Indian Motorcycle Extending Its Cash For Clunkers Offer

IndianChief The government “Cash For Clunkers” for cars was a success, but it’s over. Indian Motorcycle had its own “Cash For Clunkers” program its 2009models and decided to extend it. It may be a great chance for some of you to get your hands on a 2009 Indian Chief. There is a $3,000 Bonus Trade-In Credit, even on demo models! The rules are as follow.

Your trade must be 1-any running & rideable street legal motorcycle 2- 100 cc or larger (No mopeds, scooters, dirt bikes) 3- Must have clear title to “clunker” 4- Newer motorcycles: get $3,000 above NADA trade-in value toward your new 2009 Indian Chief. Fine print: “Cash For Clunkers” cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer based on approved credit, purchase and delivery of any 2009 Indian Chief in stock. Program ends Saturday, November 28, 2009. Indian Motorcycle Company reserves the right to alter or terminate this program at any time at their sole discretion or whenever they feel like it. Find a dealer and check with it to see if he participates by going to Indian Motorcycle.

15 Responses to “Indian Motorcycle Extending Its Cash For Clunkers Offer”


  1. 1 dave Nov 3rd, 2009 at 2:01 pm

    I rode the new 09 chief this summer and it was absolutly unbelievable. It rode like no other softail I have been on. I will be back to get one!

  2. 2 Lyle Nov 3rd, 2009 at 2:27 pm

    You can get the 09’s on ebay right now!

  3. 3 Todd8080 Nov 3rd, 2009 at 4:10 pm

    If Harley-Davidson’s having trouble selling $20,000 bikes, it must be even harder selling Harley clones for $30,000.

    Apparently the extra ten grand is what it costs to make a clone look as little like a Harley as possible.

    If I seem a bit cynical it’s because of the entire sordid “Indian” fiasco of the last decade.

    The wholly foreign-owned Gilroy outfit “won” the right to use the Indian name in court merely by being the first of the contenders for the name to actually produce working motorcycles (the judge’s criterion), which they did by simply putting Indian tank emblems and swoopy fenders on CMC (California Motorcycle Company) Harley Softail clones that were already in production.

    Others who were making sincere efforts to produce original designs which held closer to [Springfield] Indian tradition never even had a chance, and the judge, who knew nothing about motorcycles, literally gave away the Indian name.

    So we had a stolen name on a stolen design being sold by a foreign company calling itself “Indian”. But to add insult to injury, they kept driving home the phrase “Since 1901”, as though their bikes had been in production all those years.

    Possibly out of sheer embarrassment, just before the Gilroy outfit foundered they came up with their own proprietary motor. But it didn’t take an engineer to see it was still just an Evo with a few parts reshaped. The fundamentals were all still identical.

    Fast forward to the current “Indian” manufacturer. Now we have the most expensive “Indian” ever, yet it’s still a Harley clone with swoopy fenders and a slightly reworked version of the last Gilroy motor.

    And if you look at the “new” “Indian”, you’ll see the phrase “Since 1901” on the bike itself, in several places. Puh-leeze.

    I wish this forum supported images, I’d love to post some photos of the Indians that could have been.

  4. 4 Jim C Nov 3rd, 2009 at 4:33 pm

    How about posting some links to those photos as I for one would like to see what could have been.

  5. 5 Todd8080 Nov 3rd, 2009 at 10:16 pm

    Actually they’re on my harddrive, but the best looking and likeliest contender was the Eller Indian. A few photos here:

    http://www.indiantrademark.net/t07Media/news27.html

    This subject has been discussed here at Cyril’s Blog before:

    http://www.cyrilhuzeblog.com/2007/12/19/testing-the-new-2009-indian-chief/

    http://www.cyrilhuzeblog.com/2008/07/23/former-indian-motorcycle-ceo-rey-sotelo-arrested/

    It cracks me up how RUBs bought those goofy Gilroy monstrosities with no clue or concern as to their origins, and now people are expected to repeat that idiocy with a warmed-over version of the same bike.

    Incidentally, the last real Indians built were assembled from parts in 1955 after the Springfield factory closed in 1953. They were used by the New York City Police Department.

  6. 6 Indian Rider... Nov 3rd, 2009 at 11:48 pm

    Hey Todd… i can see why you’d sit here and bash Indian.. If you can’t afford one.. Go buy a Harley.. They’ve only made their bikes devalue 43% just look it up on cyrilhuzeblog.com

    A new T shirt should read.. If you can’t Afford an Indian… Go buy a Harley.

  7. 7 Steve Kelly Nov 4th, 2009 at 8:05 am

    Germany needs an Indian dealership/importer! Anyone up for it?

  8. 8 dave Nov 4th, 2009 at 11:15 am

    Todd- Obviously you have not ridden one.

    Indian Rider- Love the t-shirt idea!

    Here is a link to a 2009 Roadmaster review.

    http://www.thunderpress.net/MONTH_ARTICLE-pdfs/2009/1009/IndianRoadmast/IndianRoadmast.shtml

  9. 9 RPM Nov 4th, 2009 at 1:10 pm

    WHY WOULD ANYONE BUY A NEW 35K MOTORCYCLE ON EBAY
    YOU MUST BE NUTS. WELL SOUNDS LIKE TODD MAYBE NUTS. HOWS YOU
    SCOOTER. TODD IF I WAS YOU I WOULD GET A JOB AND MAYBE SOMEDAY
    YOU CAN RIDE A MOTORCYCLE.

  10. 10 Todd8080 Nov 4th, 2009 at 1:15 pm

    “Hey Todd… i can see why you’d sit here and bash Indian”

    Should I be standing?

    Actually I’ve always thought Indians are great bikes. It’s a shame they stopped making them in the Fifties.

    Concerning the new counterfeit “Indians”, I’m sure they’re in the realm of Harley quality, since Harley did all their R&D for them many years ago. And if someone’s gullible enough to buy into the hype and pay top dollar for a set of swoopy fenders on a Harley clone, it’s their money to waste.

    But to call these bikes Indians or to even condone representing them as having any connection whatsoever to the real Springfield Indian is an insult to the marque (and to Harley for that matter).

    Their use of the phrase “Since 1901” is particularly galling. In case you also don’t understand the meaning of the word “since”, here’s how the dictionary defines it:

    Since – adverb

    1. From then till now
    2. Between a particular past time and the present; subsequently
    3. Continuously from or counting from

    Incidentally, reproduction Indian fenders have always been available since the Fifties, and many people have stuck them on Harleys over the years. It’s not a new concept. Peddling them ready-made to RUBs is a relatively new idea, though.

    “if you can’t afford one”

    Is that what this is about? Who can spend the most and get the least? I confess, you win that contest.

    If I wanted a fake Indian based on an Evo, it would be a simple matter for me to just build one (for an example of my fabricating skills, see the five-page spread on page 54 of the current issue of American-V Magazine).

    But honestly, who in their right mind would want a fake Indian? That’s the real question.

  11. 11 Lyle Nov 4th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

    I would have to agree with Todd. Not so much that they are using a Harley design (a new company needs to start somewhere) but mainly the fact they are hyping “Since 1901” (un-true) and “America’s First Motorcycle” (Again untrue as there were several manufacturers producing hundreds of bikes before Indian in 1901).
    I could take them more seriously if it weren’t for all the false advertizing. Just goes to show that people will believe what they want to believe. Having said all that, I do wish the company well and hopefully, they can pull an entirely new motorcycle together once they get established. On an interesting sidenote, it must be pointed out that Indian didn’t sell a complete motorcycle until 1902 and Harley didn’t until around 1905. So it seems that some of this has been going on awhile…..

  12. 12 arizona Nov 4th, 2009 at 3:22 pm

    Only those with envy criticize.

  13. 13 RPM Nov 5th, 2009 at 12:45 pm

    THATS CORRECT ARIZONA, LOOK AT EB CHESTERS IN MESA ARIZONA
    HE OWNS HOW MANY HARLEY DEALERSHIPS?? AND PUT A INDIAN STORE NEXT DOOR TO HIS HARLEY STORE, AND SOON TO BE IN VEGAS. ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE.
    I BOUGHT A NEW 2009 INDIAN AND I WONDER WHY EVERYONE GOES NUTS WHEN THEY SEE IT, ITS BECAUSE THE BIKES ARE FIRST CLASS AND NOT EVERYONE HAS ONE. DONT BAD MOUTH A GOOD THING.

  1. 1 Indian Motorcycle Extending Its Cash For Clunkers Offer at Cyril … | Cash For Clunkers Pingback on Nov 3rd, 2009 at 4:38 pm
  2. 2 Tweets that mention Indian Motorcycle Extending Its Cash For Clunkers Offer at Cyril Huze Blog -- Topsy.com Pingback on Nov 4th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Comments are currently closed.
Cyril Huze