This is strange to even be writing this!
As you guys know, I was not happy when Polaris killed Victory. I was never going to buy another Polaris product, F them! Then the Vision left me on the side of the road by popping a regulaitor. The bike is still sitting in the shop waiting for - you guessed it - a regulator. Heeeere we go! I was going to take care of the nagging clutch issues I have been having while the bike was in there, and those parts have already come in. Of course, those came from Lloydz and Barnett. Yes, I am waiting for a Victory part from Polaris.
I was down there today discussing this with the service manager when the owner walks up and says to me "Are you ready to make the switch?" I was about to tell him no when he pointed across the floor to a brand new Chieftain Limited. I walked over to this thing and let me tell you, this is a badass bike. I wanted so much not to like it, but there is no getting around it, she's a bute. Just up and down, everywhere - she's a bute!
While we were going over the features and the ride command, I told him that this is all great, but I still do not fit on the thing! He asked me if I had ever tried the extended reach tour seat. I said no of course. So what's he do? Looks at me and says " I have one here, I will put it on and you can take her out for an extended test so you can really see what she's got. " They put the seat on, I gave them the key to my Spyder, transferred my stuff and off I went!
The bike is striking when you first approach it. The new front wheel and fender make all the difference in the look; it is a huge improvement. And i'll be damned if this new seat didn't put me in a great riding position; you go up an inch and back about 2-3 inches. Fit and finish of the machine is truly impressive. The stereo kicks ass and the ride command is awesome. I didn't think I was gonna like it, but its great. The engine has a lot of character; more than I remember these things having in the other Indians i have ridden. Great torque, really good power everywhere in the band and extremely smooth. Wonderful exhaust note. The throttle by wire is very precise and feels really good. If you roll on anywhere in the band the response is immediate. Going through the gears is silky smooth both up and down and the clutch is great! I also noticed that my hands fall right down to the grips.
So I rode most of the afternoon and went through highway, curvy roads, back roads, I even hit some rain and it handled everything with ease. I was totally blown away. I have put almost a tank of gas through it! When I got home I brought my Wife down to get her input and she likes it too, She tried her best to be mad at me, but she liked it! After I gave her the tour she just looked at me and said "it's up to you. But if you do this, THAT IS IT! No more damned motorcycles!"
So I have been pondering this all night. What to do? Fix the Vision (well, if the regulator ever gets there) and give it another chance or make the move to the limited? This is a hard decision. I can't believe I am on the verge of buying an Indian!
So what say you, brothers?
As you guys know, I was not happy when Polaris killed Victory. I was never going to buy another Polaris product, F them! Then the Vision left me on the side of the road by popping a regulaitor. The bike is still sitting in the shop waiting for - you guessed it - a regulator. Heeeere we go! I was going to take care of the nagging clutch issues I have been having while the bike was in there, and those parts have already come in. Of course, those came from Lloydz and Barnett. Yes, I am waiting for a Victory part from Polaris.
I was down there today discussing this with the service manager when the owner walks up and says to me "Are you ready to make the switch?" I was about to tell him no when he pointed across the floor to a brand new Chieftain Limited. I walked over to this thing and let me tell you, this is a badass bike. I wanted so much not to like it, but there is no getting around it, she's a bute. Just up and down, everywhere - she's a bute!
While we were going over the features and the ride command, I told him that this is all great, but I still do not fit on the thing! He asked me if I had ever tried the extended reach tour seat. I said no of course. So what's he do? Looks at me and says " I have one here, I will put it on and you can take her out for an extended test so you can really see what she's got. " They put the seat on, I gave them the key to my Spyder, transferred my stuff and off I went!
The bike is striking when you first approach it. The new front wheel and fender make all the difference in the look; it is a huge improvement. And i'll be damned if this new seat didn't put me in a great riding position; you go up an inch and back about 2-3 inches. Fit and finish of the machine is truly impressive. The stereo kicks ass and the ride command is awesome. I didn't think I was gonna like it, but its great. The engine has a lot of character; more than I remember these things having in the other Indians i have ridden. Great torque, really good power everywhere in the band and extremely smooth. Wonderful exhaust note. The throttle by wire is very precise and feels really good. If you roll on anywhere in the band the response is immediate. Going through the gears is silky smooth both up and down and the clutch is great! I also noticed that my hands fall right down to the grips.
So I rode most of the afternoon and went through highway, curvy roads, back roads, I even hit some rain and it handled everything with ease. I was totally blown away. I have put almost a tank of gas through it! When I got home I brought my Wife down to get her input and she likes it too, She tried her best to be mad at me, but she liked it! After I gave her the tour she just looked at me and said "it's up to you. But if you do this, THAT IS IT! No more damned motorcycles!"
So I have been pondering this all night. What to do? Fix the Vision (well, if the regulator ever gets there) and give it another chance or make the move to the limited? This is a hard decision. I can't believe I am on the verge of buying an Indian!
So what say you, brothers?