- Massive 1890cc air-cooled V-twin makes this one of the last, true, large-capacity, air-cooled cruisers
- All the ‘bling’ bits included, like FOX shocks, 46mm KYB USD forks and Brembo brakes
- More lean angle (29.5-degrees) makes this a real combo of classic power delivery and modern handling
While Polaris-owned Indian is relatively new to the American cruiser game, they’ve still got a model powered by a now legendary, monstrous, air-cooled V-twin. Paul checked out the Indian Sport Chief to see if a bike with an 1890cc twin can even be regarded as sporty…
The pickings for large-capacity air-cooled (not oil/air-cooled) motorcycles are getting pretty slim, with the introduction of increasingly stringent emissions regulations around the world forcing manufacturers to move to some form of cooling to keep engine tolerances within strict limits. But, while the Indian Motorcycle brand might be the most recent mainstream producer of American V-twins, it’s slightly ironic that they’re also the one that has stuck to the traditional format of stonking great bike pistons with air rushing over fins to keep it cool. Indian refer to the Thunderstroke 116, which powers the new-ish Sport Chief, as ‘legendary’, which if a legend is created by being the last of a certain group or denomination, well, then that term is probably correct.
I say new-ish when referring to the Sport Chief as it was actually released in 2023 and is part of Indian’s now substantial range of models running from bobbers and performance nakeds, to cruisers and high-spec tourers, with a mix of air-cooled and water-cooled powerplants. The Chief range has been around for a number of years, but the update of the model came along recently to put it in the mix with Harley-Davidson’s popular Low Rider S, which had customers rushing to the dealers around NZ to place deposits before they even arrived.
Update & Uprate
The Chief range is characterised as classic cruisers, with typical cruiser styling, a large V-twin powerplant and a relaxed nature that’s perfect more for looking good rather than attacking roads. So, to make the Chief sporty, there needed to be a few changes to the format, all while keeping the heart of the big twin. That meant a serious suspension upgrade, with upside down KYB forks slotted into the front, while twin Fox shocks not only promise better bump absorption and control at the rear, but the added length gives the Chief more rear wheel travel while steepening the geometry. There’s also the added benefit that more height at the rear should allow more lean angles before solid bits start touching down.
Braking has also seen some serious attention to improve the Chief’s sporty credentials, and Indian haven’t skimped, with a set of Brembo radially-mounted, four-piston calipers gripping 320mm discs, which is just as well with a claimed 311kilos to stop, and that’s before you’ve stuck a rider onboard. The smaller 16-inch front wheel of the cruiser version has been swapped out for a taller 19-incher, which should again offer more clearance in the turns, with Pirelli supplying the Night Dragon rubber, with a 130-section on the front and a 180 on the rear. Thankfully, the instinct for the American manufacturers to over-tyre bikes was overlooked with this model, and having a 180 on the rear looks spot-on for a machine of this size and performance.
Sliding onto the low, 686mm high saddle, you feel quite locked into the riding position of the Sport Chief, although with a claimed 162Nm of torque available from the big twin, I was quite pleased to see the raised rear would likely stop me from sliding off the back each time a traffic light turned green. Mid-mounted foot controls are the go-to placement for American performance cruisers, and while it feels similar to where your feet would be placed on a naked performance bike, the low stance of what are essentially still cruisers instantly means lean angles are limited, but more on that later. 6-inch handlebar risers lift what feels like quite narrow handlebars up behind a fairing and screen which looks like it’s come straight from Mad Max. Or maybe it’s the resemblance to the sort of fairings you’d see on Suzuki GS1000s from the 70s that made the connection. It’s kind of old school, which is opposite to the round TFT dash that is perched below the handlebars that is thoroughly new school, with touch control even with a gloved hand making it a sweet dash to work with. There are different dash layouts to choose from; you can swap power modes, check all sorts of ride data and even bring up a full-colour map while also doing the now usual control of your music and calls from your phone. It’s a little slow to react at times, but it’s still a sweet set-up and a really great-looking dash that brings a modern touch to this classicly powered machine.
Cali-Cruising
Apparently the performance cruiser is a real California/West Coast thing, and with a clear blue day in the Waikato while cruising around on a large capacity American V-twin, I couldn’t help feeling cool. Although, it is lucky the bike makes you feel cool, as that hunking piece of metal between your legs can certainly throw off a bit of heat, especially when travelling slowly through town or stopping at lights. Yet, Indian have thought of that, and in an effort to keep the testi-toasting to a minimum, the rear cylinder deactivates when you’re cruising at a slow speed or stopped, essentially turning the twin into a big single. To be fair, the day maxed at 18-degrees during my ride and I never felt like I was getting cooked, but riding in the middle of summer might be a different matter.
With a ride-by-wire throttle and different maps available, I felt the throttle was a little doughy around town, with a lot of twist required on the grip before the engine responded. Switching to Sport mode made the throttle more instant and less twist was required, but then offered jerky fueling at low speed, so a switch back to Standard (after finding Tour was even worse) meant that a mix of keeping the throttle twisted a bit and the revs up while using the clutch and rear brake was the process required for smooth town work. It almost felt like the Sport Chief was a performance machine that was amping to get out of town and into the twisties. So, with the request from the bike, I worked my way out of town to our local test route and delved into the performance of this cruiser turned sportster.
Sport-ish
With a chunk of motorway work required before finding the quietest backroads, I was pleased to not only find the Sport Chief has an easy-to-use one-button cruise control system, but also that the engine is in its sweet spot at 110km/h in top. With the Thunderstroke 116 feeling like it’s barely ticking over, opening the throttle, especially in Sport mode, sees the big twin launch forward with convincing urgency, and it certainly makes anything in the actually quite good mirrors shrink rapidly. That bikini fairing, while looking cool, actually does a good job of deflecting most of the windblast, with little turbulence hitting my helmet, and I could have sat like this for prolonged periods without drama. But that wasn’t the object of the test, and it wasn’t long before I was peeling off the twin lanes of the expressway and heading into the countryside to put the Sport Chief through its paces.
Having decent suspension is imperative if you’re going to ride a cruiser in NZ, with none of the smooth concrete roads that you’ll find in America available in Aotearoa. Instead, the continuous assault of lumps, bumps and potholes made me thankful for the stocky KYBs up front and the twin Foxes at the rear, which did a decent job of keeping even the harshest bumps from making me wince. The Thunderstroke 116 powerplant is a joy to unleash, with the torque generated throughout the mid-range making this a bike that works best when you short-shift through the ratios and keep the rev counter at the lower end of the scale. And while changing gear can’t be described as ‘flicking’, as long as you’re patient and precise when swapping ratios, I never missed a gear or found a false neutral, with the firm, almost agricultural feeling letting you know the next gear is located before unleashing all those torques again.
With all the performance from the powerplant, it’s easy for the speeds to creep up along with your confidence, but it didn’t take long for me to throw the Sport Chief into a turn and discover that this is still a cruiser at heart, and the limits of cornering clearance are still there as the pegs dug into the tarmac and almost ripped my foot from the peg. That was when I learnt that you need to keep your heels up in order to get maximum lean achievable from the mid-mount set-up, although relying on the decent Brembo front brakes (and throwing in the rear for added power) soon becomes the name of the game to scrub off the velocity you’ve generated down the straights and get the Sport Chief through the corner before driving out the other side. But don’t let that put you off – it’s just another style of riding, and the Sport Chief is still one hell of a machine to ride despite the limits in the corners.
Indian Sport Chief: American Muscle?
There’s something raw and old school about riding a large, air-cooled American V-twin. Yet the Sport Chief does an incredible job of doing away with any of the negatives associated with this genre of motorcycling. Okay, many bikes can lean further in a corner, but they won’t surge out the other side with the arm-stretching you get from an almost 2-litre twin. And while it does get a little warm, it wasn’t an issue on my ride, although I probably wouldn’t want to be commuting through traffic for an hour.
What the Sport Chief does get you is a classic American twin experience mixed with the modern-day niceties of a TFT dash, ride-by-wire, cruise, decent suspension and a useful level of wind protection. And personally, I think it looks next level cool. Chances are Indian will eventually need to retire these old motors and go down the air/oil or even water-cooled route. But until they are forced to, I think it needs to be acknowledged just what an epic job they’ve done in making a traditional powerplant perform so well in a motorcycle that not only looks great, but goes great, too.
Indian Sport Chief Highlights
Name: Indian Sport Chief | Weight (wet): 311kg | Power: 89hp @ 4300rpm / 162Nm @ 3200rpm | Price: $33,495
ENGINE
The 1890cc (116 cu-in) V-twin is a monster, and it’s air-cooled! Massive torque makes it a blast from the lights, while switchable mapping changes the characteristics. The rear cylinder deactivates when you stop to reduce heat.
SUSPENSION
The addition of 46mm KYB forks and a set of Fox shocks gives the Sport Chief 25mm more suspension travel at the rear than the standard Chief, which in turn increases the achievable lean angle to 29.5-degrees.
BRAKES
A set of four-piston radial-mount Brembos at the front gripping 320mm discs is a big step up from the single disc of the standard Chief, and the performance is ideal for stopping such a big machine.
ERGOS
The 6-inch handlebar risers with moto-style handlebars are a good look but feel slightly awkward as they are quite narrow. The sit-in feel means you won’t slide off the back when launching!
DASH
The 4-inch TFT dash features Indian’s Ride Command system and features GPS navigation, phone connectivity and ride stats. It really is rather good!
ELECTRONICS
Ride modes come in Sport, Standard & Tour. Plus there’s cruise control, keyless ignition, Bosch ABS, LED lights and a USB charging port.
SPECIFICATIONS
TYPE
1890 cc, air-cooled Thunderstroke 116
BORE X STROKE
103.2mm x 113mm
COMPRESSION RATIO
11:1
ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
Closed loop fuel injection / 54 mm bore
Max Power
89hp @ 4300rpm
Max Torque
162Nm @ 3200rpm
Final Drive
6-speed, Belt
CHASSIS
SUSPENSION: FRONT
KYB® Inverted Telescopic Fork – 130mm travel
SUSPENSION: REAR
Dual Fox® Piggyback Shocks – 100mm travel
BRAKES/FRONT
Dual Brembo® / 320mm Semi-Floating Rotor / 4 Piston Caliper
BRAKES/REAR
Single / 300mm Semi-Floating Rotor / 2 Piston Caliper
TYRES/FRONT
Pirelli® Night Dragon 130/60B19 61H
TYRES/REAR
Pirelli® Night Dragon 180/65 B16 81H
WHEELS
Sport Cast Black 19″ x 3.5″ – Sport Cast Black 16″ x 5″
EXHAUST
Dual Exhaust w/ Crossover
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTS
WHEELBASE
1640mm
SEAT HEIGHT
686mm
GROUND CLEARANCE
149mm
OVERALL LENGTH
2301mm
OVERALL WIDTH
842mm
OVERALL HEIGHT
1270mm
LEAN ANGLE
29.5°
RAKE
28°
TRAIL
111mm
FUEL CAPACITY
15.1L
WEIGHT (FULL OF FUEL)
311kg
FEATURES
COLOUR / GRAPHICS
Black Smoke, Sunset Red Smoke, Granite Gray
FACTORY WARRANTY
2 Years, Unlimited Kilometers
STANDARD EQUIPMENT
ABS, Ride Modes, Keyless Ignition, USB charge port, 12V Charge Port, Rear Cylinder Deactivation
LIGHTS
LED Headlight, LED Tail/Brake/Turn Signals
ELECTRICAL
GAUGES
Speedometer, Tachometer, Odometer, Fuel Gauge, Compass, Ambient Temperature, Gear Indicator
INFOTAINMENT
4-inch Touchscreen powered by RIDE COMMAND. Touchscreen display includes real-time clock; ambient air temperature; heading; audio information display; map/navigation; Bluetooth status for phone and headset; vehicle status (voltage, engine hours, oil change); vehicle info (speed, fuel range, RPM, gear position); current ride data (distance, moving time, stop time, altitude, altitude change); trip meters; ride mode selection; screen brightness; and vehicle trouble code readout.
CONTACT
www.indianmotorcycles.co.nz
