2022 marks the 100th Anniversary of the Indian Chief model – back then it debuted with a 62 ci V-Twin. This year, Indian’s releasing a whole new lineup of Chief models, and the motors start at 111 ci. Hail to the Chief, indeed! I got a last minute invite to the Chief launch today/tomorrow, but I’m already committed to the Aprilia Tuono 660 launch. Nathan May is kindly going in my place – what do you want him to tell you about the all-new lineup?
It’s been a little bit since Nathan and I got our cruiser on – we took a Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special and an Indian Chieftain out to Vegas, and both of us preferred the Indian.
Photo by Nathan May
As mentioned above, this isn’t just one model – the new Chief lineup is comprised of six models:
Chief – $14,499
Chief Dark Horse – $16,999
Chief Bobber – $15,999
Chief Bobber Dark Horse – $18,999
(I don’t understand why the Dark Horse is a $2,500 bump for the base Chief but a $3,000 bump for the Bobber)
Super Chief – $18,499
Super Chief Limited – $20,999
All Chiefs either get a 111ci or 116ci Thunderstroke V-Twin paired with a 6-speed transmission and belt final drive, 26″ seat height, keyless ignition, cruise control, LED lighting, and rear cylinder deactivation. Curiously absent as a standard feature is ABS. Indian poached Ola Stenegard from BMW back in 2018 to become their new Director of Product Design, and this is one of his first all-new models with the firm (by the time he joined Indian, the design for the Challenger was almost completed). What do you think of the styling? I personally don’t like how much of the frame is visible in front the tank, but I’d love to hear what you think!
Give Indian some more money for upgrade models and you can get features like a windscreen, luggage, ABS, Ride Command, Bluetooth connectivity, and of course – all the aesthetic accessories and performance upgrades you can shake a stick at. I want to spend an extra minute mentioning Ride Command – Indian’s used it on the big Chieftain as those have a large square LED screen, but now Indian’s offering some of that functionality in a smaller (4″) circular touch-screen gauge, which is interesting. Check it out:
I look forward to hearing what Nathan has to say about the Chiefs – until then, here’s some simple specs on the base model (and here’s the full spec list):
Price: $14,995
Displacement: 111 cubic inches
Horspepower: Not Provided
Torque: 108 lb-ft (at crank)
Front Suspension: 46mm forks, 5.2 inches of travel
Rear Suspension: dual shocks, 3.0 inches of travel, preload adjustable
Wet Weight: 670 pounds
Seat Height: 26.0 inches
Fuel Tank Size: 4.0 gallons
Check out what Indian has to say about the new 2022 Chief lineup, then let Nathan know your questions/thoughts in the comments!