INDIAN CHIEF FULL
Remember those Chiefs of recent history? They wore the full fenders of the Indian Motorcycle (sic) Company’s twilight.
A “what if” Indian had survived past the early 1950s and got to do battle with “that other American brand” for the other half of the 20th century. The Indian Chief offers classic, simple and clean styling. In the case of the new Super Chief, it’s actually built up to be a light tourer. The old Chiefs were stripped down to a “cruiser” level from their touring roots, while the new Chief is built up, from a minimalist chassis, wrapping the hefty powerplant in as little chassis as possible. Full skirted fenders flirt with Indian heritage, and they rock the same powerplant, but compared to the new Chief, they’re basically polar opposites. In the words of an Indian designer, they’re “overbuilt” for the task at hand.
The stopgap, up until last year, was the Chief Dark Horse and the Chief Vintage (now rebranded as the Indian Vintage, so as not to be confused with this new model), based on the touring chassis that underpins big touring rigs, the Chieftain and Roadmaster. After all, if they woo a customer with a Scout, they don’t want them running off if they want to move up to something other than a bagger. But in the interesting position Indian finds itself in, as a domestic competitor to H-D, their brain trust thinks the heavyweight is an essential link. Heavyweight cruisers, that pitstop between small and medium (which might as well be one class) and the popular baggers and tourers at the top end of the market-these bikes have basically disappeared from every metric cruiser line and are even dropping from Harley-Davidson’s lineup. Take the lauded Thunderstroke 111 (bumped up to 116 cubic inches on the upgraded models), design an all-new chassis around it, and wrap it all in classic styling. Indian Motorcycle’s bold idea: Develop a new motorcycle to compete in a disappearing class. The Chief Bobber Dark Horse gives you room to spread out. CHOOSE YOUR RIDE: Choose between three ride modes - Tour, Standard, and Sport - for an experience that’s tailored to your riding style.Three Indians that are great for those who still like to go big.LIGHT YOUR WAY: Full LED lighting provides great visibility to the road ahead.FEATURES FOR THE WIN: Off the line, every Chief Dark Horse comes with keyless ignition, USB charging port, cruise control, and super-sticky Pirelli® Night Dragon tires.MODERN TECHNOLOGY HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: More of what you need, less of what you don't.RIDE WITH CONFIDENCE: With a low seat height, a solo saddle, and mid-mount foot pegs that keep your feet underneath you, the Chief gives every rider complete control.machined cast front wheel with ABS adds to the menacing stance and will beg you to roll the throttle. BLACK, AND MORE BLACK: Dark by design with premium gloss-black finishes from fender to fender.THE BEAUTY IS IN THE DETAILS: The result of fine American craftsmanship: no detail overlooked.Use it as a speedo and a tach, but it also provides turn-by-turn navigation (with live weather and traffic), controls ride modes, lets you answer and decline calls, and manage your music from any Bluetooth®-connected device. TOUCHSCREEN WITH RIDE COMMAND: The 4 in touchscreen maintains a classic aesthetic by disguising itself as an analog gauge.HEAD-TURNING DESIGN: Turn heads on every corner with simple, purposeful design showcasing bobbed fenders, exposed rear shocks and a steel welded tube frame.THUNDERSTROKE 116: The air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 produces 120 ft-lbs of raw torque for passing power in all 6 gears, giving you the power to leave everything - and everyone - in your exhaust.AND MENACE: Timeless design, legendary past, and unobtrusive modern technology.