Indian Chief Vintage "Air-cooled V-twin with the most "typical" style

Indian Motorcycle, celebrating the brand's 125th anniversary this year, has introduced the classically styled "Chief Vintage" as a reflection of its own history. We test rode its newest model in the Chief series, which combines classic details such as an air-cooled V-twin OHV engine and steel frame with the latest technology, and is equipped with original details reminiscent of classic Indian motorcycles, such as skirt fenders and a floating seat.

The newest model is the most Indian of the bunch.

When you hear the words "Indian motorcycle," what do you think of? A large-displacement cruiser? Or perhaps a powerful bagger racer that competes in the popular "King of Baggers" road racing championship? Or the vintage Indian land speed racers that have been made into movies, challenging the fastest speeds on the salt lakes? Indian Motorcycle's large cruisers have shattered the image of cruisers in Japan. Once thought to be good only at riding slowly and straight, the OHV air-cooled V-twin engines were combined with the latest technology to give them a powerful output characteristic that felt wildly violent, and showed us the fun of "flying" with them. The machine with a liquid-cooled V-twin engine of over 1800 cc mounted on an aluminum frame was the opposite of a supersport car, being heavy and large, but it ran briskly and proved that even cruisers can be sporty. This year, Indian MC, which celebrated the 125th anniversary of its founding as a cruiser brand, unveiled a new cruiser model that is straight to the point, unlike its previous models, which had a sharp, varied, and unique character. It is the "Chief Vintage.

The Chief Vintage uses the platform of the Chief series, but by examining unique details such as the front and rear skirt fender design and tire size, it looks more compact than its other siblings

The contrast between the beautiful lines leading from the upper fuel tank line to the rear skirt fenders and the straight frame line leading from the steering head, under the seat, through the rear suspension to the rear axle shafts is also a Chief Vintage feature

[ caption id="attachment_520956" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The new Chief Vintage and the 1947 Chief (right)[/caption]

A neo-classic model of the large cruiser

As the name suggests, the "Chief Vintage" is the latest model based on the platform of the Chief Series, which is currently the centerpiece of Indian MC's lineup, and given a vintage-style design. The Chief Series underwent a full model change in 2021. The Chief Series will undergo a full model change in 2021, when the 1890cc air-cooled 4-stroke V-twin 3-cam OHV engine with a 49-degree pincer angle and a Thunder Stroke 116, which was newly designed when the Indian brand was revived under the Polaris umbrella in 2011 and has since been refined in various areas, including an increase in displacement, will be the focus of the performance and The engine is mounted in a new frame constructed mainly of steel pipes. The lineup was then quickly expanded to include the "Super Chief," inspired by 1940s custom styling, the "Chief Bobber," influenced by 1960s styling, and the "Chief Dark Horse," inspired by the sporty styled cruiser customs of the 1980s. Two years later, the series was expanded with the "Sport Chief," a lineup that seemed to lead the latest cruiser custom scene.

The air-cooled, 4-stroke, V-twin, 3-cam, OHV engine with a 49-degree pincer angle and an air-cooled, 4-stroke, V-twin, 3-cam, OHV engine / Thunder Stroke 116 engine with a displacement of 1890cc that has been matured. The oil cooler was eliminated by examining the oil lines. The engine is also equipped with a "rear cylinder deactivation" system that automatically deactivates the rear cylinder under certain conditions to prevent oil temperature rise during stop-start idling. Other than the cylinder head and tappet tubes painted silver, the Chief Series shares the same specifications

The front fork is telescopic with a 46 mm inner tube diameter. Suspension stroke is 132 mm, with single 298-mm-diameter discs and four-pot piston calipers on 16-inch spoked wheels. The rear-heavy cruiser model is braked mainly by the rear brake, so even with a single front disc, braking power is sufficient

The two-prong rear suspension connects the main frame to the rear wheel axle and is an important part in terms of styling. Although the shock unit is heavily bedded in, the initial movement is good and the 75mm stroke does not cause much of a sticking feeling. The skirt fenders are beautiful, but the side panels are asymmetrical, with the drivetrain on the right side of the body and the brake system on the left, to achieve a beautiful slim line

Illuminated headdresses are designed at the tips of the front fenders. The skirt fender is a three-piece structure with a U-shaped center section and its two sides. The U-shaped center section is formed in a single press in a single mold

What is unique is that all previous Chief series have had a strong relationship with the custom scene of their respective eras. Customization sounds like a special world, but it is the taste and trend of users in each era. This trend has been a trend in the motorcycle world for the past decade or so. The neo-classic boom was created mainly by European manufacturers and has continued to involve international manufacturers such as Kawasaki Z900RS, Yamaha XSR series, Honda CB1000F, Suzuki GSX-8T series, and so on.

The steering wheel is the original shape of the new Chief Vintage. In the center of it is a 4-inch touch-screen digital meter. With a single push, the user can select between two different design displays: a needle display and a digital display that shows speed and other information in numerals

This floating seat is based on the saddle seat used in the Chief series of the 1940s, with the seat surface and seat shape built in. It is set with carefully selected seat foam that is thin but comfortable to sit on. It is comfortable even for long rides

Foldable stepboard. Together with the handlebars and floating seat developed exclusively for the Chief Vintage, it creates a relaxing riding position. Personally, I would like to see seesaw pedals installed

This floating appearance is the origin of the floating seat's name; the 16-inch rear wheels are kept to a rim width of 3.5 inches, and thin rear tires are mounted to create a slim, compact skirt fender

But the "Chief Vintage, It is not a model that traces the custom scene of a certain era. Rather, it is the opposite. It is a model inspired by the "Chief," which Indian MC introduced from the 1940s to the 1950s and which shines as the gold standard for its production motorcycles. At the time, the Chief was the world's best in terms of performance, and in terms of design, it had an elegance that symbolized the prosperity of American products at the time. The Chief was the very embodiment of America as a world leader. The "Chief Vintage" is based on the motif of the "Chief. The details that made the Chief the Chief, such as the skirt fenders that deeply covered the front and rear tires, the streamlined fuel tank, the Indian headdress with electric lights on the front fenders, and the air-cooled engine with its beautifully aligned air-cooled fins, were all recreated on the new Chief series platform. The new Chief series platform was the first to feature such details.

A Fusion of Progress and Tradition

The result was truly impressive. Dignified, yet elegant, compact, yet muscular. It looks like a vintage bike, but a closer look at the details reveals it to be a modern bike. The high degree of perfection of the bike made us wonder this question. Could the new Chief series have been designed based on the "Chief Vintage," and from there, the new bikes were incorporated into each of the family models? When I asked Ola Stenegarde, head of design at Indian MC, about this, she replied, "I think the Chief Vintage was designed based on the Chief Vintage, and from there it was incorporated into each of the family models.

Indian MC's Head of Design/Ola Stenegardo at the presentation

Design drawing of the front fender. The left side of the front fender, where the brake calipers are located, has an additional panel designed to cover the calipers

Design drawing of the rear fender. On the right side of the vehicle is the belt drive, as shown in the design drawing, and on the opposite left side is the brake area. To accommodate the different items within the fender, the rear fender is asymmetrical in design

While Indian MC utilizes the latest digital equipment for design development, the company emphasizes the use of modeling clay, in which designers and sculptors create design surfaces by hand. Chief Vintage also makes extensive use of clay in the development stage

The new head of the new Indian Motorcycle Company/Mike Kennedy, who just spun off from Polaris Industries, also spoke at the presentation

"Of course, from very early on in the development of the new Chief series, the Chief Vintage We had the idea. But first we needed to complete the new Chief Series, which would combine historical style with modern performance, just as we had done with the Indian MC. When we finally started development of the Chief Vintage, we imagined that it would be a quick process, just a matter of realizing the ideas that we had worked out in our minds. However, it was much more difficult than expected to develop Chief's typical details such as skirt fenders and saddle seats, while matching them with modern production techniques and manufacturing costs. The skirt fenders, the center portion of which is U-shaped, are formed in a single press using a single die. This manufacturing process, once commonplace, is now a factor in increasing costs. However, the smooth lines and taut curved surfaces could only be expressed with a single die and a single press. We had thorough discussions with the manufacturing and cost management departments to bring this to fruition. The seat was no different. The seat, which had been built using the latest ergonomics, just did not fit the car body. We tried a saddle seat from a 1940s-era Chief and got the result we were looking for, both in terms of style and ride comfort. From there, the design of a modern saddle seat based on the old seat was accelerated. In bike building, we don't just want to be forward-thinking, nor do we just want to be traditional. The development of the Chief Vintage reaffirms this, and through the Chief Vintage, we believe we can offer our users a fusion of innovation and tradition."

A racy and nimble vintage cruiser

The ride of the "Chief Vintage" was also a fusion of progressiveness and tradition. The Chief Vintage, equipped with 16-inch wheels front and rear, dared to choose a rear wheel width of 3.5 inches and a 150-width rear tire, which is narrower than its sibling, also equipped with 16-inch wheels. This makes the vehicle more nimble, and it runs crisply and smoothly both in town and on winding roads. The riding position, formed by the original slightly wider handlebars, floating seat, and stepboard, is similar to that of a vintage cruiser, with the back straight and chest slightly outstretched. In this position, the rider can actively steer the vehicle, which further enhances the sharpness of its movements even in crowded city traffic. The front and rear suspension units and their settings are the same as those of its siblings, which also come with 16-inch wheels, and the three ride mode programs with different power output characteristics are said to be the same for the Chief series. However, the engine's response and power feel are a bit milder, and the response of the engine and chassis feels somewhat classical. It is a common platform strategy to change the body character depending on the front and rear suspension and riding position, and Indian MC has given each model a distinct character. The "Chief Vintage" was another example of this strategy. The "Chief Vintage" will be unveiled in the Japanese market soon, and a release date will be announced. If you get a chance to drive it, please enjoy the classical and modern driving feeling while thinking about the history of Indian MC and feeling the latest technology.

Chief Vintage Main Specifications

■Engine type: Air-cooled 4-stroke OHV 49-degree V-twin (with rear cylinder deactivation system) ■Total displacement: 1890cc ■Bore x stroke: 103.2 x 113.0mm ■Compression ratio: 11.0:1 ■Max output: - ■Max torque: 156Nm/3300rpm ■ Overall Length x Width x Height: 2441 x 887 x 1175 mm ■Distance between axles: 1626 mm ■Seat height: 686 mm ■Equipped weight: 327 kg ■Fuel tank capacity: 15.1 L ■Fuel delivery system: FI (closed loop diameter 54 mm single throttle body) ■Transmission type: 6-speed return ■Brake type (Front/Rear): 298 mm single disc (floating type) x 4-piston caliper, 298 mm single disc (floating type) x 2-piston caliper ■Wheels (Front/Rear): 16 x 3.0 inches, 16 x 3.5 inches ■Tires (Front/Rear): Metzeler Cruisetec 130/90B16 71H, Metzeler Cruisetec 150/80 B16 ■Body color: Indian Motorcycle Red, Black Metallic ■Manufacturer's suggested retail price (including consumption tax): 3,380,000 yen and up ■Date of domestic release: Ask your dealer To the gallery (20)