Indian Chieftain test ride.

[Backroad Mike]

Nice review Ken.

Thanks for the pics.

I'm with Russ. That chrome badge on he fairing.

[d j]

Motor is cool looking. Must be 3 cammed for straight push rods.

[Dinero]

I wish you would have washed one. It looks like it would be easier than the Ultra to clean.

[Fe Butte]

That would be an excellent finish to a test ride, see how it rides and how hard it is to get the bitty bug guts all cleaned off.

[d j]

Lotsa bugs to splat this time of year in Wisconnie.

[Fe Butte]

Wonder if they made that big chromey thing on the faring to be shaped like a Southwest American Indian Thunderbird shaped thingy?

Kinda almost sorta looks like it.

Maybe get it powder coated in Turquoise?

[trmn8r]

Originally Posted by Dinero

I wish you would have washed one. It looks like it would be easier than the Ultra to clean.

As little as you ride in relation to how often you wash your bike (at least talk about washing your bike) I can understand why that is your primary concern.




Rereading that before posting this I'm not sure if the humor and sarcastic intent came across in the right way so maybe I should point it out here. You are to me the consummate (did I use that word right?) "Bought the bike to ride not wash" individual.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4

[trmn8r]

I was concerned. I had to Google it. As an adjective I did use that word correctly.. . As a verb probably not lol

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4

[Dinero]

Originally Posted by trmn8r

As little as you ride in relation to how often you wash your bike (at least talk about washing your bike) I can understand why that is your primary concern.




Rereading that before posting this I'm not sure if the humor and sarcastic intent came across in the right way so maybe I should point it out here. You are to me the consummate (did I use that word right?) "Bought the bike to ride not wash" individual.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4

You got it right.

I sure talk about doing it more than I actually do wash the bike. But riding it? Yeah. That's what I bought it for.

[orbit]

Thanks for all the responses!

Now, off we go......

Originally Posted by Bone Stockman

Great write-up. Would you say the "tingle" is similar to a Softail's? It's a solid-mounted motor, so that's what I'd assume. The Vic CCT has a similar buzz.

Yep, it's a Softail-type buzz. And it's more pronounced than the CCT.

Originally Posted by DaSkip

What was the MSRP on the one you rode?

$23K. Add $1K, I believe, for the fish-tail, Stage I exhaust

Originally Posted by Bone Stockman

I'd have to get that big hunk of chrome on the fairing powder coated black, but otherwise, that's a beautiful bike.

Yep, something to reduce the effect of that chrome. But, in person, it's not bad, true to scale. But still a bit much.

Originally Posted by SafetyMan

The fairing looks like someone smacked into a wall with it...

Too flat on the profile.

Overall not a bad looking bike though

On the Polaris built bikes, you seem to sit farther back from the steering head than on a Harley. So you need pull back bars. The Indian's bars are less pulled back than the Victory.

If the fairing was less flat, it wouldn't look right. The visual effect with this fairing design, I think, is to make the bike look less large.

It's a very effective fairing. Really. It is.

Originally Posted by d j

Motor is cool looking. Must be 3 cammed for straight push rods.

Yes, three cams.

Originally Posted by Fe Butte

Wonder if they made that big chromey thing on the faring to be shaped like a Southwest American Indian Thunderbird shaped thingy?

Kinda almost sorta looks like it.

Maybe get it powder coated in Turquoise?

I've read that it was styled to look like the front of a '50s-era streamlined locomotive.

Turquoise would be a bit much, tho.

Thought a little bit about that bike today. In person, it's absolutely stunning. It carries the traditional Indian styling well.

It's a finely detailed motorcycle. It's reasonably priced, and well equipped, for that kind of money.

And as a brand new, freshly designed bike, the Indian impresses. It really does. Hats off to the engineers and designers. They've done a fine job.

However, I don't know how one would lessen the buzz in that motor. Solid-mounting is definitely the cause. It's a V-Twin. A mighty fine V-Twin. As such, there's not much one can do. Maybe this example was the exception rather than the rule. I didn't bother trying a different bike. Maybe some tweakage in seat and footboard mounting (isolators of some type) would solve the problem. Maybe it was the Stage I. I dunno.

I'm not really looking to buy a new bike. The Indian intrigued me, tho. That's why I test rode one.

I'm sure stuff will turn up once these things hit the road in new owner's hands. And I'm sure those at Indian will be ready to make things better.

Perhaps, after a year or two, I'll be in the market for a new bike. In that time, perhaps Indian will have implemented their little tweaks as well.

I'll be sure to ride another at that time. Who knows? Perhaps an Indian will end up in my barn some day.

[Bone Stockman]

Totally understand the thing about the bars. On the Vic, you're sitting way back from the steering head and the bars are like a tiller. Having ridden a Softie for so long, and then 18 months on Beemers (thanks Boss), I don't mind the buzz at all.

If they come out with a tour pack, that bike's on my list.

[orbit]

Originally Posted by Bone Stockman

Totally understand the thing about the bars. On the Vic, you're sitting way back from the steering head and the bars are like a tiller. Having ridden a Softie for so long, and then 18 months on Beemers (thanks Boss), I don't mind the buzz at all.

If they come out with a tour pack, that bike's on my list.

Detach points are already there. Detachable passenger backrest is already available. I'd guess a trunk ain't far behind.

Regarding the buzz, yep, I guess you'd get used to it. Coming from a rubber-mounted V-Twin, the buzz is a bit disconcerting to the uninitiated.

It ain't offensive. It's just there.

[Scabbydoo]

Great write up Ken, as well as the afterthoughts.

Guess it's all in what you get used to. After 50,000 mi on a 'buzz' machine, I can honestly say I just don't notice it.

And, as you said Ken, it is a really purdy bike.

Sent from my new space age communicator.

[Big Cheese]

Originally Posted by Fe Butte

Wonder if they made that big chromey thing on the faring to be shaped like a Southwest American Indian Thunderbird shaped thingy?

Kinda almost sorta looks like it.

Maybe get it powder coated in Turquoise?

This

Nice review Ken.

I can't get past the front fender though.

[albundy]

Originally Posted by Big Cheese

This

Nice review Ken.

I can't get past the front fender though.

that's my problem too....