Indian Motorcycle carries its flagship dresser line, the Roadmaster family, over into 2023 with a short handful of improvements on an already top-shelf touring machine. A new clutch, an LED headlight, and some heated goodies here and there improve its utility as an all-year commuter, tourbike, and superb grocery-getter, with enough storage to make the run to the store a worthwhile venture.
You'll arrive in style with a couple of colorways and ad infotainment system that even lets you announce your presence with your own intro music like a WWE star, if you're into that sort of thing. This thing is a beast of a bike, with a large front fairing, fairings lower down on the engine guards, plus a steeply raked windshield that still provided excellent pilot protection in inclement weather.
The luxurious seating extends to the passenger for long-distance comfort, with ample dry storage for gear, groceries, and long-distance touring needs. This bike also carries a beefed-up engine with the Thunderstroke 116 (now in it's fourth year) on board for better-than-average performance in general, especially in this heavy class of machines.
2023 Indian Roadmaster Performance And Capability
Indian's Thunderstroke 116 V-twin delivers the goods, which is the most important thing, but it also makes a serious contribution to the Roadmaster's old-school chops with its flathead-esque design. The rocker boxes bear (faux) cooling fins to reinforce that side-valve style, and come paired with parallel pushrod tubes to complete the illusion. It's a long-stroke plant with a 103.2 mm bore and 113 mm stroke to give it a 1,890 CCs (or 116-cu.in.) total displacement and middling 11-to-1 compression ratio that'll happily and more affordably drink from the middle hook.
The 2023 Indian Roadmaster base model produces 92 horsepower and 126 pound-feet of torque. It's a big V-twin, so it's expected to be torquey, but still, those are impressive numbers. They will definitely register on the ol' heinie dyno, and pull this big girl out of the hole with authority. That torque number comes on relatively low at 2,900 rpm, so you can count on a major portion of the overall torque as soon as you roll on, which is just the thing to prevent stalling on takeoff.
Power flows through a gear-type primary drive, and new for this year, all Thunderstroke models rock a slip-and-assist clutch for the anti-hop and anti-backtorque properties it brings to the table. A six-speed transmission and carbon-reinforced belt drive complete the drivetrain, with claimed Roadmaster top speed of 115 MPH. This engine also has Indian's Rear-Cylinder Deactivation feature, meant to reduce heat accumulation and the heat wash felt by the rider in slow traffic, or areas with lots of stop signs, lights, and significant wait times at each stop.
The RIDE COMMAND feature adds Indian's infotainment package to the mix with navigation support and Apple CarPlay functionality, so you can take your jams with you out on the road. For 2023 Indian offers a trial period of RIDE COMMAND+.
Design
This Roadmaster is the quintessential American tourbike. Steeped in history from stem to stern, it has a solid pedigree that is reveals itseld through a number of Easter eggs. The first one out of the gate is a full front fender complete with skirted sides that owe its design to sheet metal from almost a century ago. Another is the chrome war bonnet headdress fender ornament that has long adorned Indian motorcycles.
The barn door fairing punches a generous hole in the weather, and comes with a push button-adjustable windscreen that lets you dial in the position of the upper edge of the wind pocket to suit your size and the conditions. A chrome shield adds some bling to the front with small pimp lights, and a new LED headlamp that casts a wider field for improved nighttime visibility and situational awareness.
Behind the glass, the TFT screen measures seven inches corner to corner, and it handles everything except the speedometer and tach, both of which are in small round analog gauges set just outboard of the touchscreen display. Further outboard yet is the speakers that ensure that you have enough wattage to go around. There's also a speed sensor for the stereo, so it turns itself down at stops and isn't blasting you at idle, and you aren't that guy to the surrounding pedestrians and vehicles.
The sumptuous saddle rides at only 26.5 inches off the deck, which should accommodate fairly short riders, and be rather confidence inspiring once you deploy your lamborfeeties at stops or when padding around the parking lot. For a bike this big, though, a reverse function would add a lot.
A wide pillion throne comes with a full backrest, complete with armrests. Individual heat controls and fold-up footboards complete the passenger's amenities. The hard bags and top case add up to just over 36 gallons of dry, lockable storage, plus whatever you can bungee to the little luggage rack atop the trunk.
Specs & Dimensions
Length | 104.6 in |
Width | 40.2 in |
Height | 55.7 in |
Seat Height | 26.5 in |
Wheelbase | 65.7 in |
Ground Clearance | 5.5 in |
Fuel Capacity | 5.5 gal |
Curb Weight | 909 lbs |
Dry Weight | 877 lbs |
Chassis
This traditional touring build rides on a double-downtube/dual-cradle frame that relies on a beefy backbone for most of its strength. It completely supports the Roadmaster's engine rather than using it as a stressed member to complete the structure. The steering head sets a rake angle of 25 degrees, which is a fairly nimble figure, but the long, 5.9 inches of trail means it will track well and won't wear you out while riding in crosswinds or dealing with the pressure waves of the surrounding traffic on the superslab.
A set of fat, 46 mm forks float the front end on 4.7 inches of travel, while out back, a monoshock turns out 4.5 inches of travel with air adjust that lets you compensate for changing cargo and passenger loads. Such travel numbers point to a plush ride that should be forgiving enough as long as you keep to the civilized roads.
Indian's Highlight Machine Tour wheels round out the rolling chassis with style. They come shod with Metzeler Cruisetec hoops in a 130/80-17 ahead of a 180/60-16, all with an “H” speed rating that will handle the Roadmaster's top speed with room to spare. Dual front discs and four-bore calipers slow the front wheel with a twin-pot binder out back, and 300 mm discs all around. ABS comes stock to let you safely get the most out of your anchors.
Chassis & Suspension
Front Suspension/ Travel | 46 mm telescopic fork/ 4.7 in |
Rear Suspension | Single Shock w/ Air adjust/ 4.5 in |
Rake | 25° |
Trail | 5.9 in |
Lean Angle | 31° |
Front Wheel | Highlight Machine Tour 17 in x 3.5 in |
Rear Wheel | Highlight Machine Tour 16 in x 5 in |
Front Tire | Metzeler Cruisetec 130/80B17 65H |
Rear Tire | Metzeler Cruisetec 180/60R16 80H |
Front Brake | Dual 300 mm Floating Rotor, 4-Piston Caliper |
Rear Brake | 300 mm Floating Rotor, 2-Piston Caliper |
2023 Indian Roadmaster Price And Availability
MSRP on the 2023 Indian Roadmaster base model starts at $31,499. It comes in all Black Metallic for that price, which with the chrome bits, makes it look kinda' like a bad guy in a western. There's a really nice-looking colorway up the price scale a little bit at the $32,999 mark with Silver Quartz Metallic over Bronze Pearl Metallic finish that I think is right on point, even if it costs more.
Pricing & Features
Features | Seven-inch TFT w/ RIDE COMMAND, 1-year trial of RIDE COMMAND+ |
Warranty | Two Years, Unlimited Miles |
Colors | Black Metallic, Bronze Pearl Metallic/Silver Quartz Metallic |
Price | $31,499, Two-tone: $32,999 |
Competitors
There's just no way around it. A bike like this can have but one competitor, its longtime domestic foe Harley-Davidson with its Ultra Limited.
Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited
H-D turns out a fully-dressed tourbike with all the expected bells and whistles to give Indian a run for its money. The MoCo has its own long history to draw upon with Easter eggs all its own scattered throughout.
A slightly trimmer fairing leads the way with proper pimp lights and LED headlight, though Harley's windshield is non-adjustable, so it is what it is. The Ultra Limited packs 114 cubic inches with 122 pounds o' grunt to more or less break even with the Roadmaster.
H-D has its own robust infotainment system with all the expected features, plus the rider safety enhancements are available as well, but only as a $1,100 optional bundle. Keep that in mind at the checkout. Harley gets $29,799 for its own Vivid Black package, but the King of Paint flexes its muscle with a well-populated paint list that can drive the price as high as $33,594 for it's two-tone over black colorway.
He Said
“Well I mean, what's not to like? It's got comfort, power in spades, and electronics galore with a classical look that is a slice of pure Americana. The fancy engine is a real bonus, especially if you are familiar with the old flatties, but the real selling point is the power it puts out. This is a lot of bike for only the most serious about their touring capabilities.”
She Said
My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says,
“A Big Bore kit was available to make the Thunderstroke 111 into a Thunderstroke 116, but when Indian put the 116 into production, they put it in the Roadmaster in 2020. It makes a nice ride. Power delivery is smooth with ample torque down low to get this big bike moving. The Roadmaster is old-school elegance with modern performance-focused innards.”
FAQ
Q: Does Indian still make the Roadmaster?
For 2023 Indian Motorcycle offers three variants of its flagship Roadmaster full-touring motorcycle. The base Roadmaster starts at $31,499, the Roadmaster Dark Horse starts at $31,999, and the Roadmaster Limited starts at $31,749.
Q: What is the gas mileage of Indian Roadmaster?
Equipped with the Thunderstroke 116 engine, the claimed fuel economy of the Indian Roadmaster is 43 MPG.
Q: Are Indian motorcycles made by Harley Davidson?
Indian Motorcycle started in 1901 as the Hendee Manufacturing Company, changing the name to Indian Motorcycle in 1923. Indian Motorcycle shut its doors in 1953 and was resurrected in 2011 by Polaris Industries. While it's a fellow American motorcycle company seeped in rich history, Indian Motorcycle is not owned by Harley-Davidson.
Q: Are Indian motorcycles 100 percent American made?
All Indian motorcycle models are currently made in their Spirit Lake, Iowa plant. As is the case with other motorcycle manufacturers, however, many components are manufactured outside the U.S. to Indian's specifications and then shipped to Spirit Lake for assembly.