Skirted fenders, spoke wheels, an air-cooled V-twin, an illuminated Indian ornament on the front fender, and plenty of leather all around … the very first Indian Chiefs epitomized early American motorcycling. The new Indian Chief Vintage carries forth that legacy in a beautiful manner.
The new model was unveiled in the wake of Indian Motorcycle’s 125th anniversary, and I have to say it’s a looker. It was launched at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, where Ola Stenegärd, the design director for Indian Motorcycle, revealed a photograph of a Chief from the 1940s that he had seen while growing up in Sweden.
“This was the bike we already had in our minds when we did the big Chief redesign back in 2021,” Stenegärd explained at the launch. “The inspiration was pretty much a no-brainer for this motorcycle. Indian Chiefs from the 1940s remain one of the most recognizable motorcycles in American history.”
The New Chief Vintage
First things first, it is based on the current Chief platform, retaining all the same internals. The Chief Vintage comes powered by the 1890cc air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 V-twin engine, producing around 73 horsepower and a claimed 120 lb.ft (163 Nm) of torque.
It’s the first model launched under Indian’s new campaign, “Never Finished,” which marks 125 years since the first-ever Indian motorcycle rolled off the factory floor in 1901 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Look past the engine, and you’ll realize where most of Indian’s focus has been for this bike: its design.
According to Stenegärd, his team sought to get rid of the previous model’s whitewall tires, brown leather two-up seat, and saddlebags with fringe and concho accents, as well as its strong reliance on chrome. The designers wanted it to be “less retro and more classic,” according to Stenegärd.
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Stenegärd and his fellow designers put a lot of effort into perfecting the stance and proportions rather than merely placing some valanced fenders on the standard Chief and calling it a day. This required lengthy hours in the studio molding the fenders using modeling clay, a process that has been around since the 1930s and is preferable when dealing with complicated, organic curves, even in the current era of computer-aided design and rapid prototyping.
The result is a sharper, leaner motorcycle with less opulent bodywork, a quieter silhouette, and a cleaner stance. The flowing fender complements a simple floating solo seat that sits over the blacked-out cylinders of the Thunderstroke 116 engine.
You also get 16-inch spoked wheels with balloon tires, a curved, slightly wider and taller handlebar, and a smaller 150-section rear tire as opposed to the 180 on other Chiefs, to accommodate the revised rear fender. Underneath the flesh, things are more or less the same – the same 4-gallon (15.1-liter) tank, identical dual exhausts, and the same steel tube frame carries over, albeit with a slightly modified rear subframe.
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Even the suspension and braking systems are the same, with a non-adjustable 46-mm fork that offers 5.2 inches (132 mm) of travel and dual rear shocks that provide only 3 inches (76 mm) of travel. You get the same single 298-mm disc held by a four-piston caliper up front and a two-piston caliper paired with a floating disc of the same size out back to make sure the 721-lb (327 kg) machine comes to a halt on tap.
As far as rider aids are concerned, throttle-by-wire, cruise control, ABS, and rear-cylinder deactivation are included as standard – nothing that stands out here. Also featured is Indian’s Ride Command system, which can be tinkered with via the circular 4-inch TFT. The bike also has three ride modes – Sport, Standard, and Tour – as well as keyless ignition, a USB charging port, and LED lighting to complete the list of features.
A pillion seat and rear back rest are available as optional extras, alongside a windshield and 19-liter vinyl saddlebags on either side. The low 27-inch (686-mm) seat ought to be extremely welcoming to riders of all shapes and sizes, although I reckon the floorboards and 28.5 degrees of lean will limit maneuverability in tighter corners.
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The new Chief Vintage looks like a well-built motorcycle with a strong emphasis on style. Personally, I think it looks incredibly retro – you just don’t see that 40s style in pretty much anything but old hot rodders, and even those are rare. I love how cool it looks, even though it’s essentially just two pieces of fairing that’s changed the whole look.
As for the price, the Chief Vintage will set you back US$19,999 for Black Metallic, rising to $20,499 for Indian Red – that’s slightly more costly than the base Chief and Chief Bobber. The bikes will start showing up at dealers in March.
I mainly see the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic ($22,999) as being the only true competitor to the Chief Vintage, although others like the Suzuki Boulevard Series, Kawasaki Vulcan 900, and Yamaha Bolt can be deemed in a similar category. But these bikes mostly compete in the more affordable $9,000 to $12,000 class.
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The Chief Vintage is the first bike of what promises to be a busy year for Indian Motorcycle. The company has just entered a new era, as separation from Polaris has just recently been completed, and the brand has been acquired by Carolwood LP. Safe to say it marks a new era for the bikemaker that prides itself on being America’s oldest.
Source: Indian Motorcycle
