Dave's Chieftain Article

Here's the first article to appear in the mag. It contained photos of the local demo bike that have featured in print and also on Indian Motorcycle's Facebook Page.

Indian Brisbane's Demo Chieftain Photographed by Raby Bay

Comfort is the order of the day with the Indian Chieftain and it’s not just about the plush saddle. The windscreen is the first handlebar mounted power screen and is simply one of the best on any bike, with around 100mm of adjustment available via a pair of buttons on the left-hand switch block. It’s very easy to dial in the optimum height; either for some wind in your face or sit-in-the-bubble applications.

Being able to deflect most of the wind noise means you can get the best from the modern entertainment system. Bluetooth your phone or hard wire a music device (via a USB connection in the glove box in the fairing) and you can crank the volume and select tracks and sources as you cruise, also from a control pad on the LH switch block.

Additional buttons over on the right hand block operate the Cruise control. It’s also very easy to engage and it works flawlessly. As does the rocker switch mounted into the chrome tank protector to control the central locking on the hard panniers. The chrome tank guard also houses a rather unique starter button as part of the keyless security fob ignition system.  Luxury.

The wide footboards are part of that luxury and are mounted high enough to give pretty good cornering clearance, while the air adjustable rear suspension affords 114mm of travel, which is pretty good for the class.

It all means is that you can ride this bike a long way, over 300km between fuel stops from the 20.8 litre tank, in very good comfort and with no shortage of style. The enclosed rear wheel, heavily valanced guards, prominent war bonnet badges, motifs and the 40’s freight train fairing styling evoke a tremendous amount of nostalgia. It’s not the bike to own if you don’t like meeting people. Nearly everyone wants to talk about it.

Displacing 1811cc, the Thunderstroke 111 engine develops 161Nm of torque at 3,000rpm and has enough ponies to give the bike a real surge off the line.

The engine is very tractable and will chug along at 60kph in top gear with no sign of stress or lugging. It’s also a very quiet engine, featuring much ‘double-walling’ to insulate noise and heat, while maintaining the traditional Indian twin down-tube appearance and classic style. It’s finished with masses of faultless chrome.

The primary is gear driven and the final drive is via a slop-free belt. Combined with the crisp gearbox it all gives a very direct feel at the throttle hand. For a bike weighing in at 385kg wet, it gives exceptionally good rider feedback.

For slowing it down, the ABS features 300mm twin discs up front and a single at the rear. Like the rest of the bike, they perform very comfortably.

The bank of fairing-mounted headlights and driving lights proved highly efficient and the bike’s horn is automotive grade.

Pillions are pretty well catered for with the standard saddle, reasonably low-set foot pegs and there is a range of back rests for both rider and passenger available as optional extras.

Comfortable. It’s a word used a lot when talking about the Indian Chieftain. It comfortably represents a choice from the top-shelf of motorcycling.