Text & Photos: Sunil Gupta
Polaris India, the owners of the iconic motorcycling brand, Indian, today launched the entire range of Indian Chief motorcycles in India, consisting of Indian Chief Classic, Indian Chief Vintage, & the Indian Chieftain. The bikes are priced at 26.5 Lacs INR, 29.5 Lacs INR, and 33 Lacs INR ex-showroom New Delhi.

Initially, the Indian Motorcycles will be based through their soon-to-be-opened Delhi showroom (Gurgaon, to be precise) which will be followed by Bangalore one. The bikes will be imported as CBU (completely build units) and the deliveries for the Indian Chief trio will begin in March.


Indian Chief Classic

Indian Chief Classic technical specs sheet


Indian Chief Vintage

Indian Chief Vintage technical specs sheet


Indian Chieftain

Indian Chieftain technical specs sheet


All three of these bikes are powered by the 1811 cc Thunder Stroke 111 engine where "111" denotes the cubic capacity of the engine in inches 111 cubic inches. This engine produces a torque of 139 Nm at 2600 RPM.

The other specifications for the engine are as follows

Architecture: 49-degree V-twin, air-cooled with integrated oil cooler, left-side air intake, down firing exhaust system, parallel pushrod tubes
Crankcase: Unit design featuring a high capacity semi-dry sump oil system, oversized oil radiator
Timing System: 3 camshafts, pushrods, 2 valves per cylinder acting through maintenance-free hydraulic valve lifters, forged crankshaft
Fuel System: Electronic sequential port fuel injection and Electronic Throttle Control (ETC)
Compression Ratio: 9.5: 1
Transmission: 6-speed overdrive, constant mesh, helical gearbox
Clutch: Low-effort, multi-plate wet clutch, aluminum basket, integral torsional damper

Polaris is planning to promote these Indian Motorcycles as the "most iconic brand in Indian motorcycling" and since these bikes belong to a very niche segment, they are planning to sell around 20-30 motorcycles in the first year, which is roughly 10% of the total market share of motorcycles in that segment.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Pankaj Dubey, Managing Director, Polaris India Pvt. Ltd, said, “This launch holds great importance for us. We launched the marquee bikes in the US early last year and were appreciated immensely for reviving history. The Chief line enthralled the bikers and created an aura for itself within few days of the launch. Reviving the legend with a new heart but its same soul, Polaris India has ended the long wait for Indian Motorcycle enthusiasts with this launch. We are now giving enthusiasts a chance to own a piece of history in a modern package.”


All three of Indian bikes will have features such as ABS, keyless start, & fly-by-wire cruise control as standard features.

While the Chief Classic & Chief Vintage will maintain the classic legacy of Indian Motorcycles, the Chieftain will carry a lot of new-age gizmoidary for the bikers who like a bit of new-age tech on their bikes. The Chieftain will have features like power windshield, remote locking hard saddlebags, tyre pressure monitoring, 100 watt output stereo with bluetooth connectivity, and smartphone compatible input.

The Vintage will have the quick-release windshield and the quick-release leather saddlebags. To maintain the legacy & the quality of the work on Indian Vintage, the leathers for the seats & the saddlebags will come from the same supplier who supplied it in 1940s Indian motorcycles.




























Mr. Pankaj 'Rockstar' Dubey jamming with Euphoria group


Indian Chief Vintage instrument panel




Indian Chief Vintage/Classic Headlight assembly


Indian Chieftain instrument console


Indian Motorcycles Monogram


The website for the Indian Motorcycles - www.indianmotorcycle.com/en-in