The Indian Chieftain is made to rule the highway. It's a pure long distance bagger, for the easy-going rider that doesn't need too much stuff.
Polaris Auto has put in some serious effort in re-launching the heritage brand, Indian. In India, Indian has launched it's whole line up, that is everything from the Scout to the Roadmaster. We have given you a taste of what the Scout and the Chief Vintage are like. Well this time, we get our hands on Indian Motorcycle's hard bagger -- the Chieftain. Here's what we have to say about it.
If you liked how raw the Chief Vintage looked well this bike is a more refined version of the leather bagger. The Chieftain shares a lot of components and looks with the standard Chief motorcycle. The main differences being that it is Indian's first bike to get a hard fairing and hard bags. This bike is definitely a head turner.
It has a huge road presence and draws attention everywhere it goes. Indian has made it a point to fit enough chrome on the bike that no matter what the light is it will still glisten and twinkle as it thunders by. The hard fairings on the front of the bike house the riding lights and the automatically retractable windscreen. Behind the fairing is the dashboard that holds a smart display and a top of the line audio system that increases and decreases volume based on the speed. That's quite the nifty touch.
Comfort-wise the Chieftain is a winner in every way. The seats are robust and well-cushioned allowing for both the rider and pillion to sit comfortably on long distance journeys. The HD audio system is well protected from the wind and allows for a great listening experience while riding. The bike even gets a USB connection, Bluetooth connectivity, three twelve-volt charging ports and keyless ignition.
Even the hard saddlebags get a lock and unlock button present on the key as well as the bike. The hand controls and foot controls are large and are made to go through some extensive usage.
Powering the Chieftain is the same 111 cubic inch (1800cc) V-twin motor that we saw in the Chief Vintage. This engine is just flawless. Responsive in every gear due to the 139Nm of torque it produces at only 3200rpm. That means seamless and linear sixth gear acceleration to get the bike moving. From 80km/hr to 140km/hr in the sixth gear on an open highway takes no effort. Bring the bike close to the red line and that's when you can really feel the vibrations of this engine. But how often is that going to happen. Anyone who decides to buy the Chieftain is going to do so for the joy of riding, not for pushing the bike to it's redline.
The first thing I noticed about the Chieftain is how easy it is to manoeuvre. For a bike of this size, throwing it around corners and navigating through traffic is as easy as moving a knife through butter. U-turns might be a little wide but that's no issue. The only flaw I found in this bike was that it doesn't hold its trajectory. The rider has to keep making minor adjustments to keep the bike in the line that is desired.
When it comes to mash some brakes, the Chieftain relies on 300mm dual floating rotors and four piston calipers on the front. It doesn't take much effort to get this 500kg bike to a halt. The ABS is not as interfering as some of it's competitors. Even under hard braking the bike doesn't seem to get too unsettled.
One of the most convenient features of the Chieftain is that it comes with an automatically adjustable windscreen. With the push of a button the rider can move the windshield up or down until the desired height is reached. It does a fantastic job of blocking the wind and works well with the hard fairings to prevent any wind interference with those meticulously selected highway tunes.
All in all the Indian Chieftain is made to rule the highway. It's a pure long distance bagger, for the easy-going rider that doesn't need too much stuff. The open road, music, more than enough power and a beautiful noise from the exhaust is all a true cruiser fan can ask for. Indian has made sure it delivers. For those looking to carry more belongings, well Indian has a solution for that too -- the Roadmaster.
What Polaris is looking to do globally is take on Harley-Davidson's horns first. They have put in a lot of time and effort to rebrand Indian to what it is now. I feel it's just a matter of time, that this company will be up there with the Harley, eating up on bagger market share.
In India, the bagger bike concept is still very young. These bikes are bought as a statement and to keep an image, so for those of you that are getting a hole burned in your pocket with some excessive money, feel free to spend Rs 39 lakh (approx on-road Mumbai) on this bike.
Photographs: Courtesy, Indian Motorcycles
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