It was confirmed by Kennedy himself weeks ago. The teaser reel dropped this morning. And now it is here — ARO, American Racing Operations, is live.
Indian Motorcycle has today launched ARO — its new in-house, factory-backed performance brand — marking the most significant step the company has taken toward building a genuine performance identity since its modern revival in 2011. Born on the track. Built for the street. Backed by 125 years of racing legacy.
What ARO Actually Is
ARO is not a limited edition. It is not a sticker pack or a branded catalogue. It is Indian Motorcycle’s new in-house factory-backed performance brand — a comprehensive, growing portfolio of premium components and accessories engineered to enhance power, sound, and style across the Indian V-Twin range.
In Kennedy’s own words: “Our brand was founded by two racers who built a legacy pushing performance and driving American motorcycle innovation literally through racing. As stewards of Indian Motorcycle’s 125-year history, we’re proud to continue this legacy with our new race-inspired, factory-backed performance halo brand. ARO represents our commitment to performance, authenticity, and the continued evolution of American motorcycling, driven by and inspired by our historic investment in racing.”
Rooted in Indian Motorcycle’s racing heritage and its championship-winning MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Factory Racing Team — a team that dominated the opening rounds of the 2026 season — every ARO component is engineered to meet rigorous performance and reliability standards. The portfolio will grow to include exhaust systems, air intakes, performance hard parts, future technologies, and rider-focused solutions. Select products will be directly derived from the King of the Baggers race programme. The broader ARO lineup draws inspiration from the spirit of innovation and competition that has defined Indian Motorcycle for 125 years.
Terry Vance Designs the First Product
ARO debuts with a single, significant product — the ARO GP Dual Slip-On Exhaust, designed by Terry Vance, founder of Vance & Hines and principal of the Vance & Hines Factory Indian Motorcycle race team.
That lineage matters. Terry Vance helped forge the modern Indian Motorcycle racing partnership with Vance & Hines — the partnership that has produced the most dominant King of the Baggers Challenger package the series has ever seen. The man behind some of the most respected performance engineering in American motorcycling history designed this exhaust.
Pulling design inspiration from road racing, the ARO GP slip-on features exhaust screens similar to those found on international road racing machines — a subtle but deliberate visual connection to the track. The precision-tuned sound profile delivers a deep, low-frequency exhaust note at idle and low rpm before transitioning into a broad, high-output tone under acceleration, amplifying both performance and emotion in a way that is unmistakably American V-Twin.
And Kennedy has not just signed off on it from a boardroom. “I’ve been running a prototype on my own Indian Challenger since Daytona,” he said. “I can say wholeheartedly that it sounds absolutely amazing and truly elevates the experience of riding an Indian PowerPlus bagger.”
The ARO GP Stage One Dual Slip-On Exhaust is priced at $799.99 and will be available online at indianmotorcycle.com and at Indian Motorcycle dealerships from June 2026.
Track to Street Technology
The connection between the race programme and the street product could not be more direct. Beginning this weekend at Road America, the Vance & Hines Factory Indian Motorcycle race team will be running an ARO two-into-one exhaust system developed exclusively for the factory racing programme.
The street and race systems are different products — but they share the same engineering DNA, the same team, and the same ambition.
Watching the Indian Challenger on track at Elkhart Lake this weekend is watching ARO in its natural habitat.
Why ARO Matters
The ARO GP Dual Slip-On Exhaust is the opening move, not the full hand. Kennedy strongly suggested ARO could eventually expand beyond accessories into broader performance offerings and branded experiences. The launch product establishes the brand identity and sets the standard. More ARO performance parts and accessories — including air intakes and performance hard parts — are confirmed throughout 2026.
For Indian Challenger, Indian Pursuit, and Indian bagger owners who have spent years pointing to the gap between Harley-Davidson’s vast Screaming Eagle ecosystem and what has been available for their bikes — ARO is the direct answer. Factory-backed, race-derived, and built around Indian performance parts engineered to the same standard as the machines winning on track.
ARO also gives Indian dealers something they have historically lacked — a unified factory performance ecosystem. Until now, many Indian owners relied on aftermarket combinations from multiple manufacturers. ARO signals that Indian Motorcycle intends to own more of that performance relationship directly. For dealers, that is a significant commercial opportunity. For riders, it means a cleaner, more confident path to personalising their Indian Motorcycle exhaust, air intake, and performance setup with factory backing behind it.
What Comes Next
Kennedy was clear that this is day one, not the finished article. The ARO portfolio will develop throughout 2026 and beyond. IMRGlobal will be tracking every release and bringing the full picture to our global community as it unfolds.
The timing of today’s launch is deliberate. Kennedy and his team rode from Indian’s Minneapolis headquarters to Road America this week — arriving on motorcycles. ARO launches today. King of the Baggers racing at Road America starts Friday. The biggest Indian Motorcycle weekend of 2026 is underway.
Shop ARO
The ARO GP Stage One Dual Slip-On Exhaust is available to order now at indianmotorcycle.com/en-us/american-racing-operations with dealer availability from June 2026.
Indian Motorcycle is running a launch promotion with code FTTL26 — $20 off $100, $50 off $250, $100 off $500, and $200 off $1,000.
One Response
I am interested in the 2-1 aro exhaust for my 2025 Elite Challenger. Will there be good bag supports , & will we have a better set of cams soon . I might wait and get package along with single throttle body & breather system. My bike Fancy Shoes would love to be first with all mods . Contact me anytime.