Bikesales' ‘Weekend Escape’

It’s one thing getting bums on motorcycle seats, but it's another thing altogether maximising the impact. Indian Motorcycle is currently pushing hard on both fronts with its ramped up ‘Weekend Escape’ promotion, and it’s a cracker, too.

Here’s how it works. The company is offering customers the opportunity to take an Indian Motorcycle for the night, with a full tank of fuel and an accommodation voucher, and churn out the miles in the ultimate test experience.

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That’s not a totally new concept as the Weekend Escape has been around for a while now, but the company has now added another rich incentive. If you book a Weekend Escape on any Indian motorcycle from now until September 30, 2017, and then buy the bike, you have a one in 50 chance of winning back the cost of your new ride.

There is one brand-new Indian Motorcycle to be won from the company's dealerships in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The deal applies to both new and demonstrator models sold.

Want to know more? Then visit http://1in50.com.au.

Bikesales knows what all the fuss is about now, as we’ve just taken a Weekend Escape ourselves. Armed with a Roadmaster Classic, we headed for Port Fairy on the western Victorian coast — the first day taking in the delights of the famed Great Ocean Road, and then returning to Melbourne through a slew of inland routes.

We first rode the leather-wrapped Roadmaster Classic, a derivative of the original Roadmaster, a few months ago — but as we found out on the Weekend Escape there were still a few 'gaps' to be filled. Not so much about the hulking 1819cc Thunderstroke 111 V-twin and drivetrain, but more on the comfort and amenities front as this time there was a pillion added to the equation this time — as a well as a blast of freezing weather.

The brisk temperature, and a biting wind, answered one question straight off the bat: do the heated seats live up to the hype? They certainly do, as well as the heated grips, and they both work up a serious head of steam on the highest settings.

I also fiddled around a lot more with the Bluetooth facility, toggled through screens on the seven-inch infotainment screen (which isn’t a problem with thicker winter gloves – a big tick there) with more regularity, and generally involved myself a lot more with the Roadmaster’s luxury touring features

The air-adjustable rear shock was also pumped up on the $39,995 machine (that’s for the two-tone red/cream and green/cream liveries; the black version costs $38,995) to handle the extra carriage; and I tested those 300mm discs to the limit on a succession of GOR hairpins.

How did the 100-watt stereo hold up at speed, and could I still hear the music with my earplugs in? What about with my visor down? Was the pillion getting the same vibes? Was the handling a lot different with a pillion?

How did the bike deal with strong cross winds? Very well it has to be said… Are the Pathfinder LED lights a cut above? Is the seat comfortable over really long stretches? Is there any troublesome heat coming from that massive engine? What’s it like on fuel? For the record, average consumption was 6.93 litres per 100km over the 815km journey, so pretty good for a massive tourer.

So many questions were answered over the two days, as well as some views confirmed and previous observations debunked. That’s why the Weekend Escape program is such a great initiative — especially when there are big dollars at stake if you buy a bike like the flagship Roadmaster Classic.

And the program lends itself to a marque like Indian Motorcycle with its long-haul leaning model range — and you also get a chance to see another part of Australia for the first time!

Head to an Indian Motorcycle dealer in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth and ask about the Weekend Escape program. And if you buy, the odds of winning the purchase price back are one in 50. Sensational odds.