VOL. 52 ISSUE 16 APRIL 21, 2015 P125
everyday, as many owners will no doubt do, helps
to make the bike intolerably dirty thanks to every-
day grime and crud coming from the road surface.
The flipside of gorgeous, gleaming chrome is that
when it's not, it can make the bike look average—
so cleaning is high on the list with a Chief Vintage.
as well as exceptional stopping power.
One thing I'm totally in love with is that 1811cc
V-twin. That thing is a big 'ol lazy beast, chugging
up and down the rev range thanks to the fairly
wide top three ratios and offering plenty of torque
for two-up riding. It's so smooth and thanks to
the rubber covered grips, 'pegs and floorboards
the vibrations are kept to a minimum. The throttle
is nicely mapped and the ease of use with the
cruise control makes it hard to resist on motor-
ways, although when the throttle is gunned I'd
"THE INDIAN CHIEF
VINTAGE IS A
STATEMENT BIKE
IF EVER THERE
WAS ONE. ALL
LEATHERY BITS AND
SIXTIES PAINT AND
CHROME TO BLIND.
IT MIGHT BE BRAND
NEW BUT ITS MIND
IS FROM ANOTHER
GENERATION."
have liked a bit more of a roar.
Another highlight factor of the Indian is the
paint—that oh-so-cool green and cream color
scheme mixed with whitewall tires and mas-
sive front and rear guards—this thing calls on its
heritage in serious style that makes people stop
and stare and in many cases, corner you and ask
about every other detail.
There's a certain amount of brand awareness
on an Indian Chief Vintage. Just how much, you
ask? Well, the word "Indian" is stamped no less
than 37 times (it's probably more, but I gave up
The gearbox action on the downshift can sound
pretty rough, no matter how gently I try to coerce
the lever down. It's strange because after a day
or so I worked out how to smooth the upshift right
out, even on hard acceleration. So there are defi-
nitely two personalities to the gearbox. Likewise
the front brakes aren't the best but the rear is bril-
liant, offering a more connected feel than the front
