Motorcycles Under Indiana Lemon Law

Motorcycles are excluded from Indiana’s Lemon Law. The § 24-5-13 “Indiana Motor Vehicle Protection Act” does not apply, so the 18-month / 18,000-mile Rights Period, the 4-attempt / 30-business-day OOS thresholds, and the mandatory § 24-5-13-22 fees are not available for motorcycle defects. Federal Magnuson-Moss and the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (IDCSA) remain your avenues.

Coverage — motorcycles are excluded

§ 24-5-13-5 defines “motor vehicle” and expressly excludes motorcycles (along with mopeds/motor-driven cycles, conversion vans, motor homes, farm and road-building equipment, truck/road tractors, snowmobiles, and off-road vehicles). Because a motorcycle is not a “motor vehicle” under the statute, no § 24-5-13 lemon-law claim is available for it.

What still applies instead

• Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act — the federal warranty statute covers consumer products including motorcycles, with attorney-fee shifting for prevailing consumers. This is the primary route for a defective new motorcycle in Indiana.
• IDCSA — the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act reaches deceptive acts (including uncured misrepresentations about a motorcycle), with treble damages or a $500 minimum and mandatory fees, provided the pre-suit cure notice is given.
• UCC breach-of-warranty — Ind. Code § 26-1-2-725 gives a 4-year backstop from delivery.

Common motorcycle defect patterns

• Engine — internal failures, cam-chain tensioner issues.
• Transmission — false neutrals, hard shifts.
• Electrical — battery drain, ECU failures.
• Cooling — overheating, fan failures.
• Brakes — ABS failures, recall-worthy issues.
• Suspension — fork seal failures, shock failures.

Brand-specific patterns

• Harley-Davidson — Milwaukee 8 engine cam chain, Twin-Cam oil cooler.
• Indian Motorcycle (Polaris) — Thunderstroke engine issues, electrical.
• BMW — Boxer engine failures, electrical complexity.
• Ducati — Desmo valve clearance, electrical.
• Triumph — recall patterns (engine, brakes).
• Honda Gold Wing / Africa Twin — DCT transmission issues.
• Yamaha / Kawasaki / Suzuki — varies.

Indiana motorcycle market

• Strong Harley-Davidson market in middle Indiana.
• Indian Motorcycle (Polaris) — Indianapolis 500 events draw national Indian Motorcycle attention.
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway — MotoGP host; sport-bike concentration.
• Mid-spring through fall riding season — IN winters limit year-round use.

How to pursue a motorcycle claim

Even without the Lemon Law, document the case the same way:

1. Document repair attempts at the authorized dealer (repair orders, dates, mileage, complaint language, out-of-service days).
2. Send a Magnuson-Moss demand to the manufacturer.
3. Send an IDCSA cure notice if you seek treble damages — gives 30 days to cure under § 24-5-0.5-5(a)(2).
4. File suit under Magnuson-Moss (with parallel IDCSA + UCC counts) — Magnuson-Moss fee shifting makes representation feasible.

Bottom line

Indiana’s Lemon Law excludes motorcycles under § 24-5-13-5, but a defective new motorcycle is still actionable under Magnuson-Moss and the IDCSA, both with fee shifting. Document attempts at the authorized dealer and pursue the federal and UDAP routes. Get a free case review.

Related

Article

Commercial Vehicles Under Indiana Lemon Law

Commercial-vehicle coverage under Indiana § 24-5-13 — 10,000 lbs GVWR cap, commercial-use exclusion, and Magnuson-Moss alternative.

Read → Article

Electric Vehicles Under Indiana Lemon Law

How Indiana Lemon Law applies to EVs — Tesla, Rivian, plus home-state-built Subaru Solterra (Lafayette SIA).

Read → Article

Leased Vehicles Under Indiana Lemon Law

How Indiana Lemon Law (§ 24-5-13) applies to leased vehicles — lessees protected; refund includes lease payments + sales tax + residual.

Read → Article

RVs Under Indiana Lemon Law — Elkhart Home-State Defendants

Elkhart County is the RV Capital of the World. How Indiana Lemon Law (chassis only) plus Magnuson-Moss + IDCSA apply to Thor, Forest River, Jayco, Keystone, Heartland, Newmar, Coachmen RVs.

Read → Article

Used Vehicles Under Indiana Lemon Law

Used vehicles are NOT covered by Indiana's § 24-5-13 Lemon Law. Magnuson-Moss, IDCSA, and UCC remain available.

Read →