Victory came first
Polaris entered motorcycle manufacturing with Victory in the late 1990s. Victory developed its own cruiser and touring models and is a distinct motorcycle marque, not an earlier name for Indian.
United States · Brand history · Modern motorcycles
Victory, Polaris and the Rebirth of Indian
How Victory motorcycles preceded Polaris's Indian acquisition, and why the revived Scout and Chief need their own model generations.
Indian joins Polaris
Polaris acquired the Indian Motorcycle business in 2011. The modern revival brought new motorcycles, including a new Chief family in 2013, while drawing on the original marque's historic identity.
A familiar badge, different engineering
Modern Scout and Chief motorcycles should be researched against their own factory model years, engines, platforms and equipment. Their classic names do not make them mechanically identical to the Springfield originals.
Two histories worth keeping
Victory production ended in 2017. The separate Victory story and Indian's revival both deserve their own place in AnyBike's manufacturer and model research. Ownership arrangements can change; any current corporate description should be checked against dated company announcements.