2022 Indian Chieftain Elite Bagger Review Specs Price

To satisfy the pickiest of riders, Indian has designed the 2022 Indian Chieftain Elite Bagger with a sleek new look and factory-inspired personalized touches. There are only 150 Chieftain Elites in existence on the whole planet.

2022 Indian Chieftain Elite Bagger – Features and Specs

Custom-Inspired Style

Premium bronze accents look great against the bright Heavy Metal Smoke color on the Indian Motorcycle Chieftain Elite’s headpiece, saddlebag latches, center console, primary cover, and air box on the tank. The oil-rubbed bronze finishes further enhance the Chieftain Elite’s already impressive good looks on the push rod tubes, horn cover, and cam cover of the engine.

With its streamlined fairing and saddlebags featuring rough edges and crisp lines, the Chieftain Elite has a forceful frontal profile. LED saddlebag lights, an all-new two-up comfort seat, low suspension, precisely machined wheels, and premium blacked-out finishes round out the Chieftain Elite’s striking design.

Unmatched, Air-Cooled Performance

The Chieftain Elite has the Indian Motorcycle’s most powerful air-cooled engine, the Thunder stroke 116, which generates 126 ft-lbs of torque and sets the standard for performance in its class. Rear cylinder deactivation improves rider comfort in heavy traffic, and the bike’s three ride modes—Touring, Standard, and Sport—let riders adjust the throttle responsiveness to their liking.

Premium Amenities & Ride-Enhancing Technology

Among the luxurious extras included on the 2022 Chieftain Elite are an Adaptive Pathfinder LED headlamp, a retractable and tinted flare windshield, capacious aluminum choose floorboards, rear saddlebag LED lighting, backlit switch cubes, and an integrated 400-watt Power Band audio system. The Chieftain Elite is equipped with many of the same amenities as the Indian Challenger Elite, including a seven-inch touchscreen display driven by RIDE COMMAND with Apple Car Play®, GPS with navigation, and RIDE COMMAND+ features including live traffic and weather overlays and vehicle location tool. Standard equipment includes anti-lock brakes, keyless ignition, tire pressure monitoring, and saddlebags that can hold more than 18 gallons and be locked remotely.

Performance and Capability

Thunder stroke 116, the Chieftain Elite’s motor, is a flathead-fantastic motor that stays true to the boat’s classic form. It has the appearance of engines from the early to mid-century yet delivers modern-day performance.

When calculating, what type of numbers are we looking at? In terms of torque, the 2022 Chieftain Elite puts out 126 lb-ft. The peak occurs around 2,900 rpm, relatively early in the rev range, so you can count on manageable power from the moment you step on the throttle.

The bore and stroke mic out at 103.2mm and 113mm, respectively, for a total displacement of 1,890 ccs and an unimpressive 11-to-1 compression ratio. Similar to the valve train of yesteryear, the rocker arms and poppets are actuated by two parallel sets of outer pushrod tubes. Through a 54 mm throttle body, the beast receives metered and atomized gasoline through closed-loop fuel injection.

The ornamental cooling fins on the faux flathead rocker-box covers provide a touch of retro style. The newly polished cooling fins on the jugs and the heads perform heavy lifting when removing heat.

Oil-rubbed bronze is a typical example of a bespoke finish, and it may be seen on the nosecone/cam cover, new pushrod tubes, and intake components. There is substantial blackout coating around the remaining drivetrain components, including the exhaust pipes.

Regarding the electrical components, you get selectable Ride Modes and Rear Cylinder Deactivation as standard. The riding modes adjust power delivery according to the rider’s preferences, allowing the system to fine-tune the performance for everyday situations.

The mill’s output is conveyed via gears and pulleys in the main drive, a wet clutch, a six-speed transmission, and a carbon-reinforced belt and pulley in the final industry. The Chieftain Elite’s final drive ratio allows for a peak speed of 115 mph while in top gear.

Design

India’s flagship bagger, the Chieftain Elite, has several artisanal touches that pay homage to the brand’s roots. The front fender is tapered at the sides and goes to the rear section, terminating with an elegant flourish.

Once again, an illuminated war bonnet fender ornament ushers in a classic tune. Blackout details are most noticeable at first glances, such as the rim, darker fork sliders, and black beer can skirts.

With its LED projectors, the cyclops headlamp can be adjusted to various settings. It even features a daytime running light (DRL) ring for optimal visibility in both directions during the day. Even the blinkers are LED, so if you install a pair of saddlebag lights, you’ll be illuminated from every angle.

The windshield has an adjustable top that may be changed with just a touch of a button. The batwing style fairing affixed to the forks provides virtually the same protection to the rider as the fairing attached to the frame while maintaining a more conventional aesthetic.

The vents in the fairing may be adjusted to control airflow. In addition, a low-turbulence environment is generated on top by releasing the vacuum behind the glass, which is crucial for efficient head-buffet mitigation.

Two analog dials display the vehicle’s speed and tach, and a standard set of LED indicators round out the instrument cluster. RIDE COMMAND’s seven-inch color TFT screen allows for hands-free calling, navigation, and trip planning in addition to using the Apple Car Play app.

The seat is just 25.8 inches from the deck, so even people with short legs won’t be uncomfortable. Minimal onboard comforts there is no backrest or grab rails on a standard motorbike, but there is a Mustang-style pillion cushion and foldable foot pegs. The radio whip only mars the clean back end.

Chassis

The Chieftain Elite has a tubular frame with a double-downtube/double-cradle design and a yoke-style swing arm. We’re talking about a 25-degree rake and a 5.9-inch tail. It creates an excellent mix between cornering behavior and stable tracking in a crosswind or while negotiating the pressure waves in front of huge vehicles.

It’s not apparent if the 31-degree restriction on a lean angle is set by the limitations of tire wear or the point at which the bags start to drag. That’s good for such a giant bicycle, and it’ll undoubtedly spice up your daily commute.

The rolling chassis is finished off elegantly with cast wheels that have machined details. Metzeler Cruisetec wheels with a 130/60-19 on the inside and a 180/60-16 on the outside have white walls.

A pair of 46mm of forks float the front end on 4.7-inch of wheel travel, but their settings are fixed. The rear air-adjust function of the mono-shock contributes to its impressive 4.5 inches of travel. Those are averages that should provide the city with plenty of breathing room.

Two four-bore calipers clamp down on a 300 mm front disc to slow the front wheel, while a 300mm disc and twin-pot anchor hold the rear wheel steady. Although anti-lock brakes (ABS) are standard equipment, they seem to be of the primary sort, without any cornering enhancements or even an off option. Adequate, with more growth possible.

2022 Indian Chieftain Elite Bagger – Price

The 2022 Indian Chieftain Elite may be yours for the low, low price of $32,999. Heavy Metal Smoke with Polished Bronze accents is the only available color for the 2019 model year. Only 150 Chieftain Elites were ever produced, so if you’re in the market for one, you’ll want to utilize the model-finder function on the Indian customer front end to narrow down your options to those nearest to you.

Chieftain Elite vs. Street Glide ST

In terms of look, there is little difference between the two. Common ancestry and the development of designs account for a lot of this.

A Batwing front end and a dead-clean bagger-tastic rear end are showcased by a cut front fender, a fat front end, beer can fork skirts and a lot of blackout paint. Besides its extensive multimedia system and standard ABS, H-D also provides the RDRS package, which comprises lean-sensitive traction control, ABS, drag-torque control, and Vehicle Hold control.

Even if the number of possible paint sets has doubled since the King of Paint added gray on black and black on black, it is what it is. The Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST also benefits from the powerful and robust performance of a Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine, which generates 126 pound-feet of torque.

The H-regular D’s price is $29,999, so you save money there. The RDRS is just a grand, but the Harley may be a better investment if you’re willing to shell out the extra cash.

2022 Indian Chieftain Elite Bagger – Technical Specifications

Engine & Drivetrain

Dimensions

Brakes

Tires / Wheels

Suspension

Features