Indian Motorcycle has released details about the 2023 Indian Sport Chief, which the company says is the most powerful version of the legendary Chief.
From a visual point of view, the new quadruple crank sets the Sport Chief apart, combining a new motorcycle-style bar with a machined triple clamp and a 6-inch lift bar. Indian says the new bar, a center-mounted foot controller and a solo gunner’s seat give the rider a “command yet comfortable” riding position.
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Sport Chief’s suspension and brakes are greatly upgraded compared to previous Chief versions. Indian bolts to the front end as used on the Challenger bagger, including 43 mm KYB upside-down fork and 4-piston Brembo brake calipers biting the 320 mm rotors, replacing the inefficient single-disc setup. Chief’s fruit.
The Indians must have listened when we said that the Chief 2022’s chassis was so solid and stable that it made us wish for more than 28.5 degrees of inclination and 3 inches of rear travel, because FOX piggybacks on it. new shock absorbers on impact one inch and tilt angle 1 degree.
Ola Stenegärd, Indian Motorcycle’s director of industrial design, told Sport Chief, the company wanted to maintain “a carefree and muscular American attitude but elevate it further with components that not only give style and an attitude that exudes performance but raises the bar entirely for performance cruisers.”
Sport Chief has cast wheels (19 inches front, 16 inches rear) wrapped in Pirelli Night Dragon tyres, 4-gallon fuel tank, undulating rear fender, dual exhaust pipes, LED lights, keyless entry and three selectable driving modes: Sport, Standard and Tour.
The new Sport Chief will boast the same black-painted Thunderstroke 116 engine as the Dark Horse versions of the Chief, Chief Bobber and Super Chief Limited, producing the claimed 120 lb-ft of torque. When we tested the Chief’s various iterations in May 2021, the Thunderstroke 111 on the standard models provided ample power, but the 116 on the Dark Horses left you even more satisfied.
As with the Dark Horse models, the Sport Chief offers a customizable 4-inch touchscreen powered by Ride Command that can also be accessed via the controls on the handlebars. Riders can cycle through multiple interfaces, including two different gauge profiles, bike and trip information, and turn-by-turn navigation with optional connected features like weather overlays and traffic. The driver can also link to a smartphone via Bluetooth or USB to access music and phone information, and incoming calls will appear and can be accepted or rejected directly through Ride Command system.
The Sport Chief comes in Black Smoke, Ruby Smoke, Stealth Gray and Spirit Blue Smoke colors starting at $18,999. We’ll be driving it away soon, so stay tuned for its road test report.
Visit indian website for more information.
