Honouring the Gods of Speed

In our world, all bikers are heroes. Then there are those who are superheroes, measuring life in thousandths of a second. People who live for speed, perfection, and constantly push the limits. For the 2025 racing season, Indian Motorcycle is entering into a partnership with the fastest of them all – five-time European Champion in Top Fuel Bike, Rikard Gustafsson from Falkenberg!

The history of speed actually begins far back in time. The Småland-born pioneer, Oscar Hedström, emigrated to the USA in 1880 and trained as a watchmaker. In his spare time, one of Oscar’s great interests was pedal bicycles, and by chance, he met racing cyclist George Hendee.

Their collaboration soon resulted in the founding of Indian Motorcycle Company, and as early as 1903, they set a new speed record on Ormond Beach in Florida. The top speed was an astonishing 90 km/h! There is no doubt that technology and engineering excellence have been some of the strongest guiding principles in Indian Motorcycles’ development for over 120 years.

Indian Motorcycle and Rikard Gustafsson – A Natural Partnership

– For us, as pioneers in speed, where the feeling for our motorcycles is very tangible, it is completely natural to enter into a partnership with Rikard, says Niklas Frisk from Indian Motorcycle.

– We have followed Rikard throughout his long career and cannot stop being impressed by his long-standing dedication to drag racing. The fact that he not only rides his bike on the strip but also builds and maintains most of it himself proves to us what a “true” biker Rikard is, Niklas continues.

The bike that Rikard races with was built by him back in 2015, and the following year he won his first European Championship in Top Fuel. That wrenching is a big part of Rikard’s life is not surprising, as he runs a motorcycle workshop in Falkenberg.

In addition to his six European titles, Rikard also holds the European speed record. With an astonishing 419.31 km/h, he guided his 1,500-horsepower supercharged drag bike across the finish line at Santa Pod’s drag strip in 2023. With that record, Rikard is the fastest man on two wheels outside the USA.

– When I received the offer from Indian Motorcycle for a partnership, I didn’t hesitate for a second to say yes. The fact that paint legend Terje Aspmo designed the graphics on the bike makes it even better, says Rikard.

– To me, Indian Motorcycle stands for the same fundamental values that I have carried with me throughout my 32 years in racing. It’s about community, passion, the drive to improve, and always focusing on the final result. Quite simple, and for me, completely natural values to succeed in our world, where much is about pushing boundaries while also preserving the history that brought us to where we are today.

The 2025 racing season

For the 2025 racing season, Rikard and his team are planning to compete in parts of the European Championship season, with the premiere at Santa Pod at the end of May.

In addition to a fully booked race calendar, Rikard will also be cruising on one of Indian’s hottest new releases of the year – the all-new 101 Scout! A motorcycle that radiates performance and attitude while honouring its prestigious name with dignity. It was on an Indian Scout that the legendary Burt Munro made history with his speed records at Bonneville and coined the term “The World’s Fastest Indian”.