Ken Takes A Spin On The Indian Chieftain Limited

ihad the opportunity to have a long-term loaner of an Indian Roadmaster for the 2018 riding season. It was truly a pleasure to ride, and when the time came, I didn’t want to give it up. When I found out that Indian was doing their 2019 model launch outside Seattle a light bulb went off; I could deliver the Roadmaster that I was riding and check out the new Chieftains. The ride was nothing short of epic, and you can read about it in a future issue of Cycle Source.

We had already seen the press release, which included specs on what was new, so when I arrived in Anacortes, WA I was excited to see the new bikes up close, but it wasn’t like seeing a bike being unveiled. I saw a row of the new Chieftains lined up outside the hotel and quickly started to take in the aesthetic; it still looked like an Indian, but only slightly. The rumor was that when they launched the Elite and Limited last year, both of which came with traditional non-skirted front fenders, they accounted for 50% of all sales. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the majority of the market was looking for a bike that was more mainstream and perhaps didn’t have the full-skirted front fender that has been associated with the brand for years. What a lot of people don’t know is that historically, there were several models that did not have full-skirted fenders and yet still remained Indians.

While the fender was not new (although new to being standard on all the Chieftains except the classic), the fairing was the real departure for Indian. Indian took constant feedback from the riding public that while the Chieftain “Locomotive” fairing was art deco and appealed to a certain audience, it did not appeal to the masses. Indian knew that deviating was controversial, but they have never shied away from that before. It would leave critics the obvious option of saying they looked like a Harley. When you put the new Chieftain fairing next to the Classic Chieftain fairing, you will see that they share similar lines, but the new one will have a wider appeal. When Indian departed from the art deco fairing, they also decided to make the saddlebags more “aggressive looking” (their words). They have become less round but have maintained much of what makes them great including automatic locking mechanisms, beefy hinges, and class-leading storage.

The traditional seat on the Indian Chieftain has been replaced

Article By: J. Ken Conte

by a “Rogue” gunfighter seat. I can tell you that after spending almost 5000 miles in the standard seat, as it comes from the factory, this new seat is ultra-comfortable. I never noticed fatigue, hot spots, soreness or a lack of lower back support. With comfort comes the trade-off of it not looking cool, because it is bigger and more bulbous. They cut the seat down, way down and it looks cool. There is some comfort that is sacrificed for that look. It’s not unbearable but noticeable.

The redesign not only had aesthetic and styling elements they also added some technological advances to the Chieftain that were what this review will center around. If you don’t like the updated styling don’t worry you can still get the Classic Chieftain that will come replete with all the classic Indian styling and will still include these technological advances. The first most noticeable one was the addition of three selectable ride modes. They don’t increase output but just have three distinctive fuel injection maps. Standard is just as it sounds smooth shifting in each gear, easy to launch from stop signs; throttle response was typical. The touring mode is meant for riding two up (which I didn’t do) or loaded down, and its intent is to reduce helmets knocking and has a smoother if not anemic power delivery. I can see this being useful for touring couples who are more into relaxed riding. Passing was adequate if I dropped down a gear, but it felt held back. The Sport mode was the one that was most interesting to me and other journalists. It was a noticeable difference, it delivered power quicker, and the throttle was touchier and fun for canyon carving but not ideal for around town stop and go traffic. Launching from a stop was just noticeably more difficult. When I did want to go into Sport mode, I would do it while in motion and when the throttle was not being twisted. I don’t recommend this method, as you should always have your eyes on the road, but it was a simple enough. There were several long stretches along Washington rivers that I cruised in Sport mode and easily overtook other vehicles with just a little pep in the Thunder Stroke 111. Standard mode was where I lived on the Indian Chieftain Limited, but when I was feeling a bit antsy, I would toggle to Sport mode and ride by the seat of my pants and loved every minute of it.

In addition to the three ride modes, they also added a rear cylinder deactivation. I only experienced it once, as we were not in warm enough conditions for it to be used. It is automatic and has been described as seamless. I noticed the tractor exhaust sound, and unlike other times I’ve used it, the launch from stopping was very smooth. The rear cylinder fired quickly, and there was no stutter or sluggishness, but I only experienced it a few times, so it would be hard to say what would happen on Main Street in Daytona when it is 90 degrees and its stop and go. The rear cylinder deactivation can be turned off very easily by just toggling through a few menus.

The 2019 Chieftains also have an improved 100-watt audio system with several upgrades which include separating the tweeters from the mid-range speakers to optimize sound. They also have included a dynamic, customizable equalizer that adjusts to speeds. I’m not a huge stereo guy while on a motorcycle, but I did link my phone with relative ease and also used the navigation feature when riding on my own. The stereo provided good range and crisp sound for most types of music and would rarely go above the third volume setting, even for navigation.

I got to put several hundred miles on the 2019 Chieftain Limited, and I can say without reservation that this is more the bike that I was looking for than the traditionally Indian styled Chieftain. The Limited has more amenities than the standard Chieftain, which only comes in Steel Grey paint. The limited comes in three colors, Red, Black, and Brown and has contrast cut wheels, Touchscreen Ride Command with navigation, highway bars, tire pressure sensor and remote locking hard bags for a price tag of $24,995 compared to the less equipped Chieftain at $21,995… for the extra $3k it seems well worth it.

The redesigned Chieftain speaks more to me from a stylistic point as well as a technological perspective. As far as handling goes, the standard Fox shocks in the back coupled with the air ride (always check the air as it affects the ride handling characteristics) and the standard front forks make for a superior handling cruiser. As a rider, the best thing anyone can do is ride the 2019 Chieftain for yourself. Compare it to other models, and if the traditional Indian look has been what has been holding you back, this might be the bike for you, try it out, I assure you it will not disappoint.