Indian Just Made Life Difficult For The Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide

Not long ago, Indian treated us to its mightiest baggers for 2025. They came armed with the new PowerPlus 112 engine, while packing a host of other additions to take the fight to Harley-Davidson. Now, things are leveling up once again, as Indian is ready to take on the flagship CVO Harley-Davidsons. How, you ask? By whipping up an uber-special Elite lineup.

The 2025 Challenger Elite Is Indian’s Most Special Bagger Today

One look at the Challenger Elite, and you’ll know it’s special. The bespoke decals and livery comprise a tri-tone colorway (Black Candy and Red Candy finishes over Crystal White Pearl), complete with shattered glass particles in the paint for added oomph. Elite badging and shiny Dark Horse black finishes round off things.

And The 2025 Pursuit Elite Is An Equally Special Full-Dresser Touring Bike

Just like the Challenger, the Pursuit features an epic design. Inspiration here comes from the 20,000 PowerPlus motorcycles made by Indian in 1916 for the U.S. Army. Accordingly, a triple-tone paint (Black Candy and Black Forest Candy finishes, with Championship Gold accents) wraps the behemoth, topped with Dark Horse blacked-out treatment all around.

There Is No Shortage Of Special Touches On Both Indian Elite Bikes

The bikes also come armed with an array of special features to justify the ‘Elite’ badge. Chief among these is a set of radars that unlock Blind Spot Detection, Tail Gate Warning, and Rear Collision Warning. Neither of these is present on any other American bagger/touring bike. Other special parts include:

• 5-spoke precision-machined wheels
• Special floorboards
• Pathfinder Adaptive LED Headlight
• Pathfinder Auxiliary LED Saddlebag Lights
• Hand-adjustable windscreens
• Keyless ignition
• Remote locking storage
• Color-matched heated seat (Pursuit)
• Color-matched heated grips (Pursuit)
• PowerBand audio system with underglow lights

Indian’s PowerPlus 112 Engine Powers The Challenger Elite And Pursuit Elite

Just like the CVOs get Harley’s flagship engine, the Elite duo receives Indian’s latest flagship mill. The PowerPlus 112 features liquid cooling and an 11.4:1 compression ratio to churn out 126 horsepower and 133 pound-feet on both bikes. A six-speed transmission puts down all that power to the rear wheel. In case you’re curious, the horsepower is considerably more than Harley’s 121ci mill, but the torque is 6 pound-feet down.

Also common between the two Elite bikes is the chassis and underpinnings. Both have a steel double-cradle frame, suspended on 43 mm USD forks and an electronically adjustable monoshock. The 320 mm front rotors and Brembo calipers are shared, too, and so is the set of 19/16-inch wheels. There is a difference in weight, though. The Pursuit tips the scale at 944 pounds while the Challenger weighs 864 pounds–both ready to ride.

The Indian Challenger And Pursuit Elite Cost A Lot Of Money

Flagship American touring bikes rarely come cheap, and the Elite duo isn’t an exception. The Challenger Elite is priced at $39,999, and only 350 units will go on sale worldwide. Whereas, the Pursuit Elite costs $44,999 and is limited to 250 units worldwide. At its price, the Challenger sounds like an epic value proposition, as it undercuts the CVO Road Glide by $6,000. And since there’s no CVO full-dresser bike in 2025, the Pursuit is in a league of its own as of now. It is still cheaper than the CVO baggers!

2025 Indian Challenger And Pursuit Elite Specifications