These 3 Awesome Motorcycles Rolled Up In Front Of Our Offices And Stopped Traffic

We weren't exactly standing around an minding our own business this week when a pair of Indian motorcycles pulled up in front of our New York office.

We were expecting the bikes and looking forward to checking them out.

What we didn't entirely expect was the traffic-stopping Polaris Slingshot, a ferocious-looking three-wheeled motorcycle/car mashup.

Polaris now owns the Indian brand, by the way, along with another Harley-Davidson competitor, Victory. You might know Polaris, a Minnesota-based company, for its "All-Terrain Vehicles" (ATVs), which are popular among hunters and sportsmen.

You might also know Indian, an American motorcycle manufacturer that was founded in the very early years of the 20th century. It has something of a cult following as a Harley alternative - Steve McQueen liked them - but the brand has been in a sort of constant limbo/state-of-revival for decades. Polaris is the latest player to give it a shot.

The Slingshot, however, is another story altogether. It's part of a new genre of powersports vehicles, a group that includes the Campagna T-Rex and the Can-Am Spyder. The Slingshot is currently available only in hot, hot red and from what I could tell from a spin around the block, it can get up and go real, real fast.

Bottom line: We had a great time checking out these rides:

Here's the Indian Scout, an 1133cc cruiser that Road & Track recently called a "shot across the [Harley] Sportster 1200's bow."

The Scout's details are absolutely gorgeous.

The much bigger Roadmaster isn't quite as spry, but it does look like it would be pretty comfortable to ride across a few state lines. Check out those big equestrian-style seat/saddles, an Indian trademark.

The American flag looks good reflected in this chrome detail.

Hello, Slingshot! That's BI's Ben Zhang to the left. I'm giving the thumbs-up on the right. The dude in the middle, smiling, is from Polaris. The guy in the hat was just one of the MANY people who stopped by for a peek.

Enough with the thumbs-up already! Let's drive this sucker! The helmets, by the way, are required, even though the Slingshot is essentially a car up front with a motorcycle-style drivetrain in back.