[rsheidler]

Too bad, but I saw it coming.



As some of us here were saying a few weeks back, introducing a new motorcycle company is a huge endeavor even for a large, established company (eg Polaris) with access to capital and manufacturing technology.



I have to believe that the size of the market for high-end 4-stroke dirt bikes is sufficiently small that it would have been a real uphill battle for even a really well funded venture. ATK seems to be making it work,although I have no idea of how financially successful they are with it. They also outsource motors to Rotax, which cuts their own exposure.



Possibly if they had actually been able to get bikes to market when originally planned (when the dotcom and high tech boom created enough paper millionaires in the market for high-end toys) they might have had a shot.



Too bad, they had some really innovative ideas.



Bob

 

[rsheidler]

Looks likely. The clear goal of the reorg plan is to protect the (apparently) successful bicycle division. Looks like their main creditors are on board with the reorg plan, so, assuming that the bicycle business itself was financially sound, the Chapter 11 filing should allow that to continue without disruption.

 

[rsheidler]

Unfortunately, I have seen that happen far too often in business -- that is one of the big risks in diversifying ourside your core competency. Even if you have the capital etc, the new venture understandably gets most of management's attention and the core business often goes to Hell!



By the way, I LOVE your name!



Bob

 

[rsheidler]

I would think Polaris might be less at risk because it is better funded, and is closer to the core business.



Still, the economy is not optimum for someone trying to break into an established field, with what are, for most of us, expensive toys. I would not invest my money in a project which was tackling Harley or Ducati head on.



I would not be surprised to see Indian in Chapter 11 (if not 7) in the near future (note, this is not based on any financial analysis, just a sense of the marketplace).

 

[rsheidler]

I didn't mean to suggest that it served them right. It was, however, always a risky venture. But nobody ever got very far without taking risks.



I was excited when they kicked off the project and badly wanted it to succeed. I think if they had been able to get the bike to market within the originally planned timeframe, they could have had a shot at success.



I do think their decision to produce their own engine was the key failure (in hindsight, I admit). That was the part of the whole project that went furthest outside of their expertise. If they had, at least initially, gone with a Rotax (or Yamaha) single, they would have been able to have bikes in the showrooms early on.



I agree that the business model probably made more sense than E-Hs or Indian's.



Cheers



Bob

 

[rsheidler]

Re: Polaris MX

Same is true in the mountain areas here in the west -- lots of MX/Snowmobile crossover. Might be a real match. If they haven't thought of it already, maybe we should try broker a deal and get a cut of the action.

Bob

 

[rsheidler]

Yeah, they have their own motor if you consider restyling the cooling fins on a Harley-clone motor as being their own motor.



All the way around, the Drifter is a better Indian.



My grandfather rode an Indian back in the late 30s -- the only motorcyclist in my family tree. Guess it was a recessive gene, cause only my sister and I inherited it, out of probably 100+ of his descendants. My sister has better sense than I do, though -- she bought a 1200 Bandit rather than p!ssing away her money on an obsolete piece of Italian Vtwin crap like I did!