TO COMMEMORATE WINNING THE KING of Baggers race series, Indian Motorcycles and S&S Cycle have done something extraordinary. They have produced a limited-edition run of 29 exclusive Challenger RR races bikes, exact copies of the beasts on which Tyler O'Hara won the 2022 Championship (and Jerry McWilliams won the dramatic Daytona race in the same year). Yes, you can buy this monster-but you will have to shell out $92,299 (Rs 75.68 lakh).
This is not a watered-down version of a race bike, all sharp edges sanded down for public consumption, but a ready-to-race replica. That means years of track development, completely new suspension, wheels, braking, and chassis, plus a big-bore 60-degree V-twin enhanced from 1,768 cubic centimetres to 1,834 cc.
And it is a phenomenal motorcycle: one that weighs some 281 kilograms yet is capable of speeds on the Daytona banking of over 290 km/h and is able to lap within a few seconds of the top runners in AMA Superbike. All this, despite being based on Indian's Challenger, one of the most laid-back baggers on the planet complete with 6.5-inch speakers for blasting tunes at fellow tourers along Route 66. In fact, the transformation of 361 kg of prime American beef designed to run on a 19-inch front wheel and a 16-inch rear one into a crazy-fast track tool is beyond genius or comedy or reason. The result beyond compare.
The original MotoAmerica King of Baggers race that ran back in October 2020 was not meant to be too serious; converting laid-back American baggers into race bikes was meant as a fun idea and one-off spectacle. But the best-selling bikes in the United States of America are baggers, car parks are littered with them with sports bikes relatively thin on the ground these days, and that first race was a huge success, creating a social media storm as video emerged of a grid full of faired and bagged V-twin behemoths thundering into Turn One.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 2023-Ausgabe von Bike India.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 2023-Ausgabe von Bike India.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
IT'S ALL ABOUT REAR GRIP
Ducati dominated MotoGP like never before last season and will probably do the same in 2025 because Aprilia, KTM, Honda, and Yamaha cannot make MotoGP's latest rear slick work
Hero Mavrick 440
SINCE IT CAME INTO my clutches, I have been guarding the Mavrick 440's keys rather jealously. I loathe to even think of returning it, though that is inevitable some time in the future.
It is Good to be different
When it comes to choosing a Husqvarna, you are spoilt for choice these days thanks to the KTM-owned manufacturer's habit of providing not just one but two variants of each new model. Should you opt for a single-cylinder 125 or 401 or this, the all-new twin-cylinder 801, you get a brace of options: Vitpilen or Svartpilen. Essentially the same bike but in different clothes and with a subtly different attitude to life. It is a proven recipe that has served Husqvarna well for the last 10 years
Electronic Nannies Put to Test
How good are the electronics on Ducati's Panigale V4S? Here is the answer following a ride in wet conditions on an Italian racetrack and subsequent minute data analysis
A Timely and Welcome Update
The Ather 450X is almost 12 years old now and it was in need of some changes. Are the ones brought about sufficient? We went to Bengaluru to find that out
For Everything and Everyday
Juggling is tricky but there are some who do it well. How good is the Xtreme 125R at this?
Cranking up the Soul
In the fourth edition of TVS MotoSoul, the brand had all their guns loaded for a fun and action-packed festival. Here is all we witnessed at this two-day celebration
Writing a New Chapter
The Guerrilla 450 signifies a new direction for Royal Enfield. One that looks promising
Ticks All the Boxes
It is probably not too contentious to say that Triumph, the “new” Triumph, the one that re-invented the marque in 1983 and grew into one of British engineering’s great modern success stories, do retros rather well. With a large back catalogue of iconic “old” Triumphs to reinvent, the Hinckley factory has made a habit of plucking some of the most evocative model names from the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, carefully updating their styling without offending the nostalgia glands, injecting very modern performance and road manners, and then watching them sail out of showrooms. But few, we suggest, have been done as well as this
Bagnaia Wins the Battle; Martin Wins the War
Despite Bagnaia's best efforts, Martin hung on to third place on Sunday to seal the deal and take home the champion's trophy at the conclusion of a long 2024 season
