If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you know that I’ve been riding around on a 2015 Indian Chieftain, 850 pounds and $23,000 worth of stunningly beautiful American Iron.
People gawked at it everywhere I stopped. Even those who weren’t even into motorcycles commented on its aesthetics, and bikers just flipped over it. I could hardly get it out of a gas station or parking lot without a lengthy conversation.
The attraction of classics
My friend rode another classic, a 1994 BMW R100GS, the BumbleBee edition, which is the rock-solid reliable dual-sport I rode up to Utah last year. Every motorcyclist we encountered admired both of the bikes, though some were naturally drawn to one or the other.
Personally, I’ve never been able to choose between the various styles of motorcycling. I love cruising and dual-sport, dirt biking, sport touring, and hooliganing around like a badass on a supermoto.
It is perhaps telling, however, that I own a KLR, which does it all competently but has no one strength other than, well, it’s strength. They don’t call it the Swiss Army Knife of Motorcycles for nothin’.
Long-distance touring
On this trip, we were riding from San Diego to one of my favorite travel events, the Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle & Overland Travelers Meeting in Yosemite, California. The Indian was an anomaly among the BMW GS Adventures, KTM Adventures, VStroms, Kawasaki KLRs and other bikes designed to handle road and track and water crossings from Fairbanks, Alaska to Tierra del Fuego.
At 850 pounds wet the bike is substantial, and at gas stations and snack stops I was frankly assessed by other riders, all men of course, who found it astonishing that “little thing like me” (5″8′ & 130 pounds, doh) could handle a big bike like this.
But let me tell you, it’s a well-balanced machine and, except for an adrenaline-fueled moment on a particularly tight corkscrew turn on deformed asphalt in the middle of Yosemite forest, I felt confident and even exhilarated on country curves with a surprisingly aggressive lean angle.
The Chieftain is perfect for freeways and sweepers and the ideal cruiser for the area of central California we were riding just west of the Sierras. My favorite segment of the ride was the area around Old Stage Coach Road between Bakersfield and Porterville, a block of country I look forward to exploring in more detail in the near future.
Beauty and power
But back to the Indian. The designers stayed as true as possible to the original design of the machine. It’s weird that though it’s got only one more horsepower than the GS – perhaps staying rather too true to the original Indian design – it jumps off the starting line like a race bike. Comparing an 1800cc, 850 pound bagger to a classic BMS GS at 1000ccs is not right at all but when you’re riding side-by-side it’s unavoidable.
The torque on this thing is awe-inspiring, creating a deep rumble and not the blat-blat of many cruisers. (Do they really like that sound?) It’s a satisfying rumble, similar to my old Guzzi California (which now has a good home with an Italian biker here in San Diego). Less “loud” than deep, like that anchorman whose voice carries across the room.
The history
I think it’s great that Indian was revived by Polaris, a company that makes Victory motorcycles and lots of four-wheeled fun machines. They’re committed to 100% American made products (though some components come from outside the country). Their Victory line is well respected and I think that finally the Indian brand is in good hands.
Indian Motorcycles was founded in 1901 in Springfield, Mass and went out of business in 1953. After a few unsuccessful attempts to revive the brand by adventurous entrepreneurs, Polaris purchased it in 2011 and quickly released the first new models in 2013. The Indian Chieftain was so well received that it was named 2013 Motorcycle of the Year by RoadRunner Motorcycle Touring & Travel magazine.
Women Riders Now dubbed the smaller Indian Scout the Harley “Sportster Killer” for it’s aesthetics and performance. The reviewer is 4″11′ with a 28″ inseam and had no problem swinging a leg over the bike with its 25.3-inch seat height, 61.5-inch wheelbase and 5.3-inch ground clearance. At 558 pounds the Scout is 300 pounds lighter than the Chieftain and, at about $11,000, costs half as much as the Chieftain.
More to choose from
So what do you get for twice the price (besides an additional 300 pounds)?
The next step up in the lineup are their cruisers. Actually, the Indian Chief Classic or the Indian Chief Vintage are probably more my style, since I like the travel. The Vintage comes with a windscreen and bags, both essentials for long distance touring. I mean, look at this thing in “willow” and ivory creme with brown leather seat, luggage and trademark fringe. You could design an entire lifestyle around this bike, including the jacket.
Take another step up to big boy I had for a couple of weeks, the Chieftain (bagger), resplendent in various colors and combos, followed by the biggest baddest of all, the Roadmaster touring model with all the bells and whistles for both rider and passenger.
There’s cruise control and sideboards and automatic windscreen adjustment, stereo and USB port. There’s a nice big 4 gallon tank and saddlebags and a keyless ignition. What’s not to love?
I love the rumble, the classic colors, and the comfort of this modern classic. Which one do you love?
