2019 Indian Roadmaster Elite First Look

For the second year running, Indian has taken its top-shelf tourer, the Roadmaster, and decked it out with the best it has in house, from tech to accessories. The 2019 Roadmaster Elite is the crown jewel of the Indian Motorcycle fleet, an eye-catching luxury tourer with lustrous paint, 24-karat gold leaf script on its tank, and a stylish blend of shiny billet and lustrous leather throughout. Exclusivity is part of its allure, as is collectability, as only 200 2019 Roadmaster Elites are being made.

As if the 300-watt stereo system on last year's Elite wasn't enough, Indian doubled down on the 2019 version, equipping it with a 600-watt PowerBand Audio Plus arrangement that has speakers in the fairing, trunk, and saddlebags. The PowerBand package includes a nine-band dynamic equalizer that auto-adjusts for road, wind, and engine noise according to speed. The rolling boom box is paired to Indian's Ride Command System, touted as "the largest, fastest, most customizable infotainment system on two wheels." The Ride Command features a 7-inch touchscreen that you can pinch and swipe with gloved fingers. Download the Ride Command mobile app and you can access diagnostic info remotely. Owners can also chart a route with up to 100 points on the Ride Command website and wirelessly load it to their Elite's navigation system via Bluetooth.

Perks of 2019 Indian Roadmaster Elite ownership include billet aluminum rider and passenger floorboards and Pinnacle mirrors. You won’t find the chrome trim shrouding the fenders on any other Indian than the Elite. Ditto for the touring console and leather passenger armrests. The Wildfire Red Candy over Black Crystal paint is also exclusive, the flake-rich sheen achieved through a painstaking 30-hour process that includes sanding the bike twice, masking the bodywork, laying the graphics, and hand-spraying the paint.

The 2019 Roadmaster Elite one-ups last year’s predecessor because it comes with three ride modes that can be switched in motion and rear cylinder deactivation, upgrades recently launched on all of Indian’s 2019 heavyweight models. Ride modes include Tour, Standard, and Sport, allowing riders to dial in throttle response depending on riding conditions or personal preference. Indian installed its rear cylinder deactivation system on all Thunder Stroke 111 engines as a way to counteract the heat the big V-twin generates. Once the motorcycle reaches operating temperature and ambient temperature exceeds 59 degrees Fahrenheit, the rear cylinder automatically shuts down when the bike is at a standstill. Roll on the throttle and it automatically reactivates.

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Rider amenities carried over from the traditional Roadmaster include heated seats with independent controls for the passenger as well, heated grips, an electronically adjustable windscreen, remote-locking saddlebags, keyless ignition and ABS. Between the cubby hole in its lower fairings, saddlebags, and capacious topcase, the 2019 Roadmaster Elite has a generous 37 gallons of storage capacity.

“The Roadmaster Elite offers the most refined, premium touring experience for riders who demand the best of the best,” said Reid Wilson, senior director for Indian Motorcycle.

Indian’s top-shelf touring machine comes with a $36,999 sticker price, considerably lower than Harley-Davidson’s equivalent, the 2019 CVO Limited, which has an MSRP of $43,889. Granted, the CVO Limited comes with Harley’s largest-displacement stock engine, a Milwaukee-Eight 117, but Indian does offer aftermarket performance enhancers like a 116ci Stage 3 Big Bore Kit claimed to boost horsepower by 20 percent and torque by 15 percent; Stage 1 Exhaust; Thunder Stroke Stage 1 Performance Air Intake; and Thunder Stroke Stage 2 Performance Cams for the Roadmaster Elite. It’s an undeniably striking bike, the embodiment of class and style. But don’t let the glitzy exterior fool you. This is a bona fide coast-to-coast touring machine, capable of easily going the distance thanks to its combination of power and comfort.

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