2026 Indian Chief Classic Evaluation

Few bikes are as immediately identifiable as a traditional Indian Chief. From a block away or up shut, you realize precisely what you’re . Though Chiefs had been constructed from 1922 till the Springfield, Massachusetts?­primarily based producer ceased manufacturing in 1953, it’s the 1940 Chief that launched the skirted fenders which are so iconic and recognizable.

Revivals of Indian, together with bikes inbuilt Gilroy, California, from 1999?­2003 and Kings Mountain, North Carolina, from 2006?­2011, leaned closely on conventional Chief styling: skirted fenders, an illuminated Indian headdress decoration on the entrance fender, spoked wheels, and liberal makes use of of leather-based fringe, chrome conchos, and Indian script badging.

The third and most important revival of Indian began in 2011, when Minnesota?­primarily based Polaris Inc. purchased the rights to the model. When Indian Motorbike was relaunched on the Sturgis Rally in August 2013, three fashions had been unveiled: Chief Traditional, Chief Classic, and Chieftain. All had been powered by the air?­cooled Thunderstroke 111which had been proven at Daytona Bike Week earlier that yr, and all shared a styling throughline that went again to the 1940 Chief.

Quick ahead to the current. Indian Motorbike is kicking off 2026 – the a hundred and twenty fifth anniversary of the model – beneath new possession and with a brand new CEO. Over the previous 13 years, Indian has expanded its lineup from these first three Chiefs to greater than two dozen fashions throughout its Cruiser, Bagger, and Touring households. It has additionally moved away from the standard styling that outlined earlier iterations of the model. To higher compete head?­to?­head with Harley?­Davidson, Indian has adopted design language that’s extra trendy, muscular, and impressed by the customized scene.

As Indian charts its new path ahead as an organization, it’s additionally celebrating its historical past and the legacy that has saved the model alive (even when the corporate wasn’t) for over a century. Which brings us to the 2026 Chief Classic. Not like the mannequin of the identical identify that debuted in 2013 and stayed within the lineup till 2022, the brand new model extra carefully resembles the Chiefs of the Forties. It’s darker, with no chrome, and minimalist, with much less ostentatious styling and fewer baubles.

Throughout the unveiling of the Chief Classic on the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, Ola Stenegärd, design director for Indian Motorbike, confirmed {a photograph} of a ’40s?­period Chief that he noticed as a younger boy in Sweden. That Chief impressed Stenegärd’s lifelong love of cruisers and led him to develop into a motorbike designer. His profession contains stints at Gilroy?­primarily based Indian, designing vehicles for Saab, and 15 years as a designer for BMW Motorrad earlier than becoming a member of Indian once more in 2018. His first project: redesign the Chief.

The new Chief platformlaunched for 2022 and the idea for the Chief Classic, took after its smaller stablemate, the Scout. It was extra stripped?­down and elemental, with a shortened wheelbase, a tubular?­metal body changing the earlier modular aluminum spine, and uncovered twin laydown rear shocks quite than a single shock hidden behind bodywork. It was additionally greater than 100 lb lighter than its predecessor.

Stenegärd stated that his group had this new Classic in thoughts once they redesigned the Chief. They needed to maneuver away from the earlier mannequin’s heavy use of chrome and put off its whitewall tires and brown leather-based two?­up seat and saddlebags accented with fringe and conchos. In Stenegärd’s phrases, they needed it to be “much less retro and extra traditional.”

Fairly than simply slapping some valanced fenders on the usual Chief and calling it day, Stenegärd and his group put numerous work into getting the stance and proportions proper. Even within the present period of pc?­aided design and speedy prototyping, that meant lengthy hours within the studio shaping the fenders utilizing modeling clay, a way that has been round for the reason that Thirties and is most popular when coping with advanced, natural curves. By way of proportions, the usual Chief has a 180mm rear tire, however it didn’t look proper on the Chief Classic. The designers went with a narrower 150mm rear, which allowed the rear fender to be narrower, decreasing its visible mass and hewing nearer to the interval aesthetic.

Different traditional touches abound. Fender suggestions. Footboards. An illuminated headdress decoration. Covers on the forks and rear shocks. A classic?­fashion pullback handlebar. A solo seat. Black finishes on the engine with silver?­painted pushrod tubes and cylinder heads, the latter resembling the aluminum heads used on early Chiefs. Though I might have cherished to see the Chief Classic supplied in Tangerine just like the 1953 Chief, coloration choices are restricted to Black Metallic and Indian Motorbike Crimson.

It was a cool however sunny morning when our eclectic group of journalists, YouTubers, and influencers filed out of the resort to discover a line of Chief Vintages ready for us. From a distance and up shut, the bike appears sharp. Other than silver on the pushrod tubes, cylinder heads, wheel spokes, and some badges and fasteners, all the things is completed in gloss or matte black. The body, fork and shocks, exhaust pipes, headlight bucket, handlebar, seat, and even the fender suggestions, headdress decoration, and Indian badges on the tank are black, black, black.

Discreetly hidden on the bikes had been the digital key fobs. All we needed to do was faucet the facility button, which dropped at life the spherical 4?­inch coloration touchscreen show. Hiding in plain sight are trendy options and conveniences immediately’s riders need: trip modes (Sport, Normal, and Tour), antilock brakes, infotainment, and a charging port.

Urgent the ignition button fired up the Thunderstroke 116, an air?­cooled 49?­diploma V?­Twin that churns out 120 lb?­ft of torque at 2,900 rpm. Refined and enlarged over the previous 13 years, this engine has simply the correct quantity of rumble and a particular however affordable exhaust observe. With the engines heat and our caffeine kicking into excessive gear, we rolled out onto the freeway to slice and cube amongst every day commuters on our method to the canyon roads of Malibu. In high gear at freeway speeds, the Thunderstroke 116 chugs alongside properly, and there’s at all times further grunt on faucet for a fast go.

Our butts sat upon what Indian calls the Classic Floating Solo Seat. Perched at a really affordable 27 inches above the asphalt, the thinly padded seat is extra comfy than it seems at first look. Stenegärd stated that, just like the fenders, his group burned the midnight oil to get the seat proper. Its sculpted form relies on that of traditional tractor seats, like these farmers spent lengthy days in whereas working the fields. The seat is held in place by a bracket that flexes, permitting it to maneuver barely to assist isolate the rider from impacts. The seat doesn’t permit the rider to maneuver round a lot, however I by no means felt the necessity to take action. And in case your using plans embody a companion, a passenger seat and footpegs can be found as equipment. (Different equipment embody a fast?­launch windshield, freeway bars, saddlebags, a Pathfinder adaptive LED headlight, a Stage 1 slip?­on exhaust, and a Stage 1 excessive?­move air consumption.)

Malibu Canyon Street took us into the Santa Monica Mountains that hug the Pacific coast, and Piuma Street took us from the canyon’s ground to its higher rim. Morning rains had left the highway slick and even slightly muddy in locations. The Metzeler Cruisetec tires supplied assured grip, and I appreciated that the slender rear tire lowered steering effort. Within the Normal trip mode, throttle response was clean and predictable, permitting me to regularly roll on and off the facility as wanted to barter the curves and slippery surfaces.

After some photograph passes, we made our method to the Pacific Coast Freeway and cruised north. With my boots on the footboards and my gloves gripping the pullback handlebar, I felt comfortable, virtually swish, as we rumbled alongside the large boulevard. The trip high quality was good, the air was salty and clear, and all felt proper with the world.

GEAR UP

Turning onto Encinal Canyon Street, recognized for its quick, sweeping corners, the lead rider’s tempo quickened, and we gave chase. Because the previous saying goes, one bike is a trip, two bikes is a race. Hitting massive dips bounced me out of the seat a number of instances, restricted cornering clearance necessitated large traces by way of corners, and onerous braking put the one entrance caliper to the check, however our quick?­shifting practice of Chief Vintages would have put a smile on the face of previous Gene Thompson (Eric Trow’s grandfather, who used to race Indians).

America’s Large Two bike manufacturers – Indian and Harley?­Davidson – do their greatest to outdo one another by way of heritage and historical past, racing and crimson?­blooded authenticity. Indian was based first and grew to develop into the biggest bike firm on the planet however faltered after World Struggle II. Harley?­Davidson was based a few years after Indian and survived all through the twentieth century and into the twenty first, however not with out its struggles and stumbles. Each are forging new paths into the long run whereas making an attempt to remain true to the previous.

With the Chief Classic, Indian is paying homage to its glory days, when the Wigwam was going robust and its engineers created probably the most iconic silhouettes in all of motorcycling. It’s a pleasure to take a look at and a pleasure to trip.

Take a look at extra new bikes in Rider’s 2026 Motorbike Consumers Information

2026 Indian Chief Classic Specs

• Base Worth: $19,999
• Worth As Examined: $20,499 (Indian Motorbike Crimson)
• Web site: IndianMotorcycle.com
• Guarantee: 2 yrs., unltd. miles
• Engine Kind: Air?cooled, transverse 49?diploma V?Twin, OHV w/ 2 valves per cyl.
• Displacement: 116ci / 1,890cc
• Bore x Stroke: 4.063 x 4.449 in. / 103.2 x 113.0mm
• Horsepower: 96 @ 4,200 rpm (estimated)
• Torque: 120 lb-ft @ 2,900 rpm (manufacturing unit declare)
• Transmission: 6-speed, cable?actuated moist help clutch
• Remaining Drive: Belt
• Wheelbase: 64 in.
• Rake/Path: 29 levels/5.2 in.
• Seat Peak: 27 in.
• Moist Weight: 721 lb (manufacturing unit declare)
• Gas Capability: 4 gal.