Indian is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the original Chief’s debut with a new 21st-century version of the iconic V-twin.One look tells you most of the story—they have stripped down the Chief to its essentials while leaving the superb motor and chassis as-is. Let’s go over the six iterations in the 2022 Indian Chief lineup.1. There are three basic Chief models with a Thunderstroke 111 motor, and each has an upgraded version with the bigger-bore Thunderstroke 116 powerplant. The 2022 Indian Chief and Indian Chief Bobber are matched with Dark Horse editions, while the light-touring Super Chief is paired with the Super Chief Limited. The Dark Horses have a four-inch round TFT display that links to the Ride Command app on your smartphone—it’s also customizable. The standard models use a traditional analog speedometer. ABS is standard on the higher-end versions of each Chief, and an option on the standard examples.
Chief2. The standard 2022 Chief and Chief Dark Horse are the most modern of the new lineup. The features cast aluminum wheels in a 16-/19-inch combination. Like all six Chiefs, they get Pirelli Night Dragon rubber. The fork tubes are out on display, as are the shocks. Plus, there’s less chrome, and the footpegs are mid-position. Also, the Chief Dark Horse stands out thanks to the premium blacked-out finishes.3. The 2022 Chief Bobber and Chief Bobber Dark Horse add chrome and a chunky front Pirelli. The Bobbers get wire-spoked wheels, with a 16-inch hoop in the front. Mini-apes and fully forward foot controls give the pilot a riding position made for profiling. The fork tubes and shocks are covered, and the header pipes on the standard Bobber get some chrome. The Chief Bobber Dark Horse gets the serious blacked-out finish. Expect to pay a $1500 premium for moving up to the Bobber from the standard.Chief Bobber Dark Horse4. Bagger fans will love both versions of the Super Chief, which is based on the Bobber. Ready for weekend touring—or more, if you’re so inclined—the Super Chief and Super Chief limited have a quick-detach windshield, saddlebags, a mid-rise handlebar, floorboards, and the exhaust system is all-chrome. You don’t have to go it alone on the Super Chiefs, as a passenger seat and footpegs are standard. While the Dark Horse premium models are extra-black, the Super Chief Limited has extra chrome and metallic paint.5. Here’s what Ola Stenegard, Director, Industrial Design for Indian has to say about the new Chiefs: “We wanted to capture a timeless look that never goes out of style, and looks beautiful whether naked or fully dressed. We also wanted to keep it simple enough to allow riders’ imaginations to take flight with personalization options and possibilities. Ultimately, this is a bike that evokes emotion with simple mechanical styling and raw American muscle. It’s a pure riding machine.”Super Chief Limited6. The least expensive 2022 Chief is the standard Chief at $14,449 with Black Metallic paint. At the top of the Chief food chain is the 2020 Indian Super Chief sporting a price tag of $21,499 with either Maroon Metallic or Blue Slate Metallic paint.
This week Teejay chats to Tyler Poppe. Tyler works on the TV show Mayans MC–and yet he doesn’t ride an American V-Twin. Wassup with that?? Also, Arthur finds out from friend Mike Cardillo about his thoughts on the full-size version of the Kawasaki KLX 140R F trail bike.
