Quick Spin: Indian Sport Chief

Forgetting that Indian’s first bikes were famous for their sporting achievements prior to the First World War, Mossy gets surprised by a cruiser that has lots to offer.

WORDS: Chris Moss PHOTOS: Indian Motorcycle

The new Sport model is the fourth alternative in the Chief line-up, and as its name indicates, it’s the sportiest of the lot and labelled as a performance cruiser. Some might think that description is a contradiction in terms, but as I was to learn, the Sport Chief can be ridden quickly.

Featuring new USD forks, twin front brake discs, higher bars and longer twin FOX shocks, the improved components in the words of Indian, make the new bike ‘beg for more aggressive riding’.

That’s not what I felt when I first swung my leg over it, and the idea of fast riding couldn’t have been much further from my mind. The combination of a super-low seat, very high bars, and such forwardly-mounted footrests made me think I’d struggle to manage the cruiser with any level of proficiency, never mind ride it hard and enjoy it. Its weight didn’t boost my confidence much either, which I’m sure you can imagine at 311 kilos fully fuelled and ready to ride, didn’t inspire in the slightest.

Luckily, I soon discovered a key virtue that counters any negative thoughts – the performance of the Indian’s big, and very beefy engine. From the very moment I opened the throttle more seriously for the very first time, the huge thrust of the massive 1890cc, air-cooled, 49° V-twin motor began to seduce me and make life feel far rosier. This day, it seemed, wasn’t going to be such a bad one after all.

But it’s not just the unstoppable feel of the acceleration the engine delivers that wins you over, it’s also the sheer ease with which it generates more speed. The normally significant issues like revs and gear choice matter not. If you want to go faster, all you need to do is whack open the throttle. The resultant truck-like drive is so strong, it gives the impression it’s probably doing damage to the road. It certainly made me feel sympathetic to the Indian’s undoubtedly strained drive train and rear tyre. But that pity didn’t last long as I became too absorbed by the thrill of the momentous acceleration to care.

Just as remarkable as the engine’s big dimensions and performance though, are its excellent manners. Even though whopping great pistons rise and fall within its cavernous cylinder bores, there’s virtually none of the snatch or quirkiness at very low rpm you’d normally expect of a motor of this configuration and capacity. In town you can let the revs run down to just over tickover and then just get back on the gas to raise your pace without having to reach for the clutch lever to maintain fluid, glitch-free running. It’s not something I anticipated at all, and instead of the harsher nature I anticipated the Indian to have at super-slow pace, it’s surprisingly refined.

When it comes to rounding corners keenly, the Sport Chief is restricted by a lack of ground clearance (like many other cruisers on the market). Those forward-mounted footrests begin to scrape along the road all too soon if you want to make spirited progress along tighter, twistier roads. Changing my lines very much helped with the ground clearance limitations. I learnt to spend less time in corners by effectively squaring them off more by braking deeper into them, not leaning over as far, and then lifting the Sport Chief upright quicker on the exit. This let me take greater advantage of the bike’s biggest asset, its mighty engine, allowing more flowing and unhindered progress – not to mention making life a hell of a lot more fun.

Do things that way, and the big V-twin’s torque and flexibility can’t fail to win you over. Though the gearbox can’t really be described as slick, as you only need to use it rarely, its slower and more agricultural action matters far less. Along the idyllic mountain roads, for the majority of the time I only used fifth and sixth gears, thanks to the motor’s staggering pulling power.

Now unfettered by the initial constraints of the day, I began to appreciate the Sport Chief’s excellent chassis. The hi-spec front brakes stand out, and though the speed and weight of the bike ask a lot of them, the combination of the twin Brembo monoblocs and 320mm discs always deliver, hauling the Indian up quickly and securely in drama-free fashion without having to pull the lever too hard. Just as noteworthy is the performance of the forks which assist the braking control even more thanks to the support they provide. The new inverted units aren’t adjustable, but the springing and damping rates are set so well that’s not important. Cruisers aren’t generally noted for having good suspension, but the set up on this one can’t draw any significant criticism. Each end of the bike rides road imperfections well enough to allow its Pirelli Night Dragon tyres to stay mated to surface quite well. In the end I was quite taken aback by how hard and confidently the Indian could be pushed into and around corners. In time, I even thought the Sport Chief felt quite agile. There’s absolutely no denying it’s a very heavy bike, but its balance is such that much of that feels left behind when you’re on the move.

Of course, the Indian isn’t just about riding, and if fans of the cruiser are being honest, just being seen on it is as important. In that respect the Sport Chief is also a winner and boasts a very striking style. Solidly built and handsomely crafted, the Chief turns many heads including those of plenty of non-bikers. It has a real presence anywhere it goes and its sleek, low-rider silhouette instantly grabs attention.

As with a lot of good times, they all end too soon, and just when it seemed I’d learned how to get the very best from the Indian, it was time to get off and give it back. This particular test had brought very contrasting views from me, the biggest surprise being just how much I’d ended up changing my mind during the course of the ride. At the finish, I might have been just as disappointed as I was at the start, but the sadness came from having to get off the Indian, not on it! More than anything, it underlined the necessity of being patient. The fact is, the new Indian Sport Scout is an endearing machine, but it’s essential to give it enough time to fully realise that.