Polaris
Corporation has
focused its attention on Indian, in an effort to usurp the current US
motorcycle market leader, Harley-Davidson. For 2017, it has introduced the 2017
Indian Chieftain Limited and Indian Chieftain Elite, which retail at a base
price of US$ 24,499 and US$ 31,499, respectively.
For these big baggers, Indian uses its Thunderstroke
111 V-twin which displaces 1,811 cc. Both the Limited and Elite share the same
engine, gearbox and chassis configuration, and while no power figure is
supplied, the Thunderstroke 111 mill is rated at 161.6 Nm of torque at 3,000.
Based on our review of the Chief Classic, this means
low-down grunt in any gear you choose, of which there are six. Fuelling is with
closed-loop EFI, feeding a 54 mm throttle body.
A 19-inch wheel in front is fitted with twin 300 mm
floating brake discs grabbed by four-piston callipers, while the rear
16-inchers carries a single 300 mm rotor with dual-piston calliper. Front
suspension is with a pair of 46 mm diameter telescopic forks with 119 mm of
travel, and the rear-end is propped up with a monoshock with Air Adjust that
gives 114 mm of travel.
The Indian Chieftain Elite is differentiated from
the Chieftain Limited by the inclusion of LED lighting and chromed
billet-machined floorboards compared to the Limited’s standard footpegs. Also
standard on the Elite is a Clear Flare powered windshield and 200 Watt stereo,
as opposed to the 100 Watt unit installed on the Indian Chieftain Limited.
Both Indian baggers come with keyless start, cruise
control and remote locking hard-case saddle bags. Also common to both cruisers
is driving lights, highway bar and tyre pressure monitoring system, along with
Bluetooth connectivity, USB and smartphone input for the on-board entertainment
system.
Standard for both the Limited and Elite is Indian
Motorcycle’s Ride Command system that uses a seven-inch LCD screen to display
navigation information, engine checks and service intervals and ride computer
data, along with phone connectivity. The 2017 Indian Chieftain Limited comes
only in Thunder Black, while the 2017 Indian Chieftain Elite comes in Fireglow
Red Candy with marble accents.
