By John Keilman

Motorcycle marketing usually relies on familiar themes. A lonely highway. A scenic vista. A growling engine.

Indian Motorcycle is trying an incendiary new script: It is attempting to drag Harley-Davidson into the culture wars.

In a recent social-media video, Minnesota-based Indian criticized its larger and more prosperous competitor Harley for making electric motorcycles, moving some production to Thailand and embracing diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

"They chased political trends," a narrator said of Harley in a tone reminiscent of a campaign-attack ad. "We back the people who matter."

The video followed nearly two weeks of social-media commentary from conservative influencers denouncing Harley and praising Indian -- a dynamic that echoed previous campaigns against such companies as Cracker Barrel and Deere.

The attack by Indian appeared to have minimal results. On Tuesday, a day after Indian's video dropped, Harley said it was bringing some bike production back from Thailand to the U.S., a move it said would create dozens of new jobs. Praise from the Trump administration followed.

"AMERICAN MANUFACTURING WIN!" the White House posted on X.

Harley said in a statement that its "only agenda is getting back to basics," and so far it appears unscathed. Its share price has risen 6% since the clamor began. On Wednesday, a group of Harley dealers issued a letter praising the leadership of Chief Executive Artie Starrs and condemning "divisive narratives."

Meanwhile, some in Indian's own community rejected the ad. One dealer said the company should fire its marketing agency, while some riders called the video an embarrassment.

"I don't like that they're getting involved in politics," said Dave Friedl, a Florida resident who owns an Indian Scout. "I don't want a 'red brand' and a 'blue brand' in motorcycles. There's too much of that already."

An Indian spokesman said the marketing wasn't political.

"We are not afraid to say we believe Indian builds the better motorcycle, and we are not afraid to say Indian is closer to the riders and values that built American motorcycling," he said.

Neeru Paharia, a marketing professor at Arizona State University, said Indian's approach comes with risks. Direct attacks on a competitor are rare in advertising, she said, as are politically tinged messages.

"If it's perceived as inauthentic, as if you're just trying to capitalize off cultural trends, people dislike that," Paharia said.

The video marked a combative new direction for a company that has long been an also-ran in the world of heavyweight motorcycles.

Indian was founded in 1901, two years before Harley, but has struggled for most of its existence, changing owners and sometimes going dormant.

Its latest run began in 2011, when the off-road vehicle maker Polaris bought it from a private-equity firm. Like Harley, Indian produces motorcycles designed for highway cruising, and its bikes have earned good reviews.

Brad Deshano, a law-enforcement officer in Arkansas, said he rode Harleys for most of his life before switching to Indian a decade ago, citing comfort.

"My Harleys haven't really left the garage since," he said.

Indian has never come close to challenging Harley's place at the top of the market. The brand sold about 15,000 bikes in the U.S. last year, according to people familiar with the matter. Harley sold almost 83,000.

Indian was a sideline to Polaris's off-road vehicle business, and the company said it was a money loser. Last year it agreed to sell the brand for undisclosed terms to Carolwood LP, a Los Angeles private-equity firm whose investments include restaurants and media companies.

The firm hired Mike Kennedy as Indian's chief executive. He had spent more than 20 years at Harley, including in his final post as vice president and managing director of the Americas. In an interview last month with the podcaster Ryan Urlacher, Kennedy said he had been "exited out" of the company for being too pro-dealer.

In the podcast interview, Kennedy criticized the hiring of Starrs, who had no prior experience in the motorcycle industry, calling it a sign that Harley was out of touch with its customers. "I think they make a better T-shirt than a bike," he said.

Kennedy told The Wall Street Journal that he spoke to a recruiter about the Harley CEO job when it came open. People familiar with the matter said he didn't make the shortlist of candidates.

"Harley made its choice," Kennedy said. "Indian made ours. Indian chose a motorcycle leader for a motorcycle company."

Several days after the podcast interview, in late May, a surge of social-media praise for Indian and criticism for Harley began. The mixed-martial-arts fighter Sean Strickland tweeted a photo of an Indian touring bike and said he had switched brands.

"Every time I got on my harley I was indirectly supporting" radical ideology, he wrote.

Conservative influencers echoed his critique, including Robby Starbuck, who in 2024 successfully pressured Harley into dropping some diversity-focused policies.

He recently released a video saying DEI initiatives at two companies that Starrs previously led, Pizza Hut and Topgolf International, made him unsuitable to lead "the most masculine, pro-America biker brand."

Starbuck ended by encouraging Harley riders to "make the switch," showing an image of Strickland's Indian tweet. Starbuck told the Journal that Indian didn't sponsor the video.

Some motorcyclists had no problem with Indian's social-media video. Michael Lindbeck, a retiree in Alaska who owns six Harleys and two Indians, said it was spot-on.

"Harley went too woke," he said. "An electric motorcycle under the Harley brand, I don't know what they were smoking."

Neil Noble of Navigant Motor Group, which has six Harley dealerships in Texas, said the video has had no effect on the business.

"I was surprised that it was real," said Noble, who is vice president of the Harley-Davidson National Dealer Advisory Council. "We do a lot of advertising, and we just don't focus on our competitors."

Write to John Keilman at john.keilman@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 12, 2026 11:30 ET (15:30 GMT)

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