All of Indian’s full-boat flagship Roadmaster tourers—notice we didn’t call them baggers—are fully loaded long-haulers, though there are a few other twists in the form of wheel sizes and cosmetics to distinguish one trim from the other. (To that point, it’s worth noting that the base Roadmaster and Springfield are now the only bikes in the lineup flying full-size, valanced fenders). The full-figured base-model Roadmaster wholeheartedly leans into the brand’s past, with curvaceous bodywork (including old-school rounded saddlebags), a chrome-encrusted fork-mounted fairing, studded touring seat, and signature warbonnet fender light, but shifts into serious touring mode with the addition of a top box, hard lower fairings, spacious passenger accommodations, and a healthy dose of tech amenities.
We’re talking heated grips, adjustable floorboards, power windshields, and more, but interestingly, there’s no difference in the power units from trim to trim; all the Roadmasters are propelled by Indian’s air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 engine, though it does get unique finishes at each level. The last time we ran that engine on the CW dyno (on a 2021 Chieftain Limited) it produced a peak of 84.78 hp at 4,240 rpm and 116.23 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,730 rpm. And all four Roadmaster trim levels come with a fork-mounted fairing, heated grips and seats, selectable ride modes, cruise control and ABS, and a 7-inch display powered by Indian’s Ride Command with Bluetooth and GPS navigation. Plus 100 watts of built-in audio are there for the long haul as well.
The changes come as you move up the ladder, and the base model is the only one with a 17-inch front wheel, deep front fender, and old-school fairing; the Roadmaster Limited ladles on chrome finishes and slices the front fender dramatically to make room for a taller, 19-inch contrast-cut 10-spoke front wheel. The bodywork and fairing are sleeker and more modern, and there’s also the addition of a heated and cooled touring saddle with separate controls for rider and passenger. The Dark Horse trim goes with the same changes but covers it all in darker finishes, while the ultraexclusive $41K Roadmaster Elite trim adopts that updated look but enhances it even further with exclusive Indian Motorcycle Red tritone paint, and adds PowerBand Audio as well as a Pathfinder headlight. There will be 350 units of the 2024 Roadmaster Elite available worldwide, each with exclusive Elite badging.
MSRP for all three regular production Roadmaster models—the base, Limited, and Dark Horse—is listed at $32,999 and all those lower trims offer an upgrade with the redesigned PowerBand Audio package for an extra $1,500. Of course, the Elite comes standard with the 600-watt, 12-speaker PowerBand system, as well as the aforementioned Pathfinder lights, a custom saddle, and included armrests.
- Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited, $25,999
