America might have lost two of its motorcycle brands with the recent closures of both Victory Motorcycles and EBR, but the former’s sister company, Indian, is growing at a rapid pace. New documents show that an additional three models will soon be joining the Indian range.
The Polaris-owned firm has filed emissions certification documents (left) for new models under the ‘Chieftain Elite’, ‘Chieftain Limited’ and ‘Roadmaster Classic’ names. While the documents show the bikes will be powered by the same 1811cc Thunder Stroke V-Twin as Indian’s other large-capacity models, there’s little else to go on regarding their technical details.
However, their names drop some significant clues. The Chieftain Elite and Chieftain Limited are clearly derivatives
of the existing Chieftain bagger while the ‘Elite’ and ‘Limited’ titles both suggest that they’re set to be higher-spec versions, since there’s already a stripped-back ‘Chieftain Dark Horse’ in the range. Exactly how the new models will be set apart from the existing pair of Chieftains remains to be seen. Wire wheels, perhaps?
It’s the same story with the upcoming Roadmaster Classic. The existing Roadmaster is Indian’s full-dress cruiser, and the Classic isn’t likely to stray from that part of the market. The Classic title hints it might be a more retro-styled version, perhaps mixing in elements of the Chief Vintage such as its wire wheels and all-Perspex screen/fairing.
Indian is expected to reveal the bikes by the end of February, so there isn’t long to wait until we find out.
By Ben Purvis
