There has always been something special about a big torquey V-Twin, and for a long time, one company ruled the roost. But the rise and rise of Indian Motorcycle has been nothing short of remarkable, and as we power into 2025, the first American Motorcycle Company is back on top in a big way. A host of new machines have been brilliant bikes, and the Sport Chief released two years ago with its excellent twin down-tube frame and that torque monster Thunderstroke 116 engine, air-cooled for pure packaging, is one of the best! But the all-new 2025 Indian Sport Chief RT might just be the greatest performance cruiser ever released. And what better way to celebrate than with a European custom bike build-off, with the continent’s top Indian dealers delivering the ‘First 6’ collection of club-style hot rods, unveiled over the weekend at the Moto Bike Expo in Verona.

Building on the success of the Sport Chief, the RT takes things to all-new levels and helping the rider make the most of all that V-Twin power is a key part of the upgrades. At the front, you get a set of plush 43mm KYB inverted forks, and the rear sports a set of trick Fox piggyback-style shocks, with 23 clicks of adjustment. Braking is now bang on too, with big Brembo four-piston calipers clamping a large twin-disc setup, finally giving a cruiser the mega stopping power to literally ride the brakes off the thing. There is a host of modern tech and plenty of storage space, but for Ola Stenegärd, a renowned customiser and Director of Design for Indian Motorcycle, the ‘First 6’ is a passion project that links directly to a key principle of the factory design team – customising is key.

“When we’re designing, we’re always keeping customisers in our minds to ensure that the bikes we produce are as easy to work on as we can make them. The ‘First 6’ really is the fruit of that process and, as ever, I’m totally blown away by the results, especially with the really short time our dealers had to create these bikes from the sketches they presented during the selection process,” said Stenegärd. “The level of paintwork is next-level, and the close-up details are off the wall. With every viewing, you find something new on each build.” And when Ola says the dealers were short on time, he’s not joking, with each having just six weeks to transform their Sport Chief RT.

AMERICAN GRAFFITI – Indian Motorcycle Praha, Czech Republic
Indian has always had a huge presence in Prague, with the original dealer, Frantisek Marik, selling more than 6500 motorcycles for the company in the 1920s. Now, Indian Motorcycle Praha proudly continues that tradition, and they sure know how to build a bike. Everyone on the team is a racer, so the theme was easy to select – an American track star with a look that is unapologetically in your face.

You can see the NHRA/NASCAR look combined with the club style everywhere you look on this stunning piece of eye candy. The yellow paint and graphics package are out of this world, and the logos make it easy to imagine this racer lined up at the Christmas tree, ready to cut a light. The performance has been beefed up with that beautiful custom stainless exhaust and big K&N filter, and the rear lights mounted into the luggage is an inspired choice.

BASTARD – MotoStrada Porto, Portugal
An exclusively Indian dealer for the last ten years, MotoStrada has built their reputation for offering a personal approach, which sees its clients treated like family. And like so many dealers these days, their passion for custom bikes is off the charts. So, on receipt of their new Sport Chief RT, they wanted to show just what a brilliant performance bike they can build, taking large inspiration from the booming King of the Baggers and Superhooligan racing series’.

To achieve their goal, they’ve used a heavy mix of genuine accessories and parts, and pieces from some of the industry’s leaders in the aftermarket. Ohlins front forks and big Brembo brakes get the pointy end dialled in, and it’s a set of Ohlins piggyback shocks with the remote reservoirs mounted for all to see. To reduce the unsprung mass, a stunning set of Kineo spoked wheels joins the party, and that big bore exhaust is no joke! The paint and panel work is again exceptional, with a mix of carbon fibre and race-inspired graphics, and the stock high-bolstered seat is upholstered to perfection.

HOKA KEY – Styrian Motor Cycle, Austria
Markus Krasser has been selling the Indian product for much of its modern era, and his South Austrian team jumped all over the club-style brief. If a new Sons of Anarchy were being made, this would be the star of the show, and the factory front cowl, smoked-out screen, and Indian-optioned 10-inch risers all get things off to a racing start.

But there are some really clever tricks on this Sport Chief, with the side mount induction making a roaring noise and looking the part doing it. The paint scheme is another showstopper, the black boldly highlighting the bike’s key details, while the white and candy apple green bring the whole thing to life. Add the custom graphics and the handmade badges, and you have to wonder how on earth they got this done in six weeks, let alone all the neat green anodized additions.

NO COMPLY SOCIETY – Krazy Horse, United Kingdom
Krazy Horse is not just a motorcycle dealership but a British institution and they’ve been in the bike game for more than a generation. For the last thirty years, it’s where motorcycle royalty, celebrities, and guys and girls like you and I have come to rub shoulders and share a love for two wheels. They’ve built some wild bikes in their time, and for the ‘First 6’ competition, they wanted to show they’re always thinking outside the box.

The panel work is finished like a Willi Rondas oil painting. You can see it pop off the canvas, and it makes you want to touch it. This draws the viewer in, and now you can appreciate all of the little touches like the vintage gold parts and pieces that help to set it all off. And it’s the gold that really helps to show just how nice the factory wheels are, with the wave-pattern discs, gorgeous stainless pipes, and trick seat, all adding to the drama of this head-turning masterpiece.

THE QWETCHER – Biker Syndicate, Switzerland
When you’ve been in business since 1992, you know you’re serving your customers right, and Biker Syndicate just gets bigger by the year. “The Qwetcher pays homage to Biker Syndicate’s roots in the canton of Vaud. In the Vaudois dialect, ‘qwetcher’ means ‘to mumble’, an authentic term that echoes pride in being true patriots. For them, The Qwetcher evokes these murmurs, these little noises that come to life, as the motorcycle mumbles its history and its personality to the biker who rides it.”

More restrained than much of their competition, the Swiss team set out to show off the on-road performance of the Sport Chief RT, and its ability to carve the curves of The Alps with the best of them. Relying heavily on genuine parts and accessories, this is a motorcycle that you could build largely from the Indian factory catalogue, then adding glorious paint, a blade-like fender, and only the need for a free spirit to enjoy the long and winding road.

TOP FUEL – Indian Motorcycle Metz, France
Last but certainly not least are our old friends at Indian Metz, who have built some of the very best race-inspired Indian FTRs that we’ve ever featured. And whether it’s been a dirt track look or grand prix graphics of old, we knew based on the past the guys would go for a track-focused combination. And as the name suggests, their Indian combines the very best of the wild vibe that is the NHRA, with a race-bagger aesthetic.

There is absolutely no missing the purple people eater paint scheme, and the yellow is the perfect partner in crime. This means going to Ohlins shocks front and rear was a no-brainer, and the mounting of the remote reservoirs at the rear only adds to the sense of theatre. The club style is right there with the big risers behind the colour-tinted screen, and the booming exhaust shows off the Thunderstroke 116 engine like no other. To vote for your favourite from the “First 6,” simply visit Indian Motorcycle Contest.