VOL. 50 ISSUE 34 AUGUST 27, 2013
P53
The Chief Vintage sets itself apart
from the Chief Classic by its quickdetach windscreen and fringe-lined
leather saddlebags.
The Indians also share the
same cast-aluminum frame design, though rake is slightly
steeper with the Chieftain at
25-degrees versus 29-degrees
of the Classic and Vintage. As
a result, the Chieftain also has
a slightly shorter wheelbase at
65.7 inches.
All three come fitted with ABS,
cruise control, throttle-by-wire,
single rear Fox air shocks, dual
exhausts and key-less starting,
via a key fob that can be kept in
your pocket at all times. When
the key is in close proximity of
the bike, you just push a button
and go.
The Classic and Vintage are
pretty much the same bikes, but
they do have some minor and a
few major differences that set
them apart. The Classic is the
"bare bones" model, though it
is still loaded with goodies and
sells for $18,999, while the Vintage is distinguished by its quickdetach windscreen and leather
saddlebags (which are also easily removable) and sells for a little
more at $20,999.
The "fully loaded" Chieftain is
designed for those planning on
doing some long-distance cruising, something no other Indian
machine was ever really designed
to do from the factory. It was inspired by the designs and shapes
of the late '40s and early '50s
and comes with a fork-mounted
fairing, styled after bullet trains of
the '50s, and hard saddlebags again, this is something never
seen before on any previous Indian motorcycle. It houses a very
informative instrument cluster,
including a tire-pressure monitoring system. There's also a built-in,
two-speaker stereo system with
Bluetooth capability (so you can
sync your smartphone and music
device) and a power-operated
windscreen with four inches of
range (a taller or shorter screen
is available, the bike comes fitted
with a medium-height screen).
The Chieftain's hard saddlebags
are locking, which can also be
operated remotely via the key fob
or from buttons on the tank. The
company says the Chieftain, as
well as the Classic and Vintage,
is inspired by the past but reflects
