Indian Motorcycle wants a piece of the heavyweight V-twin cruiser segment and its doing it with the 2022 Super Chief. The Super Chief is part of the American brand’s new four-bike cruiser lineup that employs Indian’s tried-and-true powertrain and redesigned chassis. Read the 2022 Indian Motorcycle Chief First Look Preview article to get up to speed on these improvements. In this video review, we swing a leg over it during its US press introduction in Arizona. Tune-in and see what the Indian Super Chief is like to ride.
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Full story here: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/reviews/2022-indian-motorcycle-super-chief-mc-commute-review/
Photography: Jordan Pay
Video/edit: @AdamWaheed
Motorcycle Riding Gear
Helmet: Shoei RF-SR
Jacket: Alpinestars Stratos V2 Drystar
Gloves: Alpinestars SMX Z Drystar
Pant: Alpinestars Copper V2
Boots: Alpinestars CR-X Drystar
Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist
Shop Products We Use: https://www.amazon.com/shop/motorcyclistmagazine
See more from us: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
--
Full story here: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/reviews/2022-indian-motorcycle-super-chief-mc-commute-review/
Photography: Jordan Pay
Video/edit: @AdamWaheed
Motorcycle Riding Gear
Helmet: Shoei RF-SR
Jacket: Alpinestars Stratos V2 Drystar
Gloves: Alpinestars SMX Z Drystar
Pant: Alpinestars Copper V2
Boots: Alpinestars CR-X Drystar
Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist
Shop Products We Use: https://www.amazon.com/shop/motorcyclistmagazine
See more from us: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Hey folks good morning and welcome to this special edition MC commute coming
00:05 to you live from the Arizona desert. Today we're gonna be riding Indian
00:10 Motorcycles 2022 Super Chief. So let's throw the helmet on and go for a cruise.
00:16 Alright folks here we are at the official North America press
00:21 introduction of Indian Motorcycles 2022 Chief heavyweight cruiser lineup. Now the
00:32 Indian Motorcycle Chief lineup consists of three motorcycles. The Chief, the Chief
00:40 Bobber and the Super Chief which we are riding right now and will be reviewing.
00:47 Indian also has up spec model versions of each three model with the Chief
00:57 Dark Horse, the Bobber Dark Horse and the Super Chief Limited. So six options in
01:06 total from Indian Motorcycles. This particular unit is the 2022 base model
01:16 Super Chief. So this vehicle is equipped with the 1811 CC or 111 cubic inch air
01:27 cooled v-twin engine. This motorcycle engine uses a 49 degree v-angle so it's
01:38 a little bit wider than the bar and shields brands but still relatively
01:44 compact in terms of v-angle compared to other major motorcycle manufacturers
01:51 that that make their vehicles with v-twin engines. This Super Chief model
01:58 rings in at $19,800. $19,800 for this vehicle and that is a $1,300
02:13 upcharge versus the standard model and that's because it has this white paint.
02:20 So this white paint is $1,300 upcharge so $1,900 for this vehicle. One cool factoid
02:30 about Indian Motorcycles is that they are manufactured in Spirit Lake, Iowa.
02:38 And they come with a two-year unlimited mileage warranty.
02:47 We're just topping off the capacity of this four gallon fuel tank so the steel
02:53 fuel tank holds four gallons. We've been averaging right around 40 miles per
02:59 gallon right around 40, 41, 39 just depends what speed we're going.
03:07 Now the reason why I like this Super Chief vehicle is because it's got a
03:22 windshield and forward controls and floorboards so it's comfortable to
03:28 operate. And away we go guys.
03:34 [Motorcycle engine noise]
03:43 We have spent the last day logging miles on these bikes and this Super Chief, I'm
03:56 naturally gravitating toward this Super Chief. Obviously this big removable
04:01 windshield and the floorboards and forward mount controls that is my jam.
04:07 The bikes that don't have that are less comfortable and when you're logging
04:12 serious miles I like to have a fair degree of comfort on my motorcycle and
04:19 this Super Chief delivers just that.
04:29 And away we go guys. Cable actuated clutch on this vehicle. It augments the
04:39 six-speed transmission. This motorcycle uses a belt final drive that is
04:49 positioned on the right side of the motorcycle. So the Indian Scout motorcycle
04:55 uses a left-hand side final drive. This is a right-hand side. An Indian motorcycle
05:01 uses a right-hand final drive on this motorcycle to help balance the
05:09 reciprocating mass of that sprocket and the the clutch which is on the left-hand
05:18 side of the engine. Indian says that it's a subtle tweak that helps make the bike
05:26 have better balance in terms of handling. And handling is really one of the
05:35 Super Chief's strong points. For a 749 pound bike, this bike is very heavy, but
05:42 for a 749 pound bike it is very nimble and easy to change directions on.
05:51 What's up doggy? Hi doggy! Doggy likes it.
06:04 So agility and easy low-speed handling manners is one of the strong points of
06:19 this 749 pound Super Chief. Very easy to steer, very nimble for a big motorcycle.
06:31 Now this particular 111 cubic inch air-cooled engine, Indian unveiled this
06:43 powertrain when they relaunched the brand for the 2014 model year. So this
06:50 powertrain dates back to 2014. Now this engine is neat because it just puts out
06:59 a ton of torque. Lots of torque, lots of pleasing engine sound, the sound that
07:07 emits from the right-hand side sweat mufflers. It's very pleasing. It's got a
07:12 very nice tone to it when you give her some throttle. These big air-cooled V
07:20 twins, when Indian Motorcycle manufactures these engines, there's a
07:27 lot of character and charisma engineered into this engine. So this engine
07:33 offers quite a bit of vibration. At lower RPMs the vibration is more
07:40 muted, but you get this thing spinning at higher RPM and oh my gosh it
07:45 vibrates. So if you're the kind of rider who really wants that kind of character
07:55 in a powertrain, then you'll like it. But if you're looking for
07:59 something that's just devoid of any buzz, you're gonna want to look at a
08:05 different motorcycle.
08:09 Here we are cruising in top gear at 70 miles per hour and the engine vibration
08:16 at this engine speed, it's nice. Like I can feel it buzzing through the
08:22 controls, but it's not excessive at this engine running speed. The view from the
08:30 rearview mirrors is nice. I can see what's going on behind me very well and
08:36 at this speed this motorcycle does a pretty good job of gliding down the road.
08:44 Just over five inches of suspension travel up front and right around three
08:51 in the back. When you hit big bumps or any broken pavement with
08:58 the rear shocks, you have to be a little bit careful because with
09:02 its limited suspension travel, it will jolt you and you'll certainly feel it in
09:06 your spine. When I know I'm gonna ride over a dip, I like to lift my rear end a
09:12 little bit just so that that jolt from the rear suspension hitting that object
09:16 doesn't cause my spine discomfort. It's worth noting that this vehicle
09:24 does employ a pair of shocks, a pair of coil spring shocks that are preload
09:30 adjustable on either side of the motorcycle. Now this vehicle is designed
09:39 to go up against the Bar and Shield brand's Heritage, which was overhauled
09:46 the Bar and Shield brand gave that vehicle a much-needed overhaul I think
09:51 for the 2017 or 2018 model year. And with that platform, the Softail platform, they
10:00 only use one shock absorber that sits underneath the rider's seat. So folks that
10:07 want the experience of the outgoing Bar and Shield Dyna platform might like
10:15 this platform because it does employ the dual coil spring shock absorbers. It
10:23 generally works well, especially when you're cruising at freeway speeds, but
10:27 like I said, when you hit broken pavement or big bumps with the rear suspension,
10:33 you definitely will feel a jolt through the back of the bike. And realistically
10:40 it would be nice if the bike had more suspension travel at the rear.
10:46 Hear that 111 scream, or more like roar I should say. Definitely has a good amount
10:58 of torque, it definitely has a pleasing sound and exhaust. Note throttle response.
11:06 This Super Chief employs a ride-by-wire throttle system. So when you twist the
11:15 throttle, the computer sends a message to the throttle bodies to open them and that
11:22 is how the motorcycle accelerates forward. Now Indian has done a good job
11:30 of calibrating the throttle response on this motorcycle. I do like the throttle
11:35 response. I do value the ability to switch the throttle modes. So using this
11:44 switch gear here, this finger trigger, you can adjust the power mode, throttle mode.
11:52 So we were riding in standard, we have tour, and we have sport. I like sport the
11:58 best because it gives the engine a little bit more bark
12:03 when you twist the throttle. Now the throttle, it has good response but
12:11 for whatever reason there is a dead zone with this throttle. You have to twist it
12:16 a little bit for it to go into its operating window. It's kind of strange.
12:22 Another knock I have is it just feels a little flimsy. Like when you touch it,
12:27 it feels flimsy and there's no weight behind it. It's just it's almost too easy
12:33 to twist and it feels a little flimsy when you, as you can see, like moving it
12:37 back and forth. But I do like the ability to disengage cruise control by rolling
12:45 the throttle forward. So this motorcycle comes with ride by wire enabled
12:51 cruise control which is extremely accurate and when you want to cancel it
12:55 all you have to do is either touch on the brakes, pull on the clutch, or reverse
13:00 the throttle. So that is a nice touch.
13:06 This Super Chief uses this mixed analog digital instrument display. The display
13:19 works good. It has a good amount of features but really what you want is
13:26 Indian's ride command fully digital round face instrument display. Now to get
13:36 that piece of electronics you have to go up into the Super Chief Limited which is
13:42 another $1,200 more expensive than this vehicle in its white colorway. And to me
13:51 it's a shame that Indian doesn't use its ride command on every single one of its
13:59 motorcycles because if there's one thing that Indian motorcycle does really well
14:04 it's ride command. And the ride command on the up spec version of this motorcycle
14:11 is just awesome. It's got a ton of features. It's got nice clean fonts that
14:18 are legible. You can read it in direct sunlight. You can use the instrument
14:23 panel with gloves while you're riding. It also has switch gear on the left
14:31 handlebar that you can manipulate the menu system with too. But to be fair the
14:37 switch gear it lacks a degree of tactility. So when you're using that menu
14:43 and operating through the menu system it's easy to fumble what menu and
14:49 position you're in because the buttons don't have good feel. They just kind of
14:52 feel cheap and flimsy. But besides that gripe, Indian's ride command is a serious
15:02 piece of hardware. I also like that it has GPS. It has a moving map GPS function
15:11 built into it which just makes navigating just so easy and so
15:18 aesthetically pleasing. So good job to Indian on that. Their ride
15:26 command system... jeez that was a big bump that hurt. Their ride command system also
15:33 has a ride metrics function that tracks your journey, tells you how far you've
15:40 gone, how much elevation you have climbed, and it's just really neat. You know I wish
15:46 Indian would just ditch this setup and just use ride command on everything. But
15:52 that said, ride command is so good I would absolutely spring the additional $1,200
16:00 for the base Super Chief Limited to have just the ride command. Of course with
16:08 that upgrade also comes the larger displacement 116 cubic inch engine, but
16:17 the real awesome thing is the ride command.
16:22 This Super Chief rolls on a pair of 16-inch wheels shod with Pirelli
16:34 Night Dragon cruiser rubber. Now all Indian motorcycles going forward from
16:41 this year are going to be fitted with Pirelli tires. They're no longer partnering
16:48 with Dunlop and they're going a different direction. I'm a big fan of
16:54 Dunlop and Pirelli and Michelin and all the tires, but it's nice to see a good
16:59 high-quality Italian rubber coming on these vehicles.
17:06 LED lighting helps the Indian motorcycle rider stand out on the road. As you can
17:17 see from this gentleman in front of me, LED taillights are very nice. LED
17:25 headlamp looks neat too. We did not get a chance to operate this vehicle after
17:32 dark, so we can't comment on how functional the lighting hardware is on
17:39 this motorcycle, but if it's an LED setup it's probably gonna be pretty good.
17:48 Brakes. This motorcycle rolls on a pair of hydraulic disc brakes. One disc brake
17:56 up front, one disc brake out back. 300 millimeter diameter rotors. It also has
18:06 ABS so you don't have to worry about using the brake lever or pedal too
18:14 aggressively because the bike will never lock up the wheels because of the ABS.
18:19 The calibration of the ABS is definitely more rudimentary feeling than most
18:27 conventional standard 2021 motorcycles that have ABS, but realistically this
18:35 bike isn't about hauling butt at sport performance. These heavyweight cruisers
18:42 are designed to cruise, and for that purpose the calibration is just fine. But
18:53 if you are operating this motorcycle in more of a sport manner, you might be a
18:59 little bit disappointed by the ABS calibration.
19:04 Speaking of riding this vehicle in a sport-like manner, ground clearance. Now
19:11 I'm not gonna lie, with how nimble this motorcycle is, this thing is pretty fun
19:18 to hustle from side to side on a twisty road. Problem is the cornering clearance
19:28 is very limited. It doesn't take very much to start grinding hard parts on
19:35 this motorcycle, which limits the fun somewhat. I don't know why these cruisers
19:43 can't have added ground clearance. They should have added ground clearance. The
19:50 clutch mechanism should offer a little bit more feel and easier lever pull. Now
19:58 the lever pull isn't like an old-school cruiser from the 90s, but it still
20:05 requires a couple finger tug on the lever to get it to to be depressed. So a
20:14 little bit lighter clutch lever pull and a little bit more clutch engagement feel
20:23 would be welcome. Seat and creature comforts. I like how low the seat height
20:33 is on this motorcycle. If you are a height challenged motorcycle rider,
20:38 you're gonna like how easy it is to place both feet on the pavement. Yes, this
20:45 motorcycle is a tad wide. Yes, it's heavy, but it's easy to stand flat-footed. I'm
20:54 sorry, sit flat-footed while stopped. The seat has a nice cup effect, so your
21:03 butt literally sits in this cup, which I really like. Now we haven't ridden this
21:11 motorcycle for enough duration to really be able to comment on its comfort factor.
21:17 Initially it feels decently comfortable, but at the same time, the padding
21:24 isn't super deep. So I wonder if you know you did two or three tanks of fuel tanks
21:32 on this motorcycle, how your rear end would feel. But you know for our stop-and-go
21:38 style on and off riding, it is done fairly well. I like this handlebar bend.
21:44 It's nice and wide, has plenty of sweep. This huge windscreen is also absolutely
21:50 awesome. I don't know why anyone would buy a motorcycle without this windscreen.
21:54 It just makes riding way more comfortable. And these floorboards are
22:01 just, they just feel good. I wish there was a heel shifter. So working through
22:10 the six-speed gearbox, you have a conventional toe shifter. There is no
22:15 heel shifting mechanism, which is kind of odd. Realistically, a motorcycle at this
22:22 price point with these floorboards should have a heel shifter, in my opinion.
22:27 This bike should also have heated grips. There are no heated grips for $19,800.
22:35 I would like to see heated grips. Sorry guys, I'm breaking the rules here a
22:41 little bit. Don't tell on me. I'm gonna blame it on him. He made me do it.
22:46 Now we spoke about the three throttle response mode adjustments, Tour, Standard,
22:54 and Sport. Through this menu, you can also adjust the cylinder deactivation
23:03 function. So this vehicle has rear cylinder deactivation. So if you're
23:09 riding during the warm summer months, riding in traffic, riding in sturges, and
23:16 you don't want the engine heat to really burn up your legs, you can turn on
23:23 cylinder deactivation, and that eliminates combustion in the rear
23:30 cylinder at idle, and that helps create a more comfortable cabin when you are
23:37 idling in warmer weather. Conversely, because it's been so cold during our ride,
23:46 I actually disabled cylinder deactivation. So at idle, both jugs are
23:54 firing, and that creates a lot more cockpit heat, which helps keep you a
24:01 little bit warmer when the mercury drops and you're riding in slow speed stop
24:09 light to stop light. Well folks, here we are entering Sedona, Arizona, and that's
24:17 what is so cool about these heavyweight cruiser style motorcycles. They are nice
24:24 for just cruising and checking out the sights and sounds of Mother Nature. Low
24:34 stress, easy engine hum, reasonably nice ride on smooth pavement, and that's where
24:45 bikes like this 2022 Indian Motorcycle Super Chief are in their element. Well
24:55 folks, that was a fun afternoon logging miles on Indian Motorcycles 2022 Super
25:03 Chief. Now we forgot to talk about this motorcycle's aesthetics. Now Indian
25:14 Motorcycle recently hired a very famous industrial designer. They lured him away
25:24 from a certain Bavarian motorcycle manufacturer. His name is Ole Stengard.
25:31 I'm probably butchering that. He is the craftsman behind the frame and the lines
25:39 of this Super Chief, and I gotta give it to him. This guy has an eye for
25:48 aesthetics. This motorcycle looks awesome. I love the the way the the frame curves
25:57 down. I love the way the pair both dual shocks are at this nice slant angle that
26:06 111 cubic inch engine is just on display in pure glory. This is an aesthetically
26:17 pleasing cruiser motorcycle. Now would I spend $19,800 on this Super Chief? I
26:32 personally would not. These heavyweight cruisers are just simply too limited in
26:40 their versatility. These are one-trick pony bikes. I need a motorcycle that
26:47 offers more versatility than what a heavyweight cruiser can offer. But if I
26:54 was the kind of rider looking for a heavyweight cruiser with good style, good
27:03 performance within the American V-twin space, I would consider looking at this
27:11 motorcycle. It looks cool. It sounds cool. The engine has a ton of torque. Having
27:18 these side bags and the windscreen make the motorcycle a little bit more
27:24 versatile than a conventional cruiser without these components. And I just
27:30 plain like the way this bike looks. Surf on over to MotorcyclistOnline.com.
27:38 That is where all of our content is published. Give this video a thumbs up if
27:45 you liked it. Please thumbs it down if you didn't. And we'll see you guys next
27:49 time. Thank you for watching this content today.
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