The big-brand, American-made motorcycle marques Harley-Davidson and Indian are the major players while Buell, still surviving after some rocky years, is a bit of a lesser light but with some powerful bikes all the same. One thing that all these brands have in common is they generally don’t use price as a selling point and tend to trend toward the top of the pricing charts. Performance considerations are also a factor here and many of the most powerful models fall above our $20,000 threshold. However, there are a number of American-made bikes that still manage to hit the sweet spot with impressive performance and a price tag below $20,000.

Of the made-in-the-U.S.A. models currently available, some of these machines are very impressive indeed, as the U.S. manufacturers move toward performance-driven designs meant to compete on the world stage with the Japanese and European marques. To that end, those two longtime foes, along with the relatively recent comer, Buell, find themselves pressed on their home ground due to a suddenly progressive mindset in the brand headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (H-D), Grand Rapids, Michigan (Buell), and Spirit Lake, Iowa (Indian).

10

Buell 1190SX

185 horsepower and 102 pound-feet of torque

Buell
bills its 1190SX as the “Ultimate Streetfighter” with lightweight carbon body panels and a powerful plant, all in a decidedly supersport-type package that places a premium on handling and overall performance. Erik Buell started his ambitious project to marry Harley-Davdison engines with proper sportbike underpinnings back in the ’90s, and this seems to be the ultimate culmination of that Opus Vitae.

Buell 1190SX Performance Specifications

Power for the 1190SX comes from a 1,190 cc ET-V2, 70-degree V-Twin engine with 185 horsepower and 101.6 pound-feet of torque at the crank with a wet weight under 500 pounds for blistering acceleration down range. A vacuum-operated slipper clutch adds a measure of backtorque mitigation and couples engine power to the six-speed transmission via vacuum-operated slipper clutch.

Key Buell 1190SX Features

• Updated for MY24 with all-around carbon-fiber bodywork
• Built for outstanding high-speed handling
• $108 per horsepower
• Hand-crafted saddle

9

Buell Hammerhead 1190

185 horsepower and 102 pound-feet of torque

The

Buell Hammerhead 1190
rolls as a street-legal racebike with a supersport-inspired build that will bring racetrack performance to the public streets. Full-carbon bodywork comes wind tunnel-tested for efficient penetration and low-drag ventilation of the engine compartment. It rolls in half a dozen attractive colorways with a fantastic American flag-themed package that really stands out and proudly proclaims its patriotism.

Buell Hammerhead 1190 Performance Specifications

Buell powers it with the liquid-cooled, 70-degree V-Twin ET-V2 that generates 185 ponies and 101.6 pounds o’ grunt. Big-Piston Showa forks and 17-inch hoops work with an aluminum frame and swingarm for agile underpinnings. The front brake disc is pretty special. It mounts to the outer edge of the rim for a huge, 386 mm disc diameter and lots of braking leverage.

Key Buell Hammerhead 1190 Features

• $108 per horsepower
• Decent color selection
• Racing roots for street use
• Unusual front brake setup

8

Harley-Davidson Pan America Special

150 horsepower and 95 pound-feet of torque

H-D jumps feet first into the

adventure-bike
genre with its Pan America line that includes the 1250 Special as its non-

CVO model
. This bike conforms to what is now the typical ADV bike build with a front fairing, rally-style glass, and undercarriage that means business with Adaptive Suspension features and electronically-controlled stems and shocks. Power comes from a Revolution Max 1250 V-Twin with 150 ponies and 95 pounds o’ grunt to make it H-D’s most powerful production engine at this time.

Harley-Davidson Pan America Special Performance Specifications

The electronics suite is sweet indeed with everything but the kitchen sink, and it comes with all the lean-sensitive yummygoodness the factory has to offer. Harley’s infotainment package add navigation, music, weather, and traffic data to your riding experience.

Key Harley-Davidson Pan America Special Features

• $133 per horsepower
• High-performance engine
• Electronic controls for shocks and forks
• New territory for The MoCo

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7

Indian Super Chief

122 horsepower and 108 pound-feet of torque

Indian’s Super Chief
spans the ages with a particular build first seen circa 1950 when hydraulic suspension became the norm at both ends of the bike on U.S.-made machines. Like an old-school custom, the

Super Chief
is set up as the

touring bike
of the day with a large painted windshield and black leather saddlebags. Blackout coverage is rampant from the beercan skirt-clad front forks all the way back to include the hubs and rims on the laced wheels, which themselves are a classic throwback.

Indian Super Chief Performance Specifications

Indian goes for broke with its Thunderstroke 111 powerplant that emulates the look of the flathead/sidevalve engines in use back in the day through its use of faux cooling fins on the rocker box covers and paired parallel pushrod tubes to complete the illusion. Ride-control electronics are limited, and infotainment features nonexistent.

Key Indian Super Chief Features

• $155 per horsepower
• Genuine classic design roots
• Stock saddlebags and windshield
• Essential ride with no wasted weight

6

Harley-Davidson Sportster S

121 horsepower and 93 pound-feet of torque

Finally, a Sportster that (probably) won’t be derided as a “girl’s bike” or a “dirt bike,” the

Sportster S
. This Sporty sports an all-new modern build with absolute bare minimum bodywork and a café-like shotgun exhaust to go with its low-slung look. Fat tires lend their visual weight down low to reinforce this effect.

Harley-Davidson Sportster S Performance Specifications

Power comes from a Revolution Max 1250T V-Twin engine with 121 horsepower and 93 pounds o’ grunt to make it more powerful than any production Sportster in the history of forever. H-D chucks on its lean-sensitive goodies with a well-populated ride control-electronics suite that can shame almost anything else on the streets. It even comes with a full infotainment package that rivals larger bikes in the lineup.

Key Harley-Davidson Sportster S Features

• $140 per horsepower
• Most powerful production Sportster
• Spartan bodywork with no wasted weight
• Excellent electronics features

5

Indian FTR Family

120 horsepower and 87 pound-feet of torque

Indian was forced by the rules of competition to make a certain number of its FTR 750 Flat-Track racebike for public consumption, but at the end of the day, it worked out pretty well for the factory. It led to the FTR family as it stands today with half a dozen models up for grabs and all meet the power and price cut-off for this list. As a whole, they keep to the economic bodywork that was made necessary by the demands of racebike design in an effort to keep weight down.

Indian FTR Performance Specifications

Inverted forks and a laid-down shock support the thing with the full range of adjustments for incremental ride control. The factory saves money on the electronics with ABS and cruise control as the only features. It does sport a slipper clutch for some mechanical backtorque mitigation.

Key Indian FTR Lineup Features

• $112 per horsepower on base model
• Clean build with trim bodywork
• Genuine racebike DNA throughout
• Direct competitor with the Sportster S

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4

Indian Sport Chief

118 horsepower and 122 pound-feet of torque

Indian rolls out its own take on the classic café-racer theme with its

Sport Chief
model. This bike is steeped in West Coast style with bobbed fenders and a bullet fairing complete with short smoked screen and tall handlebar risers to complete the look. Blackout coverage makes a good showing, leaving naught but the polished cooling-fin edges and painted parts untouched making it a fairly dark ride overall in spite of the two bright colorways.

Indian Sport Chief Performance Specifications

Electronics are middling with full infotainment goodies, but limited ride-control systems with ABS, Ride Modes, and the Rear Cylinder Deactivation as the only features. Indian shoehorned in its punched-out Thunderstroke 116 engine to give it some real teeth from light to light to make this a bit of a showroom gasser/

bobber
/

café
/whatever.

Key Indian Sport Chief Features

• $169 per horsepower
• Café racer look
• Bobbed fenders
• West Coast vibe
• Large-displacement mill

3

Indian Chief Dark Horse And Chief Bobber Dark Horse

118 horsepower and 120 pound-feet of torque

Indian’s Chief platform spawned its fair share of offspring with the Chief Dark Horse and Chief Bobber Dark Horse representing the black sheep side of the family. Interestingly, the Chief Dark Horse seems to be as bobbed as the Bobber itself as far as sheet-metal parts are concerned, but let’s not get bogged down on details. Fat tires and a fat front end lend lots of visual weight down low to reinforce the Bobber’s low-slung build across the board with laced wheels to seal the classic deal.

Indian Chief Dark Horse and Chief Bobber Dark Horse Performance Specifications

The base Chief Dark Horse takes a more modern route with an un-beercanned front end and cast-alloy wheels to go with its short-rise handlebar. Both rock the Thunderstroke 116 lump with its torque-rich character and old-school looks that really tie in well with the Bobber Dark Horse’s look, in particular.

Key Indian Chief Dark Horse and Chief Bobber Dark Horse Features

• $156 per horsepower
• Bobbed sheet metal across the board
• Bobber Dark Horse has more of a classic bent
• Lots of blackout coverage

2

Indian 101 Scout

111 horsepower and 82 pound-feet of torque

The

101 Scout
serves as another

café-tastic
model with its characteristic bullet fairing and bobbed sheet metal to go with the bar-end mirrors that just scream custom bike at a glance. A solo seat comes stock with forward foot controls and a short-rise handlebar to put the rider in the windsock position.

Indian 101 Scout Performance Specifications

Power for the

101 Scout
comes from a 1,250 cc mill that’s liquid-cooled for thermal stability with Indian’s Ride Modes feature that allows for quick personality changes on the fly. Cruise control, traction control, and ABS join the RIDE COMMAND infotainment goodies for a top-shelf electronics suite. Inverted front forks and piggyback rear shocks complete the underpinnings.

Key Indian 101 Scout Features

• $153 per horsepower
• Café-tastic bullet fairing
• Pair of colorways with cool, model-specific tank graphics
• Decent electronics package

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1

Indian Scout Family

105 horsepower and 82 pound-feet of torque

Indian’s Scout family tree is fairly well populated with a handful of models from which to choose. All 2025 Scout models fall under the criteria of powerful and meet the price cutoff, so take your pick out of the lineup. The base model’s influence is strong throughout the range, leaving only minor details to separate these siblings. Generally regarded as entry-level bikes, the Scout range brings a surprising amount of tech to the table through a number of optional packages that add increasing levels of electronic yummygoodness.

Indian Scout Performance Specifications

Color choice is also affected by level of tech with the base models coming stock in black, save for the

Super Scout
with its trio of colorways. Power delivery falls to the 1,250 cc V-Twin engine that’s liquid-cooled for good thermal stamina for the slow traffic on hot days. The top-shelf tech packages add ride-control electronics and Indian’s RIDE COMMAND infotainment system.

Key Indian Scout Lineup Features

• $123 per horsepower on the base model
• Varying tech levels
• Good entry-level bike to the cruiser genre
• Infotainment support in the top packages