Where Are Indian Motorcycle Engines Built & How Many Different Ones Do They Produce?

Indian Motorcycle bills itself as "America's first motorcycle company," but although Indian predates Harley Davidson by two years, Indian's lineage has been interrupted by breaks in production and ownership changes. Indian has a long-held reputation for producing fast motorcycles, and some classic Indian motorcycles are worth $200,000 or more. Indian has been owned by Polaris since 2011, and its current lineup includes more than a dozen models. Many of them are powered by Indian's own V-twin engines, with the notable exception being the eFTR series of electric-powered bikes. 

Polaris touts its U.S.-based origins and operations, as does the Indian brand. But where are Indian motorcycle engines made, and how many different versions do they produce?

For motorcycles sold in the United States, Indian makes engines in Osceola, Wisconsin, based on designs crafted in Wyoming, Minnesota. Much of the production for European market Indian motorcycles is done in Opole, Poland, in an effort to avoid European Union tariffs. In 2022, Polaris built a manufacturing plant in Hosur, India, to help gain a foothold in that market as well. Indian models sold in its quasi-namesake country include the Scout, Scout Bobber, and Scout Sixty. That same year, Indian opened up a new assembly plant in Hungary while maintaining its half-milllion-square-foot plant in Spirit Lake, Iowa. 

Among a gas-fueled engine lineup that consists of six different models, Indian's most powerful engine is the PowerPlus 108, which produces 122 horsepower from 108 cubic inches (1,770 cubic centimeters) of displacement. If you buy an Indian Challenger or Pursuit model, you can get it with the PowerPlus 108. 

While it packs the biggest punch, it's far from Indian's biggest available engine. That honor goes to the Thunderstroke 116, which was also introduced in 2019. That beast generates 126 foot-pounds of torque from its 116 cubic inches (1,901 cubic centimeters) of displacement. You can get a Thunderstroke 116 on a wide array of Indian bikes, including the Chieftain Dark Horse, Roadmaster, Roadmaster Dark Horse, Super Chief Limited, and Sport Chief.

Next up is the  Thunderstroke 111, which, as the name implies, displaces 111 cubic inches (1,819 cubic centimeters). First introduced in 2013, the Thunderstroke 111 puts out up to 119 foot-pounds of torque. It can be found underneath the gas tank on Chieftain, Indian Springfield, Chief, Chief Bobber, and Super Chief models.

Indian makes three smaller engines as well. The Speedplus 1250 displaces 1,250 cubic centimeters and produces as much as 111 horsepower and 82 foot-pounds of torque. It's new for the 2025 model year and is found on the Scout Classic, Super Scout, Sport Scout, 101 Scout, and Scout Bobber. 

The next smallest engine in Indian's lineup is the 1,203 cubic centimeter FTR (Flat Track Racing) V-twin, which produces 120 horsepower and 87 foot-pounds of torque. The FTR series engine was introduced in 2018 and is used on Indian's three FTR model bikes: the FTR, the FTR Sport, and the FTR R Carbon. 

Indian's smallest engine is the Scout Sixty, a 60 cubic inch (983 cubic centimeter) V-twin that generates 78 horsepower and 65 foot-pounds of torque. This engine has been in production since 2015 and comes on the entire Scout Sixty line: the Scout Sixty, Scout Bobber Sixty, and Scout Rogue Sixty.