2018 Indian Chieftain Elite Launched; Gets Custom Hand-sprayed Paint!

After the launch of the Roadmaster Elite in March this year, Indian Motorcycles has launched yet another ostentatious motorcycle - the 2018 Indian Chieftain Elite. This motorcycle tops the line of the brand’s Bagger range. The USP of this bike is the exclusive, high-flake Black Hills Silver paint job. It is inspired by the silver mines in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA, which is near Indian Motorcycle’s custom paint facility in Spearfish. Here, the paint team masks the bodywork, lay the graphics, and hand-spray each Chieftain Elite. Since the process is done manually, each bike takes nearly 25 hours to complete. The American cruiser maker claims that no two bikes will look the same due to the level of human touch involved.

The chief features (pardon the pun) of the motorcycle include the 7-inch, glove-compatible Ride Command system that comes with features such as Bluetooth audio, navigation, vehicle information & status and split-screen function. The motorcycle is also loaded with a premium 200 Watt audio speakers with AM/FM, Bluetooth, USB port, smartphone compatible input and weather band. Other noteworthy bits include aluminium billet rider and adjustable passenger floorboards, leather seats, power windshield and remote locking saddlebags.

Pankaj Dubey, managing director and country head, Polaris India, said, “The Indian Chieftain Elite is a limited edition product for the riders who demand the best of the best. This bike was born to turn heads and provide an unmatched riding experience with all of the premium amenities with an outstanding hand paint job using high-flake Black Hills Silver”.

Powering this behemoth is a 1811cc Thunderstroke 111 V-twin air-cooled and fuel-injected motor. It delivers 161.6Nm at 3000rpm and is paired with a 6-speed transmission coupled to a belt drive. Cruise control, security system and dual-channel ABS are standard. Dual front discs and a single rear disc, all measuring 300mm, handle braking duties. The 19-inch front and the 16-inch rear alloys are wrapped with Dunlop American Elite up front and Dunlop Elite 3 multi-compound rubber at the rear. With a 20-litre fuel tank, the bagger weighs 388kg when fully fuelled.

This Rs 38 lakh motorcycle locks horns with the Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special, which is priced at Rs 32.99 lakh. It also competes with the Honda Gold Wing Tour, which costs Rs 28.49 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom). Due to the limited number of units available, the Chieftain Elite will be sold on a per-order basis in India.