The Indian puts its Super Chief Limited in the cruiser segment, a style of motorcycle with a relaxed riding position, a low center of gravity, and ready to travel. In fact, not all cruisers are motorcycles that we would immediately think of for a trip, but with this Super Chief Limited, we would even take on a long road without any problems!
The cruiser subcategory of the Indian range includes four models in this 2023 range, with this Super Chief Limited being the most touring-oriented and the one that differs the most from the others. This is because it is the only one equipped as standard with a windshield (which can be easily removed), a passenger seat, and side cases.
Of course, all of these models are highly customizable, but from the start, the model on these pages is more suited for trips and rides, also because of the installation of foot platforms and even the different handlebar shape, more classic and much more suitable for the many kilometers on asphalt than the more exclusive handlebars found on the Chief Dark Horse, Chief Bobber Dark Horse, and Sport Chief models. Among these four models, we also find some more aesthetic differences: the Bobber and the Super Chief Limited have smaller spoked wheels, just like the motorcycle in this work has chrome-plated engine, exhausts, and mirrors, while in the others these elements are painted black. In other words, this Super Chief Limited has a more classic look, as well as interesting features for traveling without having to opt for a Bagger or Touring model.
2023 MODEL
The first model of the iconic Chief dates back to 1921, which is sensational! A motorcycle with very beautiful lines that still inspires the current models of the brand, now equipped with the air-cooled V-Twin Thunderstroke engine. For this year, all models equipped with the Thunderstroke and PowerPlus engine have received a new clutch, which is now slipper and also lighter to operate in order to reduce fatigue. Among the various features of this Super Chief Limited, we also highlight the full LED lighting (through a headlight already well known in the brand), the three driving modes (Tour, Standard, and Sport), and some additional equipment such as keyless ignition, USB charging port, cruise control, and grippy Pirelli Night Dragon tires. The saddlebags have quick closures, so there is no need to use buckles, and as for the instrumentation, the small round display hides a lot: the 4” touchscreen aims to maintain a classic look with the modernity of a TFT, so we can use it simply to see the speed and rotation, for navigation, control driving modes, manage music, or answer and reject calls from a paired device via Bluetooth. This in addition to all the information normally provided by an onboard computer. Only its software is too slow, especially when we start the motorcycle.THE BEST Style, riding position, and comfort, always enjoyable riding TO IMPROVE Windshield and saddlebag effectiveness, instrument software
RIDING
As easy to understand, this model belongs to a niche market, not being for everyone for several reasons. But it is easy to sympathize with this Super Chief Limited, very beautiful for its genre – only this decoration may not be the most attractive – and with an engine that we always enjoy admiring. The riding position is good, the foot platforms are very comfortable and not too far forward, with the arms following in the most suitable position that we can remember being possible for a touring motorcycle. The engine is strong, with good torque (162 Nm at 3,200 rpm), and it is not difficult to leave a long black streak on the asphalt when we start, which is quite fun! However, it is noticeable that it is quite muffled by environmental regulations, especially in an air-cooled engine, so expect some heat on the legs and seat area, even with the system that deactivates the rear cylinder. As for the riding modes, we almost always rode in Standard, with Sport only intended for those seeking strong emotions, facing such an aggressive throttle response and without traction control.
The gearbox is not obviously fast, but it is very precise and makes that delightful “clonk” that we love to hear on bikes in this segment, and in the rest of the dynamic chapter, the suspensions absorb irregularities well, with the rear suspension being more effective than we expected. As for braking, it is as expected: effective but not dazzling, with the rear brake pedal being an excellent complement to the front brake. At a faster pace, we just have to be more careful with the footpegs in tighter corners, which will inevitably scrape the ground, and of course, the weight is there so it is advisable to always keep a good safety distance. Also, do not lean too much in the corners, as it may be necessary to correct some trajectory and in that case, we do not want everything scraping on the ground. Over several days, and with traditionally calm driving, we recorded an excellent average consumption of 5.3 l/100 km on the instrumentation of this Super Chief.
DETAILS
Talking about some “important details”, it is worth mentioning that the huge windshield fulfills its aesthetic purpose well and at low speeds, removes all the air from the driver’s face. However, we always have to look through it (unless we are very tall) and on the highway it generates some turbulence because it does not have holes for better air passage. As for the saddlebags, they have a very narrow opening and the interior space is not huge – especially the one with the exhaust underneath – although visually they are quite voluminous. Despite these details not being as functional as they should be, this Super Chief Limited is a very pleasant bike to ride. It is expensive, like all bikes in this exclusive segment, but it offers a lot of style and we can either enjoy the scenery with the engine almost silent, or it is capable of making beautiful starts with the V-Twin making itself heard audibly. And with a long black Pirelli streak on the asphalt!
INDIAN SUPER CHIEF LIMITED
V-Twin Thunderstroke 116 engine, air-cooled
DISPLACEMENT 1,890 cc
POWER n.d.
TORQUE 162 Nm @3,200 rpm
6-speed automatic transmission
Steel tubular frame
FUEL TANK 15.1 liters
FRONT SUSPENSION 42 mm telescopic fork, 132 mm travel
REAR SUSPENSION double shock absorber, 75 mm travel
FRONT BRAKE 300 mm disc, 4-piston calipers
REAR BRAKE 300 mm disc, 2-piston caliper
FRONT TIRE 130/90B16
REAR TIRE 180/65B16
WHEELBASE 1,626 mm
SEAT HEIGHT 665 mm
WEIGHT 335 kg
MSRP from 24,290 €
