It might not rekindle the famous "Indian wars" with Harley-Davidson in the 1920s, but it's already sparked some controversy.

On Aug. 3, Indian Motorcycle Co. will unveil its new Chief motorcycle, which is aimed squarely at Harley's lineup of bestselling bikes.

The unveiling will take place at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, S.D., which attracts several hundred thousand people and is one of the biggest events of the year for Harley-Davidson riders.

The original Indian Motorcycle Co. went out of business in 1953 and its Indian-head logos became collector's items. Numerous attempts to revive the company failed, but Indian has its best chance under Polaris Industries, a $3 billion Medina, Minn., manufacturer that acquired the brand in 2011 and is known for snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and Victory motorcycles.

Polaris is redesigning Indian bikes from a clean sheet of paper. The new Chief will be the first in the lineup to come from the company's Spirit Lake, Iowa, factory.

The goal is to capture the spirit of the Chief and other Indians from more than a half-century ago, with a modern engine and other components to make the bikes rider-friendly.

There isn't one piece of the old company remaining from when it closed in the 1950s. But the brand that has survived in some iteration since 1901 still tugs at the heartstrings of classic motorcycle enthusiasts.

Rich history

Indian dealerships are opening this summer to sell the new Chief and other bikes in the company's lineup. The Chiefs will be available this fall, in limited numbers, and they're probably going to dealerships in bigger cities first, said Dave Herman, general manager for Stock's Harley-Davidson and Victory motorcycles in Manitowoc.

Stock's is unique in that it carries the Harley and Victory brands in the same store and also hopes to sell Indian motorcycles.

Few Harley-Davidson dealerships carry multiple brands, Herman said, although it's not prohibited in the dealers' contract with Harley.

Indian, which decades ago was Harley-Davidson's biggest rival, has a much richer history than the 15-year-old Victory brand from Polaris. If the company comes out with a good product, it definitely could affect Harley sales, Herman said.

The Chief's $18,999 suggested retail price will make it less expensive than a Victory and will be competitive with Harley-Davidson's Softail line of motorcycles and the popular Road King model.

"I am sure the Chief has Harley worried a little bit because it's shooting right at their market of heavyweight cruisers," said Bruce Tessmer, marketing manager for S&S Cycles, a motorcycle engine and components manufacturer in Viola.

Indian has a very good chance of being successful, Tessmer said, largely because it's owned by Polaris, and that company has learned a lot since it introduced Victory.

"When Victory bikes first came out, they weren't very attractive. But now they're nice looking," Tessmer said.

Indian won't release details about the Chief until Aug. 3 and declined to comment for this article. But the company has launched television and print ads poking fun at Harley-Davidson motorcycles, with one magazine ad suggesting that Harleys break down on the road and leave their riders stranded.

"We got a lot of letters to the editor from people disappointed with the ad campaign, so I think it's definitely done what Indian wanted to do, which was to create controversy and have an attitude right away," said Aaron Frank, a Milwaukee-based editor for Motorcyclist Magazine.

Serious competition

For the first time since 1953, Indian is positioned to be a successful company. The other recent owners didn't have the product development, manufacturing and dealer development prowess that Polaris has, Frank said.

Polaris has spent a lot of money to revive the Indian brand as a stand-alone product. It's not a Victory bike with a different nameplate on it, he said.

At this point, Indian is barely a bug on Harley-Davidson's windshield.

Industry analyst Craig Kennison with Robert W. Baird & Co. says Indian could sell about 4,000 new Chiefs this year, compared with Harley's plans to ship 260,000 bikes to its dealerships.

Indian has about 300 of the new Chiefs ready to ship and is aiming for 130 dealerships in the United States and 70 outside of the U.S., according to Kennison.

Harley says it takes all competitors seriously, including Indian and Victory.

"We are going to double down. As good as we think we are, we are going to be twice as good. We are not going to rest on our history or our laurels," said Keith Wandell, Harley-Davidson chairman, president and chief executive officer.

"We are going to come to work every day and say the competition is nipping at our heels, and that we are going to get better. And as we drive down the road, they are going to get more distant in our rear-view mirror," Wandell said.

Longtime Harley-Davidson enthusiasts say they're interested in seeing the new Chief, and maybe taking a test ride, but they won't be switching brands.

"Harley Owners Group is one reason alone why I wouldn't buy an Indian. I don't care how good it is, I get too much enjoyment out of my H.O.G. chapter," said Jeff Haig, a Harley rider from Waukesha County.

In recent years, Indian was dogged by engine problems and a loss of dealerships. In 2012, a Michigan dealership still had a brand-new 2003 Indian Scout for sale — priced at $16,500.

"The recent bikes that had the Indian name slapped on them were almost as disappointing as Ryan Braun," Haig said.

He sees very few Victory motorcycles at charity rides and other motorcycle events. Still, he's curious about the new Chief, partly because of its heritage.

"If someone is offering demo rides when that bike comes out, I will certainly try it," Haig said.