Meet ‘The Redeemer’ – Custom Indian Chieftain Dark Horse

Meet 'The Redeemer' - Custom Indian Chieftain Dark Horse
The Redeemer

The Redeemer – Custom Indian Chieftain Dark Horse

Meet 'The Redeemer' - Custom Indian Chieftain Dark Horse
The Redeemer

Indian Motorcycle had only announced its new Chieftain Dark Horse this week, but great minds at Hollister Powersports, based out of Hollister, Calif., have been toiling away in secret to showcase just what can be done with the new steed.

Dubbed “The Redeemer,” the customized 2016 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse expands on the blacked-out bagger look, highlighted by minute hints of chrome just where needed. It’s a different take on the American V-twin; with its rolling lines, it has a charm and class that many will find alluring.

The American V-twin platform has always been about making it your own, and Indian has created a fine canvas for buyers to sink their creative minds into. That’s exactly what Rey Sotelo, General Manager of Hollister Powersports, is hinting at: “When I saw the bike, I knew right away that it had a ton of potential to customize.

“We were inspired by the history of Hollister and how this great American town is coming back from an unfair bad reputation. We stayed with the matte black theme and used as many Authentic Indian Motorcycle accessories as we could because we wanted the weekend mechanic to be able to recreate something as badass as our custom. Radical customs certainly draw the eye – but we wanted to keep the bike ride-able every day.”

RC Concepts Indian Wheels

Opting in for a large diameter front wheel, The Redeemer is heavily inspired by the “big wheel” baggers that we’ve been seeing grace the pages of magazines and browsers for some time. But it’s done tastefully with wheels sourced from RC Components and RC’s Raider Eclipse wheel that matched the blacked-out look of the Dark Horse.

Hollister shaved a bit of the fender to showcase the Raider Eclipse wheel, and aside from that, it seems to have given the bike a tidier look. Caliper covers were lost in the parts pile and the skirts were hiked up as well. Utilizing the stock fairing, Hollister painted on “speed scallops,” which blend in wonderfully with the smooth lines of the Chieftain. From front to back, across the bags, all the way through, those scallops kick up the aesthetics of this bike a whole lot with a bit of silver paint..

A keen eye will realize that the bars sit higher than the stock configuration. And that’s because Hollister sprung for the Indian Motorcycle Ape-Hangers. Swapping bars can be a bit of a process, but Sotelo claims “The kit includes a longer clutch cable, and the brake cable and wiring are long enough so no modifications are needed, which makes it really easy for the weekend mechanic to install.” That boils down to a little bit of work for a huge change in look and feel.

With 119 ft/lbs of torque on tap, Hollister left the Thunderstroke 111 mostly untouched. But they did give the glossy side covers a hit of matte paint, helping it blend in with the overall vision much better.

Authentic Indian Motorcycle billet floorboards now grace The Redeemer and the seat, which previously made use of white stitching, had to be recovered in favor of an all black look.  Blended in with the saddlebags, the integrated lights help tightens the belt of the Chieftain for a fit finish.

Indian Dark Horse Chieftain The Redeemer

Lastly are the black out Indian Motorcycle Stage 1 slip-on exhaust with brushed billet tips. What V-twin would be complete without some modification to the exhaust system? The result is a snappier throttle response and a whole lot more personality coming from the Thunder Stroke 111 engine.

Builds like these are meant to show potential, and Hollister did a fine job of using off the shelf to the best of their abilities. Indian currently has more than 300 Chieftain and 150 blacked-out Authentic Indian Motorcycle Accessories available.

“The guys in Hollister built an obtainable custom – a bike somebody could build themselves and keep highly ride-able rather than just a showpiece,” commented Reid Wilson, Marketing Director for Indian Motorcycle. “Rey and his team will certainly inspire our owners to create their own Chieftain Dark Horse custom, and we can’t wait to see what they do to make the bikes their own.”

For more information on The Redeemer, visit Hollister Powersports at HollisterPowersports.com. If you like what you’ve seen and want more, visit Indian Motorcycle.

The Redeemer Indian Chieftain Dark Horse – Photo Gallery

 

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