I got a chance to ride a Chief Classic at the demo ride in Quebec this weekend, so I'll add my review to the pile.
Before I start, here's some background: I've owned various bikes for 8 years but have had my license and been riding for 18. I've owned, in chronological order:
I reserved a test ride a couple weeks ahead during the demo day at for 10:30am. I was giddy with excitement that morning, and had driven up with a buddy from 90 minutes away to get on the bike. I got there at 10:28am and the crowd was already huge (they had group demo rides going out ever 30 minutes). I went inside to the reception and gave my name to the pretty young girl at reception. This is where things went south for a bit.
"Hi, I'm here for the demo ride."
"What's your name and what time are you booked for?"
"xxxx, 10:30am."
"Oh, well you're late. They left already."
"What? It's 10:32. How can that be?"
"Yeah well you were supposed to be here at 10:30 sharp..." [goes back to doing her paperwork".
[arguing back and forth, sales manager comes back to see what's going on]
At that point, he tells her that the 10:00 group didn't even come back yet. The 10:30 group won't leave for another 10 minutes. Completely unapolagetically she basically throws me a pen and sign-up sheet and says "Fill this out."
![Image]()
I was appalled. Here I am, a customer who just bought a $14k bike from a dealer this year, wanting to try out a $25k bike that I have serious intentions of buying, getting major attitude from the first person I have contact with during my test ride. I realize that it was my fault that I was a whole 2 minutes late, but some courtesy and maybe a "let me check to see if the group left" or something would have been in order.
I sign up and head back outside, where I eventually find my way onto a beautiful red Chief Classic. We're about a dozen vehicles in the line up, and while most folks headed straight for the Vintage or Chieftain, I really like the simple look of the Classic (I'm not a bagger guy... yet...).
I can't put into words how solid this motorcycle felt when I sat on it. The handlebar and the view above it just 'feel' powerful. I know what sitting 'in' the bike vs 'on' the bike means now, and the ergonomics were close to perfect if a little stretched at the foot controls for my 5'8 frame; nothing I couldn't get used to. After a few minutes of trying to figure out the push-to-start button (you have to hold it down for a bit), and a sort of condescending question from the ride leader regarding if I've ever ridden a motorcycle before - I guess wearing designer jeans and fluorescent running shoes in a sea of Harley-Davison leather jackets and chaps kind of makes you seem out of place - we started to lurch forward as a group and about a hundred envious onlookers watched us leave.
![Image]()
Any discontent I had with the way the morning had played out thus far vanished as we left the parking lot. The Chief, by any measure, is a fantastic, utterly awe-inspiring piece of machinery. A heavy one, make no mistake - but all that weight disappears as soon as you hit any sort of speed. We cruised around some quiter rural roads for a while before hitting the highway, and though we were specifically told not to, many of us purposely built some distance from the group in front of us to slingshot back by opening up the throttle - and man, what a sound that engine makes when you do. It's very very quiet when you're not gunning it, and even when you are, the volume level never gets really high... but the tone of the engine at wide open throttle really makes you feel like you're in the wrong era. There are very, very few bikes whose sound can have an effect like that (my Judge's stock rumble is annoyingly tame and tinny in comparison) and the Indian's up there with Italian triples and KTMs as the most distinctive roars I can think about. Do I wish it was louder? Sure, but it's pretty damn near perfect out of the box.
Everything on the motorcycle feels tight and solid - I felt ike I could ride for a million miles straight. Comfortably. Stopping for gas, food and sleep. It's hard to put into words how well-put together the Chief felt. Nothing rattled, nothing seemed out of place, and you could almost swear that the only shaking or vibration you felt was purposely put there by the engineers to give the bike more soul. I didn't scrape the floorboards but certainly felt I could, easily, if I wanted to.
The ride last 30 minutes but felt like 5, possibly due to the very comfortable seat. We got back, had the obligatory 15 minute sales pitch before we were handed our licenses back, and I drove back to the city. Despite the initial unpleasentness of my experience - I hope they work on that - I came away very, very impressed with the new Indians. Would I trade in my Judge? Probably not just yet. But if I had to pick the best vehicle to drive across the continent on right now, I can't think of many bikes that would be more comfortable, funner or cooler than the Indian.
![Image]()
Before I start, here's some background: I've owned various bikes for 8 years but have had my license and been riding for 18. I've owned, in chronological order:
- Hyosung 250 GT
- Hyosung 650 GT
- Triumph Bonneville
- Triumph Street Triple
- Harley VRSCA V-Rod
- 2005 Victory Kingpin
- 2013 Victory Judge
I reserved a test ride a couple weeks ahead during the demo day at for 10:30am. I was giddy with excitement that morning, and had driven up with a buddy from 90 minutes away to get on the bike. I got there at 10:28am and the crowd was already huge (they had group demo rides going out ever 30 minutes). I went inside to the reception and gave my name to the pretty young girl at reception. This is where things went south for a bit.
"Hi, I'm here for the demo ride."
"What's your name and what time are you booked for?"
"xxxx, 10:30am."
"Oh, well you're late. They left already."
"What? It's 10:32. How can that be?"
"Yeah well you were supposed to be here at 10:30 sharp..." [goes back to doing her paperwork".
[arguing back and forth, sales manager comes back to see what's going on]
At that point, he tells her that the 10:00 group didn't even come back yet. The 10:30 group won't leave for another 10 minutes. Completely unapolagetically she basically throws me a pen and sign-up sheet and says "Fill this out."
I was appalled. Here I am, a customer who just bought a $14k bike from a dealer this year, wanting to try out a $25k bike that I have serious intentions of buying, getting major attitude from the first person I have contact with during my test ride. I realize that it was my fault that I was a whole 2 minutes late, but some courtesy and maybe a "let me check to see if the group left" or something would have been in order.
I sign up and head back outside, where I eventually find my way onto a beautiful red Chief Classic. We're about a dozen vehicles in the line up, and while most folks headed straight for the Vintage or Chieftain, I really like the simple look of the Classic (I'm not a bagger guy... yet...).
I can't put into words how solid this motorcycle felt when I sat on it. The handlebar and the view above it just 'feel' powerful. I know what sitting 'in' the bike vs 'on' the bike means now, and the ergonomics were close to perfect if a little stretched at the foot controls for my 5'8 frame; nothing I couldn't get used to. After a few minutes of trying to figure out the push-to-start button (you have to hold it down for a bit), and a sort of condescending question from the ride leader regarding if I've ever ridden a motorcycle before - I guess wearing designer jeans and fluorescent running shoes in a sea of Harley-Davison leather jackets and chaps kind of makes you seem out of place - we started to lurch forward as a group and about a hundred envious onlookers watched us leave.
Any discontent I had with the way the morning had played out thus far vanished as we left the parking lot. The Chief, by any measure, is a fantastic, utterly awe-inspiring piece of machinery. A heavy one, make no mistake - but all that weight disappears as soon as you hit any sort of speed. We cruised around some quiter rural roads for a while before hitting the highway, and though we were specifically told not to, many of us purposely built some distance from the group in front of us to slingshot back by opening up the throttle - and man, what a sound that engine makes when you do. It's very very quiet when you're not gunning it, and even when you are, the volume level never gets really high... but the tone of the engine at wide open throttle really makes you feel like you're in the wrong era. There are very, very few bikes whose sound can have an effect like that (my Judge's stock rumble is annoyingly tame and tinny in comparison) and the Indian's up there with Italian triples and KTMs as the most distinctive roars I can think about. Do I wish it was louder? Sure, but it's pretty damn near perfect out of the box.
Everything on the motorcycle feels tight and solid - I felt ike I could ride for a million miles straight. Comfortably. Stopping for gas, food and sleep. It's hard to put into words how well-put together the Chief felt. Nothing rattled, nothing seemed out of place, and you could almost swear that the only shaking or vibration you felt was purposely put there by the engineers to give the bike more soul. I didn't scrape the floorboards but certainly felt I could, easily, if I wanted to.
The ride last 30 minutes but felt like 5, possibly due to the very comfortable seat. We got back, had the obligatory 15 minute sales pitch before we were handed our licenses back, and I drove back to the city. Despite the initial unpleasentness of my experience - I hope they work on that - I came away very, very impressed with the new Indians. Would I trade in my Judge? Probably not just yet. But if I had to pick the best vehicle to drive across the continent on right now, I can't think of many bikes that would be more comfortable, funner or cooler than the Indian.
. I had a triathlon later in the day and kept my runners on instead of my riding boots. I'm guilty of judging other riders too based on what they wear. And I guess it didn't help that I couldn't even figure out how to startthe bike.
