A look at the new Indian Motorcycle dealerships on the French Riviera

Indian Motorcycle has launched two new flagship stores in the southern region of France. Premium Indian Motorcycles has relocated to a new showroom near Nice and the all-new dealership, Indian Valence, opened its doors in Bourg-Lès-Valence.

Since the 2013 relaunch of Indian Motorcycle, the brand has seen strong year-on-year growth in France, and the country is now Indian’s No. 1 market in Europe and third worldwide. Supporting this growth, the official dealer network has expanded to 31 locations with a focus on delivering the premium motorcycle experience. Premium Indian Motorcycle and Indian Valence are the latest milestone in an ongoing project to upgrade and enhance the dealer network with an emphasis on quality over quantity.

“Giving our customers the very best environments in which to experience Indian Motorcycle, from their very first contact, through their decision process and on to a long term one-on-one relationship is extremely important to us,” said Pierre Audoin, Indian Motorcycle national manager for France. “To deliver the premium motorcycle experience, we work hard with all our partners to define an individual plan regarding quality, strategy, training and to provide a setting that is not only recognizably Indian Motorcycle, but also tailored to their unique location. With the South of France being a highly fashionable area, it was important to create environments that reflected this.”

Premium Indian Motorcycles has been with the brand since its relaunch and was originally based in Cannes. The dealership relocated to Nice to place itself in the Alpes Maritimes catchment area, a motorcycling hotspot.

“I have the feeling that we are continuing the history of the brand and that the future holds exciting surprises,” said Arnaud Meunier of Premium Motorcycles. “Indian Motorcycle have invested a lot in R&D so the range is in full development. I think that the next five years will be incredible in terms of development. We are preparing to face this growth. It’s a great opportunity for a dealer and a great personal accomplishment to be part of the modern Indian adventure.”

Relocating to the beautiful French Riviera required a unique approach to the showroom design to fit the hipster lifestyle, stand out from the competition and create a destination dealership to attract riders of all brands. Featuring a large, split level showroom, the interior is constructed mainly from wood in a natural finish with the heritage and craftsmanship of the brand reflected in the choice of fittings, furniture and decoration.

“I’ve tried to put myself in the shoes of a customer with all their possible expectations and combine that with our professional and technical needs to work effectively,” Arnaud said. “The showroom concept was for a warm inviting place, with clearly defined spaces for different needs. These spaces allow us to provide the best possible service for our customers, but also provide areas for conviviality and socializing that do not impact on our service if a group of riders come for a coffee, to meet or rest. The goal was to create more than a showroom, to welcome the customer and future customers and give them reasons to visit us throughout the year. This is also why we have included a stage, to organize small concerts for motorcycle launches or for social events.”

Celebrating the completion of the project, a grand opening night welcomed over 400 local riders and special guests for a party that took advantage of the mezzanine stage with live music in the evening.

Indian Valence in Bourg-Lès-Valence, a strategic location between Lyon and the Riviera, is an entirely new member of the Indian Motorcycle family. With a passion for American motorcycles, the business partners behind the new venture chose to participate in the development of Indian Motorcycle as it was clear to them that the brand has great potential in France.

“The Indian Motorcycle team trusted us from the beginning and helped us in the implementation of our project: from research of the commercial space to the layout of the store. We wanted to invest in Indian because it is the first American motorcycle brand and the prospects for development were important. Indian Motorcycle have great ambitions for the continued revival of the brand and we are very confident about the future,” said Frédéric Barrau of Indian Valence.

“Our store was designed according to the specifications of the brand but we wanted to bring our own personal touch. We wanted to create a warm and friendly space to welcome all bikers. We hope eventually to become a meeting point for bikers in the region who have the same state of mind as us: the pleasure of riding together.”

Before the official opening, an exclusive inauguration evening was held to celebrate the completion of the project and to thank the people involved. For the official opening the next day, more than 100 people attended to admire the showroom and the Indian Motorcycle range.