It's been a strong first quarter for Indian Motorcycles while Harley-Davidson is struggling.
Sales for Indian rose 11 percent and Polaris CEO Scott Wine said, "We saw continued strong performance from Indian Motorcycle and our off-road vehicles business improved its performance in the face of heavy competition and a sluggish powersports environment.
Harley-Davidson, on the other hand, ran special promotions and discounts on its bikes, something it hasn't done in a long time. Overall domestic sales for HD were off 5.7% and 4.2% globally, and overall 15% below last year's first quarter shipments.
Harley still owns 50% of the U.S. motorcycle market with Polaris coming in at 10-12% but with Polaris' recent decision to shutter Victory and put all its focus on the Indian brand, industry insiders say the road ahead for Harley could be a bumpy one.