Indian has been around for a very long time, but under its ownership of the last decade or so, it has chosen to innovate in areas where traditional American tourer/cruiser manufacturers are hesitant to innovate. This is a real fear, because it might alienate a very loyal fan base. Yet, Indian decided to push ahead and change what we thought would never change in American cruisers and tourers: the engine. It still remains a V-twin, but Indian seems ready to leave behind the old-school air-cooled designs. Indian’s Current Range Is Quite Impressive IndianPolaris Industries is known for its engineering prowess. And if you dig through its past, you’ll realize that Victory Motorcycles was part of its portfolio. This was a brand with extremely futuristic takes on traditional cruisers and tourers. Little wonder, then, that Indian now has an array of fully liquid-cooled motorcycles. Although the Thunderstroke air-cooled engine with its two valves per cylinder still soldiers on with additions like a by-wire throttle and rear cylinder deactivation, Indian has been putting out some incredible liquid-cooled products.Link ImageIn fact, it has the largest number of fully liquid-cooled bikes for any American bikemaker. The cruiser lineup alone comprises two liquid-cooled SpeedPlus engine options, while the touring lineup has two such options. The most impressive of the lot has quietly outdone its rivals by being the first fully liquid-cooled full-dress tourer in the US market. The Indian Pursuit PowerPlus 112 Quietly Outclasses Its Rivals Indian MotorcycleIndian has a long and storied range of models, and some of those nameplates have a lot of history behind them. In comparison, the Pursuit is a relatively new model name, having been launched in 2022. But that also means that it is every bit as modern as we'd want our traditional American tourer to be. As a result, it is not just quick and luxurious, but it is also one of the ultimate grand tourer motorcycles. The kind of performance and features Indian has bestowed it with means that with the PowerPlus 112 engine and all the features that it includes with the upgrade, it is the Indian motorcycle that quietly outclasses its rivals. This Can Justify Just Premium Moolah Indian MotorcycleThe Pursuit’s variants are very easy to decipher. It has two variants: Limited and Dark Horse. Each of these is available with either the 108 PowerPlus engine or the 112 PowerPlus engine. For each of these variants, you can upgrade from the standard audio to the PowerBand audio. The cheapest variant is the Pursuit Limited with the 108 PowerPlus engine, which costs $32,499.But the one that we are interested in is the one equipped with the 112 PowerPlus, priced at $36,499 for the Limited and $36,999 for the Dark Horse. It's also fascinating that the upgrade for the audio system when it comes to the Limited is $750, whereas it is twice as much, $1,500, for the Dark Horse. These prices compare favorably with the competition, considering the features that are standard on the Pursuit equipped with the PowerPlus 112 engine, and it makes the luxury feel worth it. The Largest American Liquid-Cooled Engine In A Production Motorcycle Indian MotorcycleThe PowerPlus engine is a pioneer in many ways for the American touring segment. It is a V-twin, yes, but it is a fully liquid-cooled one, and at 1,834 cc, it is the largest liquid-cooled V-twin in a production motorcycle with an American badge. There is a very good reason most modern motorcycles have liquid cooling. The complexity that you add and the power that gets diverted towards the water pump are recouped in terms of the extra power that you can generate because you have control over the engine's temperature.Indian MotorcycleLiquid-cooled engines also tend to last a lot longer than air-cooled engines because they do not undergo the kind of thermal expansion that air-cooled engines undergo. That means that the PowerPlus 112 is not just a very powerful engine; it is also going to be a very reliable one. Diving deeper, with a short-stroke design, it has a compression ratio of 11.4:1 and generates 126 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque. Peak torque arrives at a very low 3,600 RPM. You can rest assured that the Pursuit 112 has car-like levels of performance out on the highway. This is mated to a six-speed gearbox and belt drive to the rear wheel for the Pursuit. Some Racing-Derived Chassis Components For This Tourer Indian MotorcycleThe Pursuit does not really deviate from the formula that has worked for American tourers over a very long time, but it does have some surprising features. The frame is made of cast aluminum to cut down on weight, and its stiffness, engineered for handling, makes it one of the best touring motorcycles. The front suspension has 43 mm inverted forks, and the rear shock is hidden under the seat. The latter has an electronically adjustable preload.You'll find a similar racing-derived effect on the brakes. The front brakes are supplied by Brembo and consist of two 320 mm semi-floating discs gripped by radial four-piston fixed calipers. This is a spec that you'd expect to see from a liter sport bike rather than a full-dress tourer. At the rear, there is a single 298 mm disc coupled with a two-piston floating caliper. The Pursuit uses a 19/16-inch alloy wheel combination with tubeless radial tires from Metzeler. Big And Heavy – But The Weight Is Well Managed Being a flagship, the Pursuit is 101.5 inches long and nearly 42 inches wide. Likewise, the wheelbase is 65.7 inches, and the ground clearance is 5.4 inches. All of these points point to a very comfortable experience for both rider and passenger, and the latter will probably have the best experience among tourers on the Pursuit. Coming back to the rider, Indian has managed to keep the seat height incredibly low at 26.5 inches, which should make it a lot easier to manage its 937-pound running weight. The Features List Is Where The Pursuit Shines Indian MotorcycleThis is yet another place where the Pursuit distances itself from the competition. The PowerPlus 112 engine unlocks a lot of the Pursuit's features that would otherwise be optional (or simply aren’t available) on the 108. It starts with the 7-inch TFT touchscreen display that has Bluetooth, navigation, and Apple CarPlay. It will also display all the stats about your ride that you would ever want to know. On either side of it are the analog speedometer and tachometer.Indian MotorcycleMoving on, the seats for both rider and pillion are heated, and the pillion has adjustable floorboards. There is keyless ignition, remote locking hard saddlebags, an electrically adjustable windshield, over 36 gallons of storage, fairing vents that are adjustable, a USB charging port for your phone, a tire pressure monitoring system, and a compartment in the dash, too. For entertainment, the standard audio system has 200 watts total from two fairing speakers and two more speakers in the trunk, but you can upgrade it and triple the power output with the PowerBand audio system.Indian MotorcycleAs far as the electronics are concerned, you have pretty much everything available today on a modern motorcycle. With the combination of the by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU, the Pursuit offers cornering ABS, traction control, and drag torque control. Also, with the PowerPlus 112, Indian offers what is called the ‘Rider Assist package’, which includes rear collision warning lights, hill hold control, electronically linked brakes, tailgate warning, and blind spot warning. These last two features are enabled via radar on the Pursuit 112 and are unique to the segment, and we've always thought that, given the features, the Pursuit is worth every penny. It’s The Others That Are Pursuing This Indian Indian MotorcycleIt's been a while since someone has taken a big risk and offered something completely new to the segment. While the Pursuit is an American full-dress tourer powered by a V-twin and offers pretty much the same things that we've been seeing in the segment for a while, it also quietly adds a combination of race-bred engineering, like the cast aluminum frame, inverted front forks, and Brembo radial brakes, with advanced luxury features like radar-based safety systems that go beyond the usual six-axis IMU-based features.Of course, there's also the wholly liquid-cooled PowerPlus 112 engine, which is the only modern engine of its kind in this segment. We aren't even talking about the Pursuit Elite, which is a limited-run model and pretty much the ultimate American V-twin touring bike. The Pursuit is the one that is currently leading the American charge, despite what its name suggests.Source: Indian Motorcycle