Indian Motorcycle has revealed its latest version of the popular Chief which takes the form of the very on-trend Sport Chief.
Priced at $33,495 with three colour options to choose from, the new Sport Chief joins a growing number of motorcycles sporting a factory Cafe fairing as factory equipment, along with a number of other subtle changes on the Chief platform which entered its second generation in 2021.
“Since launching in 2021, the reimagined Indian Chief has garnered incredible feedback from riders all around the world,” said Mike Dougherty, President of Indian Motorcycle. “With the introduction of Sport Chief, the 2023 Indian Chief lineup is more diverse than ever– offering a wide range of performance and styling options to meet each rider’s unique personality and riding preferences.”
The Sport Chief isn’t just a visual upgrade on the Chief platform. It actually has the credentials to back up its name.
Suspension is taken care of by KYB inverted forks up the front, while piggyback FOX shocks suspend the rear and increase travel to four inches which in turn increases the bike’s ability to lean to 29.5 degrees.
Stopping power comes in the form of a dual-disc setup with Brembo four-piston, semi-floating radial-mounted callipers brakes to haul the burly American to a halt.
“In 2021, we celebrated the 100-year anniversary of Indian Chief with a lineup that pays homage to the glory days of American motorcycling,” said Ola Stenegärd, Director, Industrial Design for Indian Motorcycle. “With Sport Chief, we wanted to maintain the same care-free attitude and American muscle but elevate it even further with componentry that not only delivers a style and attitude that exudes performance but raises the bar entirely for performance cruisers.”
Featuring a simplistic steel-tube frame, Sport Chief preserves the Indian Chief’s mechanical styling. At the heart of it all, a blacked-out Thunderstroke 116 motor delivers 162 Nm of torque, while the eye-catching new Quarter Fairing, along with new moto-style bars with machined triple clamps and six-inch risers set the Sport Chief apart from the rest of the Indian Chief lineup. With mid-mount foot controls and a solo gunfighter seat, riders are in a commanding, yet comfortable, riding position.
Sport Chief features sport cast wheels wrapped in Pirelli® Night Dragon tyres, a 15.1L fuel tank, bobbed rear fender, dual exhaust, LED lighting, keyless ignition, and three selectable ride modes, including Sport, Standard and Tour.
Ride-enhancing technology comes standard with Indian Motorcycle’s Ride Command four-inch touchscreen. Accessible via handlebar controls or the digital touchscreen display, riders can cycle through multiple interfaces, including two different gauge configurations, motorcycle and ride information, and turn-by-turn navigation.
As per the norm, for riders looking to personalise their motorcycle, Indian Motorcycle offers a wide array of accessories that enhance the motorcycle’s performance, comfort, or simply add a little personal style.