If you’re the type who grumbles that motorcycles just don’t look like they used to, Indian has thrown all of the leather fringe, whitewall tires, spoked rims, chrome splashes, and valanced fenders you could ever want in the 2020 Indian Chief Vintage. This isn’t to say the engineers skimped on the modern features though. The Chief Vintage’s has cast aluminum bones surrounding the Thunder Stroke 111 V-twin, ride modes, cruise control, rear cylinder deactivation when stopped, and keyless ignition to make your ride a comfortable and convenient one.
We rolled the 2018 Indian Chief on our in-house dyno to find that the 111ci engine produced 74.19 hp at 4,360 rpm and 106.18 pound-feet of torque at 2,410 rpm. EIC Mark Hoyer stated, “This is one of the best sounding engines in a motorcycle, period. Exhaust and intake notes are fantastic, with the engine delivering its own sonic signature.”
The niche market of vintage-inspired cruisers includes the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic. Otherwise for other touring-capable cruisers look to the Suzuki Boulevard C50T and Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT.
The Chief Vintage, like the Dark Horse, will now share the same chassis as the Springfield and Springfield Dark Horse. The Indian Chief Vintage is available at a starting MSRP at $19,999. Color options include Thunder Black or Willow Green/Ivory Cream. The limited factory Icon series custom paint colors include Coastal Green/Pearl White, Burnished Metallic/Sandstone Metallic, and Patriot Red/Pearl White.
