Indian Motorcycle® launches two new Chieftain models

Indian Motorcycle® has been on a serious tear with new products and exciting developments as of late. Earlier this month it was announced that two new variants of the company’s flagship Chieftain model would be joining its growing tribe – the Chieftain Limited and Elite.

Both bikes are mild iterations of the Chieftain rather than full blown new models. At their core, the Limited and the Elite are mechanically the same as the standard Chieftain, but feature striking aesthetic differences and sweet new tech. These big beautiful baggers are aimed squarely at Harley-Davidson’s Street Glide Special and CVO Street Glide, and have a price tag to match – the Chieftain Limited is $24,499, while the Elite commands a $7,000 premium and rings in at $31,499.

The biggest visual difference the Limited and Elite have over the base motorcycle is noticeable as soon as you lay eyes on it- they have ditched the valanced front fender that has become synonymous Indian motorcycles, in favor of a pared back fender. This reveals a stunning 19-inch, 10 spoke alloy front wheel, the most prominent upgrade over the base bike. The new fender also exposes dual four-piston brake calipers that clamp down on 300mm floating rotors.

Thrust for the Limited and Elite comes from Indian’s venerable Thunder Stroke 111 cubic-inch v-twin engine, which produces a thumping 119 pound-feet of torque. It is a good thing too - the Chieftain Elite tips the scales at a hefty 831 pounds, while the Limited is only slightly trimmer at 817 pounds.

Any variant of the Chieftain is a born cruiser and of the two models, the Elite especially enhances that experience. In addition to the two stereo speakers up front, there are two more built into the saddlebags that together produce 400 watts of sound. If pumping sweet, sweet jams while riding is your thing, this is your bike. You’ll have to bring your own toast.
Another element unique to the Elite is that stunning paint job. Completely hand done (that means no two bikes will ever look exactly the same, which rocks), it takes some 25 hours to complete and is what Indian calls Fireglow Red Candy. Whatever the name, it is gorgeous, and we want it.

In the dash, riders will find Indian Motorcycle® excellent Ride Command infotainment system. With it, you can pair your phone to the bike via Bluetooth, the full color touchscreen recognizes standard inputs like pinching and swiping, and it can be used while wearing gloves. One other major benefit of Ride Command is that Indian will be offering rolling software updates that riders can download and install on their own.

It is clear Indian Motorcycle® means business. Parent company Polaris® has already revealed that a fleet of new Indian models are coming over the next five years, and the Chieftain Limited and Elite are leading the charge. Will younger riders be overly interested in these heavy, large, super-premium baggers? Probably not, but the sales of these bikes should help fund exciting future motorcycles in range of new segments.