cheap, the inner fairing screams cheap plastic, the sound was tinny, the screen on the infotainment albeit vast was also comparable to an old low res Samsung LCD display. Some other things I didn't care for was the weak startup sound, the look w/o the bags on and the overall aesthetics. IMO comparing the Roadglide to the Challenger is not the right comparison, the Cheiftain is the more appropriate comparison for the two brands. I ended up with a RGS w/RDRS for much less than what an Indian would've cost and having spoken to my buddy that did buy the Challenger, if he could do it all over again he would've gone with a RoadGlide according to him. He's got a little more power than I but at the end of the day who really wants to argue about having the second best touring bike (challenger fans/Goldwing fans).
Funny, the Roadglides I've been on haven't exactly screamed "quality". Spend 30k on a bike just so you can spend another 700 so you can have a seat that will actually be comfortable for more than 40 miles? Then spend another 3k on a proper suspension? Then another 1500.00 on proper bars, another 1000.00 on an exhaust you can actually hear, need I go on? Don't see the "quality" you're talking about...
I agree. RG should be compared to the Chieftains. There is nothing in HDs line up which can compete with the Challenger. That PP108 engine is just on another level.
@@LARGO125 You're confusing quality with your personal comfort style, the seat is made just fine although may not be comfortable to you personally. I have a custom Lucky Daves step up seat I ordered for aesthetics purposes and it sure as hell wasn't cheap from a dollar perspective and it in no way is as comfortable as the stock seat. The stock suspension while not the best on the market is fine, no one's getting on an HD bagger and then getting off saying the suspension is terrible. BTW a set of Legends rears that would be perfect for most is laughably way under $3K, you spend 3k on a suspension it's gonna blow the Challengers suspension away. $1500!! for bars?? I have a set of KST's that I got for $400 self installed cause the RG is way easier to work on than the challenger, believe me my buddy has swapped his bars on his challenger, spent a small fortune. exhaust? who is keeping their stock exhaust anyway? the vast majority do their exhaust as one of the first things. Oh and good luck with your choices if you get an Indian, the pickings are slim like everything else with them.
@@Desmo1 "no one's getting on an HD bagger and then getting off saying the suspension is terrible" go watch any of the RG vs Challenger videos where 1 or more people took turns riding between the two. Every video i've seen with people who regularly ride all sorts of motorcycles has complimented how well the Challenger suspension works while saying it makes the HD looks archaic and confused. They pretty much all say the front is 'ok' and the back just doesn't seem to know what it wants to do compared to the Indian. In every, single, review. I believe he said 3k for the suspension because its more than upgrading the rear suspension. Challenger front forks are inverted as well, thats no small upgrade price for the HD. Either way enjoy what you ride. I've ridden a couple SGs and RGs now and they're good bikes (the 107 RG I rode did NOT like to downshift to 1st but it was heavily used so thats neither here nor there), the 114 RGS I rode was nice, comfortable but the shifting still felt clunky, same with the 110 SG. That said my current bike is a Vulcan until a few more months go buy. I'm setting my sights on a Challenger White smoke. Already picked out the bars i want, custom crash bars too, passenger backrest and it won't be leaving the dealer without the saddlebag speakers. That bike speaks to me. Aftermarket is growing for it at an unbelievable rate. Tab, Bassani, VnH exhausts all popping out of nowhere. KST, Torch Industries bars, clutch and brake levers becoming available. The bike is stirring up a LOT of interest.
Unpopular opinion but I hated the Challenger. That clutch was ridiculous and it just didn't feel like quality to me. I think you're right, the weight savings make it seem chinsy.
I like the Challenger but it's too plasticky for me. And the RDS is too intrusive where the Road Glide Special RDS is more intuitive. Granted I only tried a 2020. Didn't they have a huge problem with electrical issues?
@@HumbertoYi0878 The only major marquee sold in America, year after year, with a worse reliability record than BMW is H-D. Maybe Challenger owners want to ride their bike as opposed to sitting around all summer waiting for their bike to get out of the shop. It aint rocket science.
@@HumbertoYi0878 That and the whole stop sale thing on them due to transmission failure (could be wrong on component but last i checked the K1600 has a major recall issue atm)
My pet peeves about the challenger is I can't consider it a touring bike without a trunk and lower farings. Also I would have expected a cvo competitor with paint matched inner faring.
Didn't get a chance to ride road glide yet. I really enjoyed my short ride on the challenger. Had to take it out twice at demo day here in NC. Decent room for a six foot four tall guy like myself. Love the power. Has everything it needs to do for me! 😊
100%. It really is about what you like most in a motorcycle. What makes you look back when you walk away. Today’s bikes keep getting better. Since we’re reviewing a Bagger. Curious to see what you think of the BMW K1600 B (Bagger) and new generation Gold Wing Bagger since you loved your previous F6B. The Indian has the lengthy heritage and they did make some amazing steps forward in engineering, but I’m not feeling the sound of this stock Challenger, paint quality and overuse of plastics.
I like the power numbers and some of the tech but can't get past the cheap plastic look and feel. IMO the chieftain is better built, i know the same manufacture but it just seems the fit and finish is better on the chieftain
That’s a nice cockpit wow. I’m not one for the huge dash you always see which has always turned me off from a Harley style bike. I like the low shoulders on the dash. The only thing that would hold me back from buying it is wondering if I can get 180,000 miles out of it without a engine or transmission rebuild. Hard to turn down a Japanese bike for this reason. If it only survives 100,000 then you might as well double the price in your head because you’ll be buying two bikes instead of 1 Japanese bike. I watched that Laguna Seca race which was super short and they were all having problems but the Indians not only won but seemed more reliable then the Harley’s (which I find of importance).
Been with Harley Owners Group for years now. It all about riding and seen many Twin-cams and even M-8s with 80K, 100K, 130K and over 150K with same engine and transmission. All those were stock engines too with the most enhancement being a cam change. Do the scheduled maintenance, don't trash it and it will get you down the road for a long time.
Road both the Challenger and the Road Glide Special. I liked the Challenger but the Road Glide was the one for me . I honestly did feel like the Challenger had any more power but it had it in different way ( higher rpms) the noise the engine made just bugged me . Honestly I have had 3 Harleys in the past . I really feel like it’s just how it feels to you .
If you have 720 credit score Indian does you right on a bike with 25miles and you get a better performance bike if you have a 720 credit score harley still wants 5500 in interest for a 2019 with 4800 miles
Imports are killing harley. We are in a recession and harley sales are plummeting. I don't expect them to disappear. I find their bikes to be beautiful. Harley davidson sells a premium product at a premium price. Not the chefs best recipe during an economic downturn. However, I would take a vulcan 900 over an 883 with no hesitation. There are just to many great low price options out there right now and harley davidsons answer was the street 500/750. Talk about trash. Have you seen the new pan America. It has to be the ugliest bike ever.
Ryan Walker, if you’d buy a Vulcan over a Harley, you’re not a Harley rider. We are, so that’s what we ride. We also still work on them ourselves if we must.
I understand the stigma of Harley-Davidson, I own one and love it but I dont like the fact it costs so much just to ride. I beat my shadow to death for 2 years only reason I dont have it anymore is after 2 years of no maintenance it finally let go. (Free bike didnt care) but my harley is literally taken care of and still breaks down at least every 4k miles, with all maintenance taken care of when needed, sometimes a little before. I miss the honda when the harley is down, had a few from my first shadow that I took care of and they have never left me stranded. The only reason I dont have them now is because someone gave me a stupid offer I couldn't refuse. There is no sound like a harley that's why I own one, however if I want a long ride bike I'd be headed away from harley
@@ryanwalker3509 I always argue that. I think that the streets were essentially a good bike. They needed some work done on the ergonomics to make them more comfortable, they're not traditional Harleys, and they're not outstanding anything, but I think they were the bike for the purpose they were designed for. I think Harley didn't put enough of an effort to make them successful, and maybe the Harley people saw it as a wasted effort and maybe they were right.
We take what we can get on those demo rides! I feel ya.. From a pure performance out of the box, I'd go Challenger. For aesthetics and resale, and probably overall comfort I'd go RG. I really dig the Slim's though, in addition to my couple of Triumph's :) Cheers Jon!
Ive owned multiple motorcycles. Foreign and American. The first non-HD bike i owned was a victory highball. I also owned a Hd Switchback at that time. As the bikes aged, my HD started to rattle, vibrate in places it shouldnt, paint deterioration was more prevalent, etc. Not to mention the Harley cost more to maintain. My Victory however, still feels like the day i bought it. Oil, tires, brakes and a battery.... Thats it! In my personal opinion, polaris builds a better motorcycle. Still own my victory. Sold the HD, used the $$ as down payment on the challenger dark horse. Im not a brand snob, I stick with personal experience. Polaris products have always treated me right.
Nice break from the stunts. Dont get me wrong love the stunts super sick man but i also really miss the buying and selling thats what brought me to your channel then I stayed for thr humble rad personoality
It would be kick ass if you could talk Indian into letting you get some long term loaners. I think it would be good advertising for them watching you pull some nooner's on'em.
Well, dude dog bro man, the Challenger is great EXCEPT for the huge, giant, bulbous, heavy fairing. Even with all the things the Indian offers, I can't get past the styling of the front. Gah! The Road Glide beats it there. Oh, and Harley plastic is much better. ;)
Part of me wants one it's build like my victory hammer smaller engine but power is insane. I just can't get over the front end it looks way to bulky to me. Performance, tech, suspension it seems like indian is blowing harley out the water. I just feel harley looks a bit better, better color's, and more aftermarket to make it your own. I wish I would have bought and indian when polaris first bought them they were way cheaper then harley now they are like the same price ish.
I am 5’7” and felt like I was the perfect height for my street glide. Everything was just in the perfect place for a person my height. Now that I’m on a softail standard I felt super cramped at first. Now that I adjusted a couple things, changed the seat, and got used to it. I’m liking it. I came to the realization that the rider triangle on the dyna is the only thing that’s better. When I had a dyna street bob and rode the softail I hated it. Now that I own one I realize how much better the chassis is. Still wish it had a 5 gallon tank. But other than that I’m honestly shocked at how good it is in the mountains and never realized how much I had to throw and my street glide. It always felt so natural that now I’m on a lighter bike with a great chassis I’m like oh that’s what transitioning through turns is supposed to feel like
If you get a chance, check out the soft tail slim. It’s got the 5 gallon tank and forward controls, and is on the same frame at the street bob, for around $400 more. Enjoy and good luck. The soft tail is a really nice frame and ride.
It looks cool. I like the other colors better. The 1 you're riding the color looks like what the Sun City old ladies get on their Caddies.🤣 I wouldn't want to have to pick, but if I did I pick the Road Glide. I really don't want either 1 though.
I own a 2021 Challenger Dark Horse in Canada. I've always been a Road Glide Fan UNTILL...the intro of the Indian Challenger! The Indian is far SUPERIOR TO Harley in this case!!! Out of the "Box"... $500 more expensive than Harley however, Indian gives you a product that cant be touched by Harley's RD GLD CVO which is $10 000 heavier than the Indian.
My opinion has changed...I'm totally disappointed with my 2021 Indian Challenger. Disappointed with Indian because it has horrible customer support and they have 20% availability with inventory. You can't buy parts and accessories because everything is out of stock. I'll be selling my Challenger as soon as possible!!!
And speaking about the bobber 1200. I just had a guy trade his in for a street bob cause he really didn't care for the way it rode. I'd love to hear your take on that bike as well 👍
I rode the darkhorse challenger and personally, I prefer the road glide. Although Indians handle well and have more power, the Road glide doesn't feel as platicy. PLASTICYYYYYY
@@StretchReality They don't like when someone else likes something better than there's, even though the challenger was built to compete with the road glide or street glide.
If you had to pick, would you go with the Challenger or Road Glide? Drop a comment below!
The Indian is a better bike in every measurable way. However, after I get off of that bike I will never have the urge to turn around and look at it. Neither bike pulls to me hard enough to buy. I would certainly regret either purchase. If money were no object I would buy the harley and dump the 10k into it to make it as good as the Indian. The harley needs upgraded rear shocks, more power, better audio, as well as a windscreen. Good thing harley davidson accessories and upgraded are so cheap.....
HD. While the Indian is the better bike stock, you can do way more to a Harley. Ain’t nothing cheap about either bike, and we the consumers are the ultimate losers in that regard. I’ve seen people complaining about Harley a lot lately, and I get it. Harley is a corporation, so I don’t get why people are shocked by a corporation acting like a corporation, especially one that hired a German philanthropist to head an American brand. Indian likes to boast being America’s oldest bike, they just tend to gloss over, I believe, the period from 1953 to 2011 when they didn’t produce bikes. If my dates are wrong, I’m sorry. We will see what Polaris does with them, but I hate the fact Polaris killed the Victory brand. Those were actually some really decent bikes. Both are beautiful bikes. My girl loves her Indians, and it’s a nice bike. I understand why people are switching, but I grew up on and around Harley, and it’s what I’ll stick with because it’s what I know. Things will change, they always do. Thanks for a great review.
H-D all the way.
@@lowcountryrob170 Like you said about HD, Polaris acted like a corporation when they killed Victory. They didn't think marketing 2 different name plates of the same style of bike made economic sense. The Victory name doesn't have the cache that Indian has when it comes to going one on one with Harley's marketing. So the decision was made to double down on Indian, which still has the Victory DNA in their Thunderstroke and powerplus engines.
Jon's Moto Garage Challenger. Function over form.
I love Road Glides and have owned two of them, but my test ride of the Challenger impressed me. If I was going to choose between them today I'd probably buy the Challenger.
I rode harleys for years, and year after year was just disappointing failures and hiccups with the bikes. I switched to metric, but being a vet I wanted American made, and this came out! Love my 2020 indian challenger.
Both are nice bikes, but I would go for the Challenger just based on the suspension alone, let alone the extra power.
I enjoy the new challenger its just hard to trust a company that gets sold and company tanks every couple of years. I own a road glide. Love the looks of the challenger
I own a 2019 Chieftain...I needed my shifter replaced so my dealership loan me the Challenger for a week. Took the Challenger for a 500 mile over night ride and here's my opinion. Right now, the Challenger has no stage options. So you can't make it faster. That's my only complaint. The windscreen blocks all the winds so you peanut Helmet riders will love that. Those of us who like music on our bikes, will love the stock sound system...its loud and clear. The Challenger.. rides smooth and will not have any problems in windy or rainy conditions. Overall very good bike.
any difference in sound system between the 2 ????
Would you spend 45k on a cvo or 31k on an indian challenger with better and new performance
I think it's sad that so many hate on the Challenger. The bike is awesome, superior anything that HD has to offer. It fits perfectly in my garage and wouldn't trade it for any other bike.
Me Too!!! Got my Black 2021 Challenger Dark Horse a month ago...I blew through the break in period of 800kms and now I'm waiting to get it back from servicing with added accessories... Low Rise Bars, Flared windscreen and slip on with six shooter tips. I'm Waiting for back ordered air intake to complete stage one. Also... waiting for highway bars, Driving Lights and close outs. Going stage 2 in the Fall. I love this Motorcycle!!! I have always been a Harley Fan Boy...up until the Challengers arrival. Glad I went Indian!!! The ignorance and arrogance of Harley fans convinced me to go Indian!!! Ill let the Challenger's performance speak for itself...There is no comparison other than... looks/appearance and after market options. I personally and by far...like the looks of the Challenger over the Road Glide!!!
@@KC-sj6oi I hear you. I went Indian partly because of the good service I got and the performance. However, since I live in Sweden, were not able to install either stage 1 or 2 due to European restrictions for emissions. However, when the fabric warranty is over, I'm heading down to Netherlands to Lloyd's and tune it up, putting on Stage 1 and 2 but until then, I'm going original.
I have also custom repaint, seat, Klockwerks windshield, Indian exclusive rear mirrors and floorboards and some other cool stuff.
I’m happy with my Softail Street Bob, but if my arm was twisted my next bike is either electric or the Indian Chief Vintage. Something about those full fenders is so rad.
Love my fxbb
Those choices are diametrically opposed. Electric if you never want to go far.
@@georgeperkins4171 Well written- agreed on both accounts. Still doesn't change the fact that I would love to have either bike!
im 5'7" and the challenger feel so much more comfortable than the road glide. My knees sit perfect on the challenger whereas on the road glide my knees are almost above the take. And oddly enough my legs are not high. I only have a 28 or 29 inch inseam with short legs so I dont understand why Im cramped on the road glide.
I just went from a fatboy lo to a road king standard and I have to say I miss the way the floor boards on the FB were way more forward. No hwy pegs needed. Just stretch out.
So I see what you’re talking about (same bike but RG has the fairing etc)
The new touring chassis tho is heavenly.
It’s so damn nimble and wants to turn in way more than the fatboy lo with its 200 rear tire.
FB lo was such a evil looking bike tho and I miss that part (ppl gave it a wide berth bc they thought I was some tough guy bc the way the bike looked and the way I prob looked riding it..
But for the amount of hwy riding I do and I like to ride with the missus ..
RK was the way for me to go (couldn’t afford RG now with the prices all jacked up on used bikes..
Got my 2019 Road King Standard (with Abs) 4000miles $15,800.)
Why did I land up giving u my life story in a novella lol when I just wanted to agree about the cramped nature of such a huge bike
Indian Challenger is the shit! I love mine and in stock form it eats a RG stage 4 for friggin lunch! Zero comparison unless you have $12k to bring the HD power, torque and ride quality to the same level as a stock Indian. However, I do think after market and the fit and finish is much better on the HD. However, maintaining a Harley is much more expensive than an Indian or any other bike for that matter. The Indian advantage is overwhelming IMO.
Challenger for the win. As if these bikes aren't expensive enough, you'd have to put at least another $10k into the RG to get the performance and handling even close to the Challenger. The fit and finish of the Challenger is also first-rate and the engine machine work/detail just beautiful.
Challenger, I would go HD just for the aftermarket and dealer network but I can’t get a road glide to fit me, I get on a challenger and it’s like it was made for me.
I just bought a challenger dark horse in matte black from ridenow peoria. Traded in my 2010 victory cross country with 94k miles. I did the challenger challenge, rode a roadglide and challenger back to back. Very different bikes. Being 6'4", the HD was not comfortable to me. Power of he HD was not anywhere close to the Indian. I could throw $5-10k on a HD to make what the Indian does out of the box, but why? The challenger is an awesome machine as is.
CHALLENGER is FUNNEST bike I have ever ridden....2 speeding tickets in 2 months not so good though
Ok how do you think this compare to the BMW 1600 K bagger ? Just a thought ?
I bought the K1600 Bagger last year. I haven't ridden the Indian yet, but thinking about adding it to my quiver. The K1600 bagger is amazing. The power from the I-6 is mindblowing. Love the "semi-auto" shifting too. The electronics on the beemer are behind. I mean it has all the same features, just harder to navigate the tiny screen.
I get to many mixed mixed opinions bout HD and Indian. Can I get a clear answer as far as quality and maintenance
How does it match up to the Honda Goldwing?
Right on par with Goldwing. Except for it's more cost-effective and you still get a V-Twin.
Tried riding feet forward controls, has to be the most unintuitive and uncomfortable position, can't stand up to relieve arse ache and balance is all wrong
Lol...I’m the complete opposite. I can’t sit on adventure, naked, sport...bikes
This past March, on a day off from work I swung by Tytler Cycle over in Kaukauna Wisconsin. Covid was just starting to really get around and the place was quiet. I did sit on one of the two Challengers in the showroom. Red told me to take it for a test ride. It was mild outside and I thought, why not, so he wheeled one out of the showroom. One borrowed helmet and 20 minutes later I came back and told him that we're going to have to talk about trading my Chieftain up for a Challenger. One week and a half later, I rode out on my 2020 Challenger Deluxe. 13,119 miles later, this Indian Challenger is, with one slightly irritating issue, hands-down the best motorcycle I've ever owned.
In September I did install a pair of TAB 2-1-2 slip-ons with "Zombie" baffles 😃 on it, along with the Indian air cleaner upgrade. Tytler tuned it and everything is working well together.
I'm going to wait until next year to have the cat delete installed along with the Power Commander V. Ryan who works for RVS Performance highly recommended that I wait until next spring. So far all of the Dynojet units they've gotten for the Challenger needed a lot of work to get them to perform properly.
My bike does occasionally cut out when coming up to a stop sign or downshifting into a turn, which seems to be pretty prevalent on the Challenger. Tytler has tried to track down what the problem is so far without success. From what I read on these blogs quite a few other folks are having some trouble with that as well with their Challengers. I'm guessing that PII will have it straightened out by next spring. At least they better have it straightened out.
I just picked up a 2021 Challenger. I had heard about that cutting out issue, and hope this '21 doesn't have that bug...
I owned an Indian and test rode the challenger twice before I chose the RoadGlide special. Now to the reason, owning an Indian made a couple things clear to me... 1)They just didn't have the quality feel to them or at least not as quality as HD, and 2) the aftermarket scene was laughable. I rode the challenger and it felt cheap, the inner fairing screams cheap plastic, the sound was tinny, the screen on the infotainment albeit vast was also comparable to an old low res Samsung LCD display. Some other things I didn't care for was the weak startup sound, the look w/o the bags on and the overall aesthetics. IMO comparing the Roadglide to the Challenger is not the right comparison, the Cheiftain is the more appropriate comparison for the two brands. I ended up with a RGS w/RDRS for much less than what an Indian would've cost and having spoken to my buddy that did buy the Challenger, if he could do it all over again he would've gone with a RoadGlide according to him. He's got a little more power than I but at the end of the day who really wants to argue about having the second best touring bike (challenger fans/Goldwing fans).
Funny, the Roadglides I've been on haven't exactly screamed "quality". Spend 30k on a bike just so you can spend another 700 so you can have a seat that will actually be comfortable for more than 40 miles? Then spend another 3k on a proper suspension? Then another 1500.00 on proper bars, another 1000.00 on an exhaust you can actually hear, need I go on? Don't see the "quality" you're talking about...
I agree. RG should be compared to the Chieftains. There is nothing in HDs line up which can compete with the Challenger. That PP108 engine is just on another level.
I thought the Indians felt a tad cheap too. I was more than happy riding home from the demo on my Slim
@@LARGO125 You're confusing quality with your personal comfort style, the seat is made just fine although may not be comfortable to you personally. I have a custom Lucky Daves step up seat I ordered for aesthetics purposes and it sure as hell wasn't cheap from a dollar perspective and it in no way is as comfortable as the stock seat. The stock suspension while not the best on the market is fine, no one's getting on an HD bagger and then getting off saying the suspension is terrible. BTW a set of Legends rears that would be perfect for most is laughably way under $3K, you spend 3k on a suspension it's gonna blow the Challengers suspension away. $1500!! for bars?? I have a set of KST's that I got for $400 self installed cause the RG is way easier to work on than the challenger, believe me my buddy has swapped his bars on his challenger, spent a small fortune. exhaust? who is keeping their stock exhaust anyway? the vast majority do their exhaust as one of the first things. Oh and good luck with your choices if you get an Indian, the pickings are slim like everything else with them.
@@Desmo1 "no one's getting on an HD bagger and then getting off saying the suspension is terrible" go watch any of the RG vs Challenger videos where 1 or more people took turns riding between the two. Every video i've seen with people who regularly ride all sorts of motorcycles has complimented how well the Challenger suspension works while saying it makes the HD looks archaic and confused. They pretty much all say the front is 'ok' and the back just doesn't seem to know what it wants to do compared to the Indian. In every, single, review. I believe he said 3k for the suspension because its more than upgrading the rear suspension. Challenger front forks are inverted as well, thats no small upgrade price for the HD.
Either way enjoy what you ride. I've ridden a couple SGs and RGs now and they're good bikes (the 107 RG I rode did NOT like to downshift to 1st but it was heavily used so thats neither here nor there), the 114 RGS I rode was nice, comfortable but the shifting still felt clunky, same with the 110 SG. That said my current bike is a Vulcan until a few more months go buy. I'm setting my sights on a Challenger White smoke. Already picked out the bars i want, custom crash bars too, passenger backrest and it won't be leaving the dealer without the saddlebag speakers. That bike speaks to me. Aftermarket is growing for it at an unbelievable rate. Tab, Bassani, VnH exhausts all popping out of nowhere. KST, Torch Industries bars, clutch and brake levers becoming available. The bike is stirring up a LOT of interest.
Unpopular opinion but I hated the Challenger. That clutch was ridiculous and it just didn't feel like quality to me. I think you're right, the weight savings make it seem chinsy.
I like the Challenger but it's too plasticky for me. And the RDS is too intrusive where the Road Glide Special RDS is more intuitive. Granted I only tried a 2020. Didn't they have a huge problem with electrical issues?
Indian is doing great things. 👍
👨👩👧❤
I see lots of rg owners trying to justify their purchase in the comments lol.
P.s I own a rgs but the challenger is the better bike off the floor.
Kinda like challenger owners when asked why they didn’t get the K1600 B....
@@HumbertoYi0878 there's always a bigger shark, there's always a better bike. Ride what you want.
@@HumbertoYi0878 The only major marquee sold in America, year after year, with a worse reliability record than BMW is H-D. Maybe Challenger owners want to ride their bike as opposed to sitting around all summer waiting for their bike to get out of the shop. It aint rocket science.
@@HumbertoYi0878 That and the whole stop sale thing on them due to transmission failure (could be wrong on component but last i checked the K1600 has a major recall issue atm)
My pet peeves about the challenger is I can't consider it a touring bike without a trunk and lower farings. Also I would have expected a cvo competitor with paint matched inner faring.
Love the dash layout. Same torque as BMW 1600gtl! It's about time Indian! Now give it the beans!
This makes my second RG in 10 years waited until the challenger came out bought another RG
Challenger all day 😎😎😎
Challenger is a way better choice. Comes with better options and tech. A Road Glide with a stage 4 kit can’t even beat this bike stock.
Didn't get a chance to ride road glide yet. I really enjoyed my short ride on the challenger. Had to take it out twice at demo day here in NC. Decent room for a six foot four tall guy like myself. Love the power. Has everything it needs to do for me! 😊
I love em both lol. Road glide special with 114 ? Lol. Challenger w Lloyd’s ? Lol. Nice vid Jon !
100%. It really is about what you like most in a motorcycle. What makes you look back when you walk away. Today’s bikes keep getting better. Since we’re reviewing a Bagger. Curious to see what you think of the BMW K1600 B (Bagger) and new generation Gold Wing Bagger since you loved your previous F6B. The Indian has the lengthy heritage and they did make some amazing steps forward in engineering, but I’m not feeling the sound of this stock Challenger, paint quality and overuse of plastics.
I like the power numbers and some of the tech but can't get past the cheap plastic look and feel. IMO the chieftain is better built, i know the same manufacture but it just seems the fit and finish is better on the chieftain
Getting way better man. Nice burnouts.
That’s a nice cockpit wow. I’m not one for the huge dash you always see which has always turned me off from a Harley style bike. I like the low shoulders on the dash. The only thing that would hold me back from buying it is wondering if I can get 180,000 miles out of it without a engine or transmission rebuild. Hard to turn down a Japanese bike for this reason. If it only survives 100,000 then you might as well double the price in your head because you’ll be buying two bikes instead of 1 Japanese bike. I watched that Laguna Seca race which was super short and they were all having problems but the Indians not only won but seemed more reliable then the Harley’s (which I find of importance).
Kind of with you on that one. I'm not into that type of bike, but the Gold Wing would look like a great option if I was.
Been with Harley Owners Group for years now. It all about riding and seen many Twin-cams and even M-8s with 80K, 100K, 130K and over 150K with same engine and transmission. All those were stock engines too with the most enhancement being a cam change. Do the scheduled maintenance, don't trash it and it will get you down the road for a long time.
Thanks for the review bro. I'm sold.
Nothing worse than doing test rides with folks who have no clue about group riding rules. They end up looking at you like you are the problem.
Road both the Challenger and the Road Glide Special. I liked the Challenger but the Road Glide was the one for me . I honestly did feel like the Challenger had any more power but it had it in different way ( higher rpms) the noise the engine made just bugged me . Honestly I have had 3 Harleys in the past . I really feel like it’s just how it feels to you .
Agree 100%
If you have 720 credit score Indian does you right on a bike with 25miles and you get a better performance bike if you have a 720 credit score harley still wants 5500 in interest for a 2019 with 4800 miles
No, it’s not killing anything Harley. I ride a Road Glide. There’s nothing else like a Harley. That is for a guy who wants an American made Goldwing.
Imports are killing harley. We are in a recession and harley sales are plummeting. I don't expect them to disappear. I find their bikes to be beautiful. Harley davidson sells a premium product at a premium price. Not the chefs best recipe during an economic downturn. However, I would take a vulcan 900 over an 883 with no hesitation. There are just to many great low price options out there right now and harley davidsons answer was the street 500/750. Talk about trash. Have you seen the new pan America. It has to be the ugliest bike ever.
Ryan Walker, if you’d buy a Vulcan over a Harley, you’re not a Harley rider. We are, so that’s what we ride. We also still work on them ourselves if we must.
I understand the stigma of Harley-Davidson, I own one and love it but I dont like the fact it costs so much just to ride. I beat my shadow to death for 2 years only reason I dont have it anymore is after 2 years of no maintenance it finally let go. (Free bike didnt care) but my harley is literally taken care of and still breaks down at least every 4k miles, with all maintenance taken care of when needed, sometimes a little before. I miss the honda when the harley is down, had a few from my first shadow that I took care of and they have never left me stranded. The only reason I dont have them now is because someone gave me a stupid offer I couldn't refuse. There is no sound like a harley that's why I own one, however if I want a long ride bike I'd be headed away from harley
RA 'tanker', what Harley are you riding that it breaks every 4K miles?
@@ryanwalker3509 I always argue that. I think that the streets were essentially a good bike. They needed some work done on the ergonomics to make them more comfortable, they're not traditional Harleys, and they're not outstanding anything, but I think they were the bike for the purpose they were designed for. I think Harley didn't put enough of an effort to make them successful, and maybe the Harley people saw it as a wasted effort and maybe they were right.
Sweet bike bro, but that name though 😆 I’m digging on the smoke white color, looks like a storm trooper’s whip! Good review dude!
We take what we can get on those demo rides! I feel ya..
From a pure performance out of the box, I'd go Challenger. For aesthetics and resale, and probably overall comfort I'd go RG.
I really dig the Slim's though, in addition to my couple of Triumph's :)
Cheers Jon!
I sat on one last year, it felt sooooo good hahahaha. Imagine riding it tho 🤤
Please. Add CC
I'll have to look into that. 💯
Ive owned multiple motorcycles. Foreign and American. The first non-HD bike i owned was a victory highball. I also owned a Hd Switchback at that time. As the bikes aged, my HD started to rattle, vibrate in places it shouldnt, paint deterioration was more prevalent, etc. Not to mention the Harley cost more to maintain. My Victory however, still feels like the day i bought it. Oil, tires, brakes and a battery.... Thats it! In my personal opinion, polaris builds a better motorcycle. Still own my victory. Sold the HD, used the $$ as down payment on the challenger dark horse. Im not a brand snob, I stick with personal experience. Polaris products have always treated me right.
Nice break from the stunts. Dont get me wrong love the stunts super sick man but i also really miss the buying and selling thats what brought me to your channel then I stayed for thr humble rad personoality
*Thunderstroke 111... Victory had the 108.
Hi bro nice bike great stuff mate. 😎👍
Please paint or wrap your bike. Please.
Wheelie that jawn!
It would be kick ass if you could talk Indian into letting you get some long term loaners. I think it would be good advertising for them watching you pull some nooner's on'em.
Well, dude dog bro man, the Challenger is great EXCEPT for the huge, giant, bulbous, heavy fairing. Even with all the things the Indian offers, I can't get past the styling of the front. Gah! The Road Glide beats it there. Oh, and Harley plastic is much better. ;)
🤣"dude dog bro man" - that sums up my vernacular right there!
Part of me wants one it's build like my victory hammer smaller engine but power is insane. I just can't get over the front end it looks way to bulky to me. Performance, tech, suspension it seems like indian is blowing harley out the water. I just feel harley looks a bit better, better color's, and more aftermarket to make it your own. I wish I would have bought and indian when polaris first bought them they were way cheaper then harley now they are like the same price ish.
I am 5’7” and felt like I was the perfect height for my street glide. Everything was just in the perfect place for a person my height. Now that I’m on a softail standard I felt super cramped at first. Now that I adjusted a couple things, changed the seat, and got used to it. I’m liking it. I came to the realization that the rider triangle on the dyna is the only thing that’s better. When I had a dyna street bob and rode the softail I hated it. Now that I own one I realize how much better the chassis is. Still wish it had a 5 gallon tank. But other than that I’m honestly shocked at how good it is in the mountains and never realized how much I had to throw and my street glide. It always felt so natural that now I’m on a lighter bike with a great chassis I’m like oh that’s what transitioning through turns is supposed to feel like
If you get a chance, check out the soft tail slim. It’s got the 5 gallon tank and forward controls, and is on the same frame at the street bob, for around $400 more. Enjoy and good luck. The soft tail is a really nice frame and ride.
I love the slim! I wanted to get one so bad. I got the standard because it fit the budget I had set. The slim is definitely more my style
@@Love4boost that I can understand.
It looks cool. I like the other colors better. The 1 you're riding the color looks like what the Sun City old ladies get on their Caddies.🤣 I wouldn't want to have to pick, but if I did I pick the Road Glide. I really don't want either 1 though.
The Indian challenger is the KING of the Baggers 2 year running 🏃♀️ it is the official
Harley🏳️🌈Davidson killer ..
Love from Mississippi
I own a 2021 Challenger Dark Horse in Canada. I've always been a Road Glide Fan UNTILL...the intro of the Indian Challenger! The Indian is far SUPERIOR TO Harley in this case!!! Out of the "Box"... $500 more expensive than Harley however, Indian gives you a product that cant be touched by Harley's RD GLD CVO which is $10 000 heavier than the Indian.
My opinion has changed...I'm totally disappointed with my 2021 Indian Challenger. Disappointed with Indian because it has horrible customer support and they have 20% availability with inventory. You can't buy parts and accessories because everything is out of stock. I'll be selling my Challenger as soon as possible!!!
Road Glide.. but I may be a bit bias 😂
And speaking about the bobber 1200. I just had a guy trade his in for a street bob cause he really didn't care for the way it rode. I'd love to hear your take on that bike as well 👍
100%
I am a little disappointed it sounds like a Polaris snowmobile.🤣
Bee sure to watch the Bagger
Race
Someone in the comments said it’s in between Road Glide and Goldwing. I agree with that assessment. That is why I choose the Challenger.
For what they want for a Challenger here the way I would want it, I could buy a CVO Road Glide. I'll stick with Harley.
They are the same price!?!? The Challenger comes with so much more than the RG.
@@joevsfood Challenger was at the price of a CVO road glide before I finished the build. In Canada, the Harley is the hands down better buy.
@@Dustin359 I am from Canada. I disagree. But you do you brother✊🏍
I rode the darkhorse challenger and personally, I prefer the road glide.
Although Indians handle well and have more power, the Road glide doesn't feel as platicy.
PLASTICYYYYYY
Nope no way
You know what would be a good idea? Let someone else ride the bike and do the review 😀 I mean, 😒
Maybe next time review when you don’t have to complain on the situation nonstop
Road Glue
Harley boys gonna be mad
Why?
@@StretchReality They don't like when someone else likes something better than there's, even though the challenger was built to compete with the road glide or street glide.
Get Back on your FXDX !!! I have an FXD and I Love It !!! Those bikes are too Heavy !!! But Killer all day !!!
@@jessemoore7552 I was going to disagree, but the other gentlemen who commented kind of proved your point lol
this bike will not do anything to Harley this bike is a wanna be Harley, looks just like can am bikes or polaris bikes .
Challenger.....because Harley customer service is shite.