For more than five decades, ‘The World’s Fastest Indian’ remained the highly modified Scout of legendary Kiwi racer Burt Munro. The fact that the record stood for so long is incredible; that it was done on a machine that left the production line in 1920 is remarkable. But now a new top speed has been set, as Indian Motorcycles themselves recently ventured to the salt flats of Bonneville, with their incredible ‘King of the Baggers’ Challenger. Piloted by two-time series champion Tyler O’Hara, the goal was never to beat Burt, but instead to pay tribute to the legend by returning to those hallowed grounds and prove just how important racing is to the big American company. And with the throttle pinned, O’Hara honoured the masters of old, with a new AMA 2000cc APS-AG record of 194.384 mph.
Racing has always been a huge part of the Indian brand, the oldest American motorcycle company, and they’ve always done it bloody well. At the start of the 20th century, they hit the board tracks and ventured to the Isle of Man TT to show the world what their bikes could do. In the ’50s, the original Wrecking Crew was born in the heyday of Flat Track, and announced once again that when the brand put their mind to it, they could dominate with ease. So, it made perfect sense that when the company was rebuilt in the 21stcentury, a return to the dirt would deliver domination and an undeniable way for dealers to promote their road-going product.
The FTR quickly established itself as the daemon of the dirt, as a new Wrecking Crew led by Jared Mees took out one title after another. But let’s be honest, Indian is a big bike brand, you won’t find them selling little singles or scooters any time soon! And to prove that even their big, bold and beautiful long-distance touring bikes pack plenty of performance, entry into the King of the Baggers race series was a no-brainer. Partnering with their long-term helpers in horsepower, S&S Cycles, Indian has given Harley-Davidson a hell of a time, with O’Hara a two-time champ and Aussie Troy Herfoss winning the crown in 2024.
So, with the 2025 series nearly over, an idea started to get floated around. “Bonneville is hallowed ground, not just for Indian Motorcycle, but for all of motorsports. Our engineers and partners at S&S have spent decades chasing speed on the salt flats, and we’ve long talked about seeing what our King of the Baggers Indian Challenger could do there. While we’re proud to have broken a record, this effort was about more than setting a land speed mark, it was about honouring the legends who came before us and pushing ourselves to go as fast as we could.” Gary Gray, Vice President of Product Technology, Racing, and Service for Indian Motorcycle
And as Gary explains, this was never about setting some crazy speed, although nearly 200mph is insanely fast; it was more an exercise in proving what their road racing machine could do out on the salt. If they wanted to, there is no doubt Indian and S&S could build a streamliner with a dedicated land speed engine package and go much faster, but you can tell by the way this effort was approached that it was more about having a hell of a lot of fun. Climbing aboard his tweaked race bike, Tyler had a new seat to lock him in place for the straight line haul, largely made of black race tape and completed with a cheeky printed photo of him placed on there by the crew.
But make no mistake, the Challenger race bike is a serious piece of kit, and it all starts with the PowerPlus 60° V-twin engine, which packs a stout 112ci and high 13.0:1 compression ratio. S&S have always built incredible engines, and in addition to porting and flowing the heads, the cams and billet adjustable rocker arms also come from their impressive catalogue of parts. The massive 78mm intake is another S&S part, and like their full 2 into 1 race exhaust system, it’s all designed and created with the latest in high-tech manufacturing processes and materials.
The supporting components are all as good as it gets, from the same companies that supply MotoGP and WSBK. The fully adjustable Ohlins inverted forks allow the suspension to be dialled in to the rider’s exacting demands, and they’re held in place by some of the beefiest CNC-machined billet alloy triple clamps we’ve ever seen. That work is all performed by S&S themselves, who also build the stunning alloy swingarm, which is itself controlled by an Ohlins TTX shock. Forged aluminium 17-inch rims keep the unsprung mass low, and all the best bits from Brembo take care of stopping duties. There are advanced electronics and data logging onboard, and the bodywork is largely carbon fibre. But there had to be a few subtle tweaks for a high-speed run on the salt.
The bodywork, now in brilliant white, is tailored ever so slightly for the job, with a much larger front fender providing improved aero. The fairing sits a little lower, and a 3D printed filler cap section allows Tyler to get tucked right in. Time to set a number, and with the motorsport mad CEO of Mission Foods, the naming right sponsor having made the trek to the salt with the team, Tyler opened up the big bagger for a run. 188mph with ease, before further runs of 192 and 196 gave an average speed of 194.384mph to set an all-new AMA 2000cc APS-AG record, previously held by J. Angerer on his Triumph with a 169mph back in 1972. If you can survive, let alone succeed at Bonneville, you can do it anywhere, and for Indian, this is one huge tick for their product, not to mention a scary statement to their competition!