Indian's Springfield and Chieftain are driving a new American motorcycle rivalry with Harley-Davidson

Hollis Johnson

Since Polaris Industries acquired the storied Indian Motorcycle nameplate in 2011, the Minnesota-based powersports company has been working hard to revive Indian, which was founded in 1901 and has seen more than its share of ups and downs in the past 115 years.

Indian swung by Business Insider's New York headquarters last year (it wasn't the first time) to show off a couple of its most visually impressive bikes: the Springfield and the Chieftain Dark Horse, both "bagger" cruising or touring bikes that aren't designed for single-day weekend rides, but rather for extended getaways. These are the SUVs of the motorcycle world, and both bikes can carry a passenger.

If you're into fast sport bikes or some of the newer cafe-racer-type rides, these motorcycles are going to see too "old guy" for your tastes.

But if you just want to roll large down the highway or across some scenic back roads, hefty machines like these are the ticket. Interestingly, as big as they are (around 700 pounds), they're designed to be easy to handle. And they're a lot more relaxing that your average Yamaha or Suzuki sport rocket.

Check 'em out:

Photos by Hollis Johnson.