Indian Challenger problems & complaints

Crank bolt comes loose and breaks through the cover leaking oil on exhaust and rear tire while going down the road. No warning indicators when it happens leaving you stranded on the side of the road risking being hit by another vehicle. Oil on rear tire poses crash risk and riding in a group poses oil slick hazard to other riders.

180/60 R16 m/c Mezeler Cruistec rear tire. Tire has internal malfunction, possible design or manufacturing flaw. LARGE bulge developed on right 1/3 of tire tread making riding the motorcycle dangerous. MULTIPLE failures of this tire brand/model & size have been seen and posted on facebook Indian Challenger and Harley Road Glide owners pages. This IS NOT an isolated incident. I believe this model & size of tire needs to be recalled by the manufacturer and replaced with a SAFE alternative. Tire is at roughly 50% tread life. Never overloaded. Air pressure monitored every ride via a TPS unit. Never run low on air psi, I carry a portable compressor to be sure tire is at operating pressure.

The contact owns a 2025 Indian Super Chief Dark Horse Motorcycle. The contact stated that while operating the motorcycle and riding at various speeds, the motorcycle was pulling to the right. The contact added two 4-kilogram weights to the left saddle bag to assist with balancing the motorcycle; however, the failure persisted. The motorcycle was taken to the local dealer, and an alignment was performed. The contact was informed by the local dealer that the motorcycle would continue to drift to the right due to the design. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed the information about the design of the motorcycle. The failure mileage was 1,000.

2026 update Dealer replaced left front brake caliper and both front pad sets due to brake shudder; left brake caliper seized (warranty). Rotors not replaced, installed aftermarket at own expense. Dealer previously replaced left switch cube due to volume up stuck on (warranty). Motorcycles of dulles damaged covers and lost screw; indian of fredericksburg corrected cover issue. Engine experiencing significantly worsening overhead valvetrain rattle on acceleration and varying steady state rpm (dealer claims non issue). Amsoil 15w60 or indian oil change kits every 3-5k mi. Indicative of excessive valve lash/low oil pressure (no light). Experiencing failing torque limiting gear (2nd occurence)…

16,328mi. Vehicle has been into two different dealerships with engine nosie concerns, 3 times total, at the top and bottom ends on right side; each said "normal." Rider opinion: when in comparison to other same model/year bikes DO NOT make the same rattling; i recently made an appointment again for september 16th to address this issue and others under warranty including a sticking throttle (second occurrence). Today, 1 September 2025, the engine hesitated twice pulling onto highway maintaining appx 75mph matched with traffic, I didnt notice any sound or signs of engine issues; continued for another 18mi. Pulled onto offramp and noticed oil all over the front crank cover area as well as a gr…

Metzler Cruisetec 130/60B19 66H; OEM fitted new. These tires are not covered by Metzler warranty due to being OEM fitted. Indian dealerships are refusing to replace abnormally wearing tires citing a wear item despite knowing of the issue. Metzler communications indicate any unusual vibrations, noises, etc being emitted by their tires are failure indicators and would otherwise be covered by Metzler warranty. The safety concern is related to known tread separation issues with multiple models of Metzler tires, the Cruisetec has not been named, but warrant investigation. I did not encounter tread separation as I've replaced the tires already. Many riders communicate the same issues to include …

Accessory and infotainment control wiring harness contain sub-par conductors prone to breakage and/or short circuit. My vehicle was purchased in August 2024. In September 2024 I had a wire break inside the insulation for one of the speakers at the bend point next to the saddlebag hinge; this was not a safety issue, but noted. In early November 2024, I began having issues with the infotainment control switch on the left handlebar switch pod. The audio volume would randomly increase volume, any attempting to trigger the volume switch in the opposite direction would serve no results to include mute/pause. Upon initial inspection, manipulation of that switch harness near the handlebar clamp o…

Despite the type, brands, or age of battery, the vehicle frequently fails to start; multiple attempts must be made to start the engine unless the charge gets depleted to an unrecoverable level. Disconnecting the battery to eliminate any parasitic draw issues, temperatures below 60°F present significant starting issues. The vehicle was purchased in August 2024, the original AGM battery frequently failed to start beginning December 2024. Two different lithium batteries were installed and another common off the shelf AGM, same problem. There is an apparent issue with the starting system as the starter frequently stalls on a compression stroke and pulling the voltage so low the ECU shuts down; …