2026 might have just started, but American bikemakers are already firing on all guns. Harley-Davidson has already shaken the internet with its new full-dressers, and now, Indian has joined the party. Instead of touring bikes, though, the bikemaker has launched a new vintage cruiser for 2026 to mark the 125th anniversary of the brand. It’s called the Chief Vintage, with inspiration straight from the Indian Chief from the 1940s. Here’s what you get.
The Indian Chief Vintage’s Design Takes You Back In Time
The aesthetic is undeniably the USP of the Chief Vintage. Up top, you get a round headlight, flanked by a valanced front fender and vintage swept-back handlebars. This is partnered with a petite middle section, courtesy of the peanut tank, narrow rear subframe, and vintage solo seat. A special shoutout goes to the massive rear fender that nearly hides the entire rear spoke wheel.
Color-wise, the Chief Vintage comes in two shades: Indian Motorcycle Red and Metallic Black. The former drapes the bike in a glossy red shade, accentuated by a blacked-out engine bay, exhausts, and chassis. Whereas, the latter brings a Batman-like all-black finish. As a pinch of contrast, the spoke wheels and engine heads have a silver finish.
But The Feature List Is Modern
The design might be retro, but the feature list is modern here. A touchscreen TFT instrument cluster sits at the center of the cockpit, giving you access to the Ride Command connectivity features. This includes turn-by-turn navigation via platforms like Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps. Aside from this, you get three selectable ride modes (Tour, Standard, and Sport), dual-channel ABS, and rear cylinder deactivation.
Power Comes From The Mighty Thunderstroke 116 V-Twin Engine
Speaking of the mill, this is Indian’s tried-and-tested Thunderstroke 116 V-twin mill. It has air cooling and a compression ratio of 11:1 to produce 120 pound-feet of torque at just 2,900 RPM. That puts it on par with the likes of the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic and Street Bob. The brand refuses to reveal the horsepower output, though. Anyway, all the power reaches the wheel via a six-speed transmission driven by a belt.
Simple Underpinnings Round Off The Mechanical Package
The underpinnings are simple, like the engine. A double-cradle steel frame is present, suspended on telescopic forks and dual rear shock absorbers. This is topped with 16/16-inch spoke wheels, each of which houses a single disc brake. All that use of steel results in a whopping curb weight of 721 pounds. Other key dimensions are:
- Seat height: 27 inches
- Wheelbase: 64 inches
- Ground clearance: 4.9 inches
- Lean angle: 28.5 degrees
The Indian Chief Vintage Sells For $19,999
Finally, there’s the price. The Chief Vintage costs $19,999, which slots it between the Chief Bobber and Super Chief. More importantly, the MSRP is the same as the Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic but considerably less than the Fat Boy. That is a good market position in our books. Feel free to disagree in the comments, though.
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