Definitely an awesome review man! very informative. Thanks! I have a 2020 chieftain 116 base, silver smoke. upgraded ride command Reinhardt pipes, Indian intake and, Indian cams and flash. Love it!!
I was lucky enough to purchase the Zac Brown custom build from the lady that won it. I picked it up from the dealership in Vancouver Washington with 15 miles on it, and rode it 900 miles home. It has the 116 with a big bore kit and it is FAST!! I agree with you on the seat, it is not real comfortable for long rides, but the rest of the bike makes up for it. I graduated from a Kawasaki Nomad that had a heel toe shifter, and I actually prefer the standard shifter. Great review, I'm glad to hear that there are others that love the bike as much as I do.
Bonjour de France Merci pour cet essai. Je dois essayer prochainement les modèle Challenger et aussi une Chieftain. Ensuite, j'achèterai l'un des deux. Votre essai confirme tout le bien que je pense de cette moto, merci.
You are by far one of the best reviewer that I have seen every time I need new information about these bikes...I am interested seeing your review on the the '21 Chieftain basic/entry level model review, let me know if you have one, keep up the great work and I have like and subscribed to your channel--thanks for sharing
How many miles?? Small engines such as motorcycles , atv , and so on tend to run a bit hot until they break in good. Plus the factory break in oil allows more friction so the engine can break in. If you haven't switched to a quality full synthetic in your Indian I would go ahead and do it. Amsoil tends to be my favorite for air cooled . 20w 50. Polaris branded oils tend to really suck in my 20 years experience with them. I have personally did a experiment where I documented a 25 degree difference by switching oil. 25 degrees is quite a big difference for air cooling
I forgot to ask, how does the Chieftain ride quality and handling vs the Springfield? I did test rode the a '21 Springfield and I really liked the ride quality vs the '21 Road King.
@@tlong9812 Chieftain would be due to the simple nature of its air cooled engine, old school looks, and the closer seating. The Challenger sits further back and is a little taller even. Challenger does have a good amount of great things, PowerPlus, modern suspension etc. Chieftain is old school cool.
@@RabidHedgehog thanks for that. Yeah i have the pursuit limited. Great bike. But. The looks of the chieftain. A little more compact. Might be worth trading in for. However. Probably best to wait to see if in fact the rumor of the liquid cool power plus engine is finding its way to the chieftain in 25. That would be killer.
@@cadrat1962 Awesome mate ... I have just ordered mine 43k with the extras like the stage 1 system, mid rise bars and some other extras ... Ride safe bruvh
@@no1jrb .What colour did you get? I went the Crimson Metallic and its amazing.... Looks black at a distance then as you get close turns a deep cherry colour.
@@cadrat1962 Hi Ted I was torn between the Burnt orange and the Ruby Red ... and the one I test rode was Black as it was the only colour they had ...so I had to choose based on TH-cam videos lol . I reckon all the colours are gorgeous & I really like the Springfield green Indian use but they don’t offer it on the DH chieftan. I think changing from Harley to Indian is best thing I could of done & cant wait for it turn up. Where about's in Australia are you ?
Very much so. Of course I like Harley's own Road Glide over the Street Glide as well. Street Glide suspension is barely 2 inches of travel and harsh vs. the Chieftain. I like the adjustment for preload better than the Chieftain simply because it's a dial vs air, but it's ride doesn't make up for it. Generally I don't ride with air in my suspension at all when riding solo and it still is better than the Street Glide, and I have had my Chieftain (this is not it) for getting close to a year and will be officially a year in November. The Power and handling too is much better. I like the adaptable ride modes (though I chose Sport for riding just because I like that snappy 1 to 1 throttle response, but heck not an option on the HD), and also the stock power locking bags. The biggest thing for me though is not needing to buy extra windshields immediately. I know some may not like the shorter screen on the Chieftain, but it still adjusts from a lower position than the glide to a higher position on the fly instead of installation of a new windscreen for different travel types all the time. The stock has fit the need for me so I don't see it ever changing. I'll have a video up of the longer term review of my Chieftain Limited 111 later.
Rabid Hedgehog ive seen plenty enough of your reviews to know you do your best to be unbiased and it’s just sad that this bike has stuff standard that Harley should have. It’s nice to know as well that Polaris is making sure they innovate so Indian doesn’t die off again. This bike outdoing Harley is sad but if it makes Harley wake up then good.
Brush up on your Harley knowledge if you're going to be comparing the two. You don't need to buy a CVO to get TP monitoring/angled valve stems. I paid $25k for my RGS brand new and it has the RDRS system which has a pretty good amount of tech in that package.
I am on a different page. I don't like all that extra crap on a bike. That big screen is just a big distraction. Just give me the speedometer and tachometer. The two things I like are the cruise control and the lack of a heel shifter. I don't care for the flat paint these manufacturers are going to either but I do like the lack of chrome. The electric windshield is a gimmick for me. Once I set it, usually in the lowest position, I never change it again.
Craig, I just purchased a chieftain dark horse a few weeks ago. The ride alone VS. the street glide did it for me. I initially thought the windshield was a gimmick too, but it is very functional. Makes a big difference on the highway. I lower it on a warm day around town. Nice feature.
I am glad you like your bike. Just not for me. I will stick with my Goldwing. I can adjust the windshield on it, but I only raised it once and didn't like it so I put it in the lowest position and haven't changed it since. Turned the radio off and haven't turned it back on either. Just different strokes for different folks.
I gotta disagree. Best vehicle to get away in and get lost is a 4x4 Suburban, XL etc. Can literally do very well off road, out of the elements and you can sleep inside comfortably because a Full Size mattress fits inside with hatch closed of course. I prefer older suburbans. The LS engine is amazing and is inexpensive to build and turn into a track hawk killer if wanted. My burb has 360k+ miles and just keeps rolling. I road trip/overland across America in comfort like a living room recliner and reliable as they come.
I was born with ear drums??? Kidding, nah what they have now is not country. If I am going to listen to that sound the Man in Black shall be playing on my speakers. And thanks!
@@RabidHedgehog I do listen to country and western, from time to time, my brother calls it Stone country. Don't care for the new stuff myself, I call it urban country. Enjoy your videos, keep up the good work.
Ok, thanks for the insite on the 116 and highway manners, but for aliitle more balance, let me interject my complaints (based on a 2108 Chieftain ride) sub par brakes, horrible looks and placement of the kickstand, cheapest fuel filler cap design (and it's play/ pretend dummy on the left side) and that needlessly tall and but ugly front brake reservoir that blocks a clear sound/shot to the right speaker..and now some prospective..then there is the price..cost the same as my highest avaliable trim, toyota Corolla hatchback..
![[Live สด] การออกรางวัลสลากกินแบ่งรัฐบาล งวดวันที่ 16 ธันวาคม 2567](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dNTiBBthKgQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 91 | คู่เอก "คมอาวุธ vs อเล็กเซย์"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/V0RkEfYFsgM/mqdefault.jpg)
I had my heart set on buying a Harley but after seeing the latest Indians, including the Challenger, I'm going this route.
Definitely an awesome review man! very informative. Thanks! I have a 2020 chieftain 116 base, silver smoke. upgraded ride command Reinhardt pipes, Indian intake and, Indian cams and flash. Love it!!
Great review RH .I have to say the Chieftain Darkhorse is a gorgeous looking bike..Function and form awesome. Cheers 🥂
That adjustable windshield is a big plus to me
I was lucky enough to purchase the Zac Brown custom build from the lady that won it. I picked it up from the dealership in Vancouver Washington with 15 miles on it, and rode it 900 miles home. It has the 116 with a big bore kit and it is FAST!! I agree with you on the seat, it is not real comfortable for long rides, but the rest of the bike makes up for it. I graduated from a Kawasaki Nomad that had a heel toe shifter, and I actually prefer the standard shifter. Great review, I'm glad to hear that there are others that love the bike as much as I do.
Forget the upgrade, Trade Up!!!
Enjoyed the review. Thanks.
Oh man, one day :) Those are beautiful bikes, glad you get a chance to ride so many
Bonjour de France
Merci pour cet essai. Je dois essayer prochainement les modèle Challenger et aussi une Chieftain. Ensuite, j'achèterai l'un des deux.
Votre essai confirme tout le bien que je pense de cette moto, merci.
You are by far one of the best reviewer that I have seen every time I need new information about these bikes...I am interested seeing your review on the the '21 Chieftain basic/entry level model review, let me know if you have one, keep up the great work and I have like and subscribed to your channel--thanks for sharing
Looking at the Dark Horse Thunder Black thanks for your Review helps me out.
Love it a great looking bike! I hope to see a matte blue or that Springfield green for 2021.
I am looking at this bike this weekend, same color
Great review. I love my 17 chieftain. It’s a rock solid machine
And like you.....
I LOVE INDIAN OF OKC!!!!
FOREVER CLIENT / FRIEND.
They are totally the best! Three of our teams machines came from there.
I have a 2022 chieftan limited absolutely the best bike ever perfect
I love these bikes
Thanks to OKC Indian, Bill from AZ
They're great people for dang sure. And no I don't work for them. This is just something they let me do and I appreciate that.
@@RabidHedgehog That's why we watch, Thank You!
Has my heart set in this until you said it only goes 110. Sport bike guy considering a nice cruiser and im not om with that 😂
Lights are another thing you have to upgrade on a Harley unless you bye a CVO that Indian gives you from the factory
Thanks for the review!👍
You're welcome. Always happy to ride one more machine.
My 2019 Chieftain gets HOT! Does have the rear cylinder deactivation.
I got the roadmaster version, got rear cylinder deactivation. I love the colour and its such a nice bike
How many miles?? Small engines such as motorcycles , atv , and so on tend to run a bit hot until they break in good. Plus the factory break in oil allows more friction so the engine can break in. If you haven't switched to a quality full synthetic in your Indian I would go ahead and do it. Amsoil tends to be my favorite for air cooled . 20w 50. Polaris branded oils tend to really suck in my 20 years experience with them. I have personally did a experiment where I documented a 25 degree difference by switching oil. 25 degrees is quite a big difference for air cooling
Close to 1000 miles, its the emission box or whatever it is called that causes it. Once you get aftermarkets im told it solves alot of the heat.
Does it have SiriusXM ?
Great review thank you
I forgot to ask, how does the Chieftain ride quality and handling vs the Springfield? I did test rode the a '21 Springfield and I really liked the ride quality vs the '21 Road King.
The Chieftain and the Springfield use near identical suspension bits. It's more in the rake of the bike. To me they ride the same.
how much is the cell subscription once the 2 years is up? I can't find that info anywhere.
My dealer has a limited 22 model blue and chrome for 24k you think it's a good deal? About 5k of retail.
That's not really bad at all, sounds like they have thrown about every rebate at it.
@@RabidHedgehog and some. They just have over stock. They have other 22 models for a good deal as well.
When you say compression breaking are you talking about giving it a little clutch to slow it down?
Downshift and letting the clutch out and using the engine to slow the machine. Basically allowing it to coast down.
Would you prefer chieftain over challenger and why?
@@tlong9812 Chieftain would be due to the simple nature of its air cooled engine, old school looks, and the closer seating. The Challenger sits further back and is a little taller even. Challenger does have a good amount of great things, PowerPlus, modern suspension etc. Chieftain is old school cool.
@@RabidHedgehog thanks for that. Yeah i have the pursuit limited. Great bike. But. The looks of the chieftain. A little more compact. Might be worth trading in for. However. Probably best to wait to see if in fact the rumor of the liquid cool power plus engine is finding its way to the chieftain in 25. That would be killer.
And great reviews brother.
I was told after 2 years the only functions that drop off are the traffic and weather but the GPS should still work. Can any owner confirm?
Correct, we don’t have the weather overlay in New Zealand and sat nav works fine
What is the annual budget for the maintenance and insurance of this motorcycle approx? Ride safe ✌
Trading my Harley in on one of these next week...... $40k here in Australia.
I rode a 2020 SGS then a 2021 Darkhorse ... grabbed the dark horse
@@no1jrb ..Had the Chieftan 2 weeks now... Just getting used to the different handling but love it!
@@cadrat1962 Awesome mate ... I have just ordered mine 43k with the extras like the stage 1 system, mid rise bars and some other extras ... Ride safe bruvh
@@no1jrb .What colour did you get? I went the Crimson Metallic and its amazing.... Looks black at a distance then as you get close turns a deep cherry colour.
@@cadrat1962 Hi Ted I was torn between the Burnt orange and the Ruby Red ... and the one I test rode was Black as it was the only colour they had ...so I had to choose based on TH-cam videos lol . I reckon all the colours are gorgeous & I really like the Springfield green Indian use but they don’t offer it on the DH chieftan. I think changing from Harley to Indian is best thing I could of done & cant wait for it turn up. Where about's in Australia are you ?
So the navigation wont work without the subscription or is it just the weather lay option?
I have learned it's weather and traffic overlays
So did the Chieftain outmatch the StreetGlide from Harley?
Very much so. Of course I like Harley's own Road Glide over the Street Glide as well. Street Glide suspension is barely 2 inches of travel and harsh vs. the Chieftain. I like the adjustment for preload better than the Chieftain simply because it's a dial vs air, but it's ride doesn't make up for it. Generally I don't ride with air in my suspension at all when riding solo and it still is better than the Street Glide, and I have had my Chieftain (this is not it) for getting close to a year and will be officially a year in November. The Power and handling too is much better. I like the adaptable ride modes (though I chose Sport for riding just because I like that snappy 1 to 1 throttle response, but heck not an option on the HD), and also the stock power locking bags. The biggest thing for me though is not needing to buy extra windshields immediately. I know some may not like the shorter screen on the Chieftain, but it still adjusts from a lower position than the glide to a higher position on the fly instead of installation of a new windscreen for different travel types all the time. The stock has fit the need for me so I don't see it ever changing. I'll have a video up of the longer term review of my Chieftain Limited 111 later.
Rabid Hedgehog ive seen plenty enough of your reviews to know you do your best to be unbiased and it’s just sad that this bike has stuff standard that Harley should have. It’s nice to know as well that Polaris is making sure they innovate so Indian doesn’t die off again. This bike outdoing Harley is sad but if it makes Harley wake up then good.
So how do you shift then if its not a toe shifter?
It's not a heel toe shifter and instead just a toe. I prefer heel toe with floorboards.
Do things in the upper storage compartment stay dry?
Everything stays dry. I've sprayed mine directly with no issues of water getting into the compartment.
Nice bike & nice review.
If you had your choice, free to you, CVO or Indian?
Brush up on your Harley knowledge if you're going to be comparing the two. You don't need to buy a CVO to get TP monitoring/angled valve stems. I paid $25k for my RGS brand new and it has the RDRS system which has a pretty good amount of tech in that package.
I love the look of the front of the fairing but I don’t care for the aesthetics of the inside of the fairing or the hand controls
Lugging the shit out of that motor running at 2k rpm.
I am on a different page. I don't like all that extra crap on a bike. That big screen is just a big distraction. Just give me the speedometer and tachometer. The two things I like are the cruise control and the lack of a heel shifter. I don't care for the flat paint these manufacturers are going to either but I do like the lack of chrome. The electric windshield is a gimmick for me. Once I set it, usually in the lowest position, I never change it again.
Craig, I just purchased a chieftain dark horse a few weeks ago. The ride alone VS. the street glide did it for me. I initially thought the windshield was a gimmick too, but it is very functional. Makes a big difference on the highway. I lower it on a warm day around town. Nice feature.
I am glad you like your bike. Just not for me. I will stick with my Goldwing. I can adjust the windshield on it, but I only raised it once and didn't like it so I put it in the lowest position and haven't changed it since. Turned the radio off and haven't turned it back on either. Just different strokes for different folks.
I gotta disagree. Best vehicle to get away in and get lost is a 4x4 Suburban, XL etc. Can literally do very well off road, out of the elements and you can sleep inside comfortably because a Full Size mattress fits inside with hatch closed of course. I prefer older suburbans. The LS engine is amazing and is inexpensive to build and turn into a track hawk killer if wanted. My burb has 360k+ miles and just keeps rolling. I road trip/overland across America in comfort like a living room recliner and reliable as they come.
Don't listen to Country !!!! Whatsamatter witchu boy? That's okay, I listen to WRR 101.1 Dallas myself ...... =^>
Oh yeah ..... nice review.
I was born with ear drums??? Kidding, nah what they have now is not country. If I am going to listen to that sound the Man in Black shall be playing on my speakers. And thanks!
@@RabidHedgehog
I do listen to country and western, from time to time, my brother calls it Stone country. Don't care for the new stuff myself, I call it urban country.
Enjoy your videos, keep up the good work.
@@davidcantwell2489 you listen to both kinds of music?!... Country AND Western?
@@Krysis219
Like the Hank jr. Song says "That ain't country." Or as that genre is known as... countrypolitan. I just call it urban country.
@@davidcantwell2489 pop music with a "country" theme
I find it hard to believe that those engines run cooler than engines from a few years ago. Restrictions have gotten tighter and tighter.
It is mostly electronic wizardry with cylinder shut off and such to aid.
wouldnt take much to unleash "a monster!" cams and tune and your off!...
New sub here enjoyed the video look forward to more. I've been trying to do some motovlogs myself. Maybe you would check them out?
Ugly rear view mirrors, compared to Polaris's Victory Vision integrated mirrors.
Ok, thanks for the insite on the 116 and highway manners, but for aliitle more balance, let me interject my complaints (based on a 2108 Chieftain ride) sub par brakes, horrible looks and placement of the kickstand, cheapest fuel filler cap design (and it's play/ pretend dummy on the left side) and that needlessly tall and but ugly front brake reservoir that blocks a clear sound/shot to the right speaker..and now some prospective..then there is the price..cost the same as my highest avaliable trim, toyota Corolla hatchback..