The Roadmaster name first appeared in 1947 on a fully-equipped Chief — a machine for riders who wanted to cross America, not just reach the next town. The "master of the road" topped Indian's post-war range, and the brand remembered the name through its long decades of silence.
The era that gave the Roadmaster its name — a post-war 1948 Chief. Photo: Piero, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
In 2015 the Roadmaster returned as a full-dress luxury tourer: Thunder Stroke 111 power, a full fairing, heated seats, a trunk big enough for two weekends of luggage and equipment riders of the 1940s couldn't have dreamed of. Dark Horse and Limited variants added a darker, more modern look, along with Ride Command navigation.
A Roadmaster Icon at the Legendy 2019 show in Prague. Photo: Jiří Sedláček, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The newest chapter is the Roadmaster PowerPlus — the flagship tourer with the liquid-cooled PowerPlus 112 making 126 horsepower. It pairs living-room comfort with performance long unseen in this class, keeping the Roadmaster name exactly where it has belonged since 1947: at the top.
