Indian Chieftain

There is a sense of authority and massiveness in the overall stance and styling of the Indian Chieftain. This full-size cruiser motorcycle from the Bagger series of Indian has got enough muscle power to put even some cars to shame – that’s how huge this motorcycle is.

At the front, the Indian Chieftain gets a massive windshield, which has curved sides and accommodates a rounded halogen headlamp at the bottom and a sleek air vent on the top of it. This whole windshield can be adjusted electronically for its height, as the preference of the ride is to restrict the wind blasts at higher speeds. The lower corners of this windshield come fitted with small rounded turn indicators. The nicely curved front fender gets an Indian motif on the top of it, which can glow up during low light conditions.

While the front profile of the Indian Chieftain looks majestic, the side profile is equally authoritative too. The Chieftain gets a curved fuel tank with chrome garnish on the top of it, below which sits the massive chrome-bathed Thunderstroke 116 V-twin engine. Even the dual exhaust pipes, with one on each side, are finished in chrome. The multi-spoke alloy wheels go well with the overall design with their machined finish.

The lower side boy panels of the Indian Chieftain look quite plain and come fitted with pillion footrests and mounts for the cargo bags on both sides. The motorcycle has two large split seats and one weatherproof storage bag on either side, the combined space of which is 68+ litres. The curved fender for the rear wheel comes with chrome finished turn indicators which also double up as the main tail lamp.

The rider’s cockpit of the Indian Chieftain is super wide and is divided into two halves. The upper half gets two rounded analogue dials with one each for the speedometer and tachometer. Both these rounded dials come with small LCD screens – while the left one shows a fuel gauge, the right one displays a gear indicator, odometer, trip meter, and other data. The lower half of the cockpit has a large rectangular touchscreen infotainment system, which supports Apple Carplay and Bluetooth connectivity. Either side of the touchscreen gets integrated speakers for a 100W music system offered as standard on the motorcycle.

The Indian Chieftain gets a simple architecture under its huge body, which consists of a suspension setup of inverted hydraulic telescopic forks with 119mm travel at the front and an air-adjustable mono-shock with 114mm travel at the rear. The motorcycle comes with dual 300mm discs at the front and a single 300mm disc at the rear, which provides enough stopping power to make this beast on two wheels come to a halt comfortably. The motorcycle rides on a 130/60 B19 tyre at the front and a 180/60 R16 tyre at the back.

The Indian Chieftain sources its power from a four-stroke, Thunderstroke 116 engine, which displaces 1890cc and churns out a maximum torque output of 171 Nm. The engine has bucket loads of torque in whichever gear you ride it and offers great refinement levels. The engine here is paired to a 6-speed gearbox.

The Indian Chieftain might not be the best in class in terms of safety features, but it manages to come equipped with basics like dual-channel ABS, keyless ignition, and tyre pressure monitoring system.

The Indian Chieftain can make you go gaga just with its sheer size and charming design, which single-handedly gives it an image of a superstar. Factor in the torquey motor and the supple ride quality, and it becomes a perfect tool for munching long highways with ease.