Indian’s Darkly Dazzling New Touring Motorcycle Draws on Century-Old Military Vibes

While Indian’s best-selling and best-known bike is the unbelievably versatile, affordable and recently rebooted Scout mid-size cruiser, the brand excels at big baggers and touring bikes too.

When it really wants to flex, it rolls out Elite editions of these bikes, which really splash the cash to produce rides that turn heads with both their looks and their performance.

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Just such a phenomenon is going on this week, as Indian announced two stunning new 2025 Elites: the recently covered Challenger bagger and today’s headliner, the latest Pursuit Elite touring bike. 

Packed with historical inspiration, aesthetic flair, cushy accoutrements and performance bona fides, it’s one of the most luxurious bikes Indian has ever released. Let’s take a closer look.

Army strong

Starting with the appearance, you’ll notice the preponderance of dark green in the tritone paint job, and despite its iridescent quality, its roots are rugged.

See, as the brand itself tells it, the stylistic inspiration dates back to World War I times — 1916 to be exact — when Indian produced 20,000 PowerPlus motorcycles for the U.S. Army. 

Beyond the bling, which takes 24 hours to complete, much of the rest of this bike’s appearance draws from Indian’s blacked-out Dark Horse editions — from the upholstery to the engine covers to the exhaust pipes.

Consequently, it manages to look pretty badass even with all that shimmer. 

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Considering the fact that the brand’s recently introduced marquee engine also carries the name PowerPlus, an additional nod to the brand’s heritage is just kind of built right in. 

That said, I’m betting this similarly monikered power plant carries a bit more oomph than those 1916 bikes.

Fit for a King

After all, the PowerPlus 112 emerged from Indian’s King of the Baggers factory race team, which won the championship in 2022 and 2024.

Such accolades make it hard to dispute the brand’s claim that it “represents the future of American V-Twin performance.”

Backing it up is what it actually delivers — 126 horsepower and 133 ft-lbs of torque — enabling this massive moto (944 pounds wet) to make speedy passes in every gear.

Behind the bars of such a behemoth, it’s comforting to know that Indian has outfitted the bike with state-of-the-art safety features. 

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These include inverted performance forks and dual radial Brembo brakes, plus a Pathfinder Adaptive LED Headlight, Driving Lights, and Pathfinder Auxiliary LED Saddlebag Lights to maximize visibility for both you and everyone else on the road.

The Pursuit Elite also comes with the full Rider Assist package, a bundle of convenience and safety features that make riding a big-ass bike like this one easier and safer than ever. 

(If you are so inclined, I dig into the details in this article about the 2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus published early this year.)

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I would be remiss to conclude before mentioning that, true to its standing as the top of the line, the new Pursuit Elite is a champ when it comes to storage, comfort and sound too. 

The three remote-locking saddlebags offer 36-plus gallons of storage while the green color-matched, stitched seat is heated, as are the handgrips. 

Meanwhile, the PowerBand Audio system boasts six 100-watt speakers and a nine-band dynamic equalizer for the most immersive listening experience you can have on two wheels.

Just to be ironic, I recommend blasting “War Pigs” as you blast down the highway.

Availability and pricing

The 2025 Indian Pursuit Elite begins shipping to dealers this month. Only 250 units will be produced, and pricing starts at $44,999.

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2025 Indian Pursuit Elite

• $44,999 at Indian Motorcycle

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