Indian Chieftain Demo Ride

[GIBBY]

Last evening a friend and I rode to St. Paul Indian and did the demo ride of the new Chieftain. First let me say that I think the styling, design and proportions of this new bike are perfect. Yes, there are a few things that I may have done differently but there is never going to be a bike or anything made for that matter that will satisfy everyone. I went into this ride already in love with this bike so take that into consideration when reading my review.

The demo was set up with 12 motorcycles with a ride captain and a sweep. There were a lot of people waiting to demo these bikes so there was not ANY time to walk around the bikes and kick the tires, big mistake on Indian's part if you ask me. They should have had at least one of each model set aside so a thorough inspection for fit and finish could be made.
Strike One.

The very first thing I noticed after swinging my leg over the seat was the lack of leg room, definitely not for us big guys. The ergonomics of this bike are very similar to an H.D. Electra Glide. The fat handlebars with internal wiring are nice and the layout of the controls is intuitive. The sound system controls are back lighted and the grips are nice. The "Integrated Digital Multi Function Display" as Indian calls it, is in red and virtually impossible to read.
Strike Two.

Time to fire up the motor. Push the start button and the 111 Thunder Stroke rumbles to life. The stock exhaust sounds great and is something I think I could live with. Drop her into gear and we are off. Wow, the torque of this motor is instantly apparent as I shift into second and then into third. The transmission shifts like butter with virtually no noise. Not only is this a cool looking power plant but it has balls! As we cruise down the freeway frontage road I play with the power windshield, nice but kind of unnecessary it you ask me. Wind buffeting was minimal even without lower fairings. The radio was o.k. but certainly could be improved upon with rear speakers. The ABS brakes work great and stopping is one of this bikes strong suits. At 65 mph there is a constant vibration in the floorboards that is rather annoying.

After riding for a few minutes it becomes glaringly apparent that this motorcycle feels a lot like riding a Harley, in other words, it feels like a bike that is well worn but had only 1,006 miles on her.
Strike Three.

After dismounting and talking to some of the other demo riders my observations were echoed by many. The friend that I went there with was prepared to put money down and wait for a bike, but after the demo he has changed his mind. Some of the shorter riders said the power windshield did not go down far enough.

In conclusion, as much as I wanted to like this bike I was extremely disappointed by my demo ride. I will not be switching brands any time soon. My Victory is a superior bike for less money, period.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the check engine light came on half way thru my demo ride.