Motorcycle specifications Indian1800 Challenger RR 2023 Fat & Furious

Fat! Not Fast.
the "King of the Bagger" is a very special interpretation of competition. Putting big, heavy, bulky custom-GTs on the racetrack to use the slider and slam the clock!?!! Something's not quite right.

other peculiarities: a minimum weight of 288 kilos imposed by the regulations; a huge engine designed for cruising, weighing in at 80 kilos; a chassis as long as a boat; compulsory panniers with a minimum capacity of 36 liters. And yet, these machines pack a punch. So much so that Indian is going to produce a special series of its vibratory gladiator.

the Challenger RR! A mix of Big Mac, Dominic Toretto and rocket. A bagger born of production and the road, then thoroughly reworked to scratch trajectories.

However, the Challenger won't be taking to the track with its original engine. The latter develops 122 hp - ideal for a 600 Supersport, but for a big barge with big handlebars, it's not going to do the trick. A trip to Dr. Jekyll's house is in order:

The 1769 cm3 twin receives a thorough overhaul. The famous engine builder S&S is called in to supply meaner camshafts, CNC cylinder heads, adjustable rocker arms, an automatic chain tensioner, an air intake system with a huge 78 mm throttle body, a special transmission, and a piston/ring re-boring kit to increase displacement to 1834 cm3 (112 ci). Indian Racing don't pretend. Throw in a fully customizable ECM Maxx gearbox, a shifter and an AIM DL2 speedo/telemetry system, and you're in for a real treat. With all this, the Powerplus should be in the 160s. Now, imagine the brontosaurus noise with the 2-in-1 S&S exhaust too.

but boosting the engine alone would only make the Challenger indomitable. Fortunately, the chassis is equally polished. In suspension alone, the Indian changes the world. Everything is sourced from Öhlins, including a superb FGR 250 fork (Moto2-derived gear). Holding this tool will be a little confusing. While the forks are held by a superb machined aluminum tee, the racing half-guides are not attached to the top of the tubes, but to the end of a large "cow's horn" handlebar. Surprise and suspense guaranteed. For the panards, these are S&S remote controls.
Back to the chassis. It has had the good idea of being fitted with 17-inch wheels. More practical for fitting Dunlop racing tires. The swingarm is seriously reinforced (SBK limit), as are the brakes, with Brembo at the front. Large 330 mm discs are used, pinched by M4 calipers. Apparently, the Yanks don't know much about Stylema... or even M50s. But it's still very good stuff! The rear caliper is from Hayes.

a seat raised to the height of an enduro saddle... an aerodynamic kit... a fork head with the (dummy) look of the production challenger... carbon cases... a hypersport front end... a beef grinder simmered in cocaine... Almost three quintals on the scale... You suggest that to an R&D sports engineer, and he'll throw his desk at you. But with the Challenger RR, you've got a track beast.

indian's star rider is Tyler O'Hara, wearing number 29. To celebrate his victories and his title as "King" of the baggers, the Spingfield-based firm will produce 29 examples of the Challenger RR, which will be sold for $92,229. Only a handful of countries will receive one: France, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Japan and the UK.

the bike's primary purpose is combat: it will be exclusive to the track, hand-built and tuned to the specifications of O'Hara's machine. But it's a safe bet that some of it will end up as a collector's item. In fact, many will be wondering what the point is of putting on the track a wheel that costs the same as a Panigale V4 Superleggera - which will inflict 10 sec* per lap on the American.
An X-files, where the pleasure lies elsewhere.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos

* About 10 seconds. At Daytona, the record for a prepared Road Glide is 1'52''9. With a ZX-10R, the time rises to 1'45''9.