How far can you make a sports Indian president? This isn’t exactly the starting point with which the designers at the American brand got down to business, but it quickly became apparent that it was more than just a visual exercise. In fact, the Indian showed the balls to his body by taking us on technical roads where you have to be serious even with a light, naked bike.
Motor.nl: So no typical cruiser introduction with rolling roads and letting the engine do all the work?
Jigs Gillis: “No, on the contrary. Near Girona, the Indian team has chosen the most challenging route where you feel, so to speak, sick because it is so tortuous. And we love it. Even at 311 kg heavy Indian sport chief. Throw, throw, look for limits And scraping the footrests. It’s sweet lust. Annoying after three times and unfortunately unavoidable due to the low seating position, but it’s part of it.”
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Motor.nl: So you’re also upset and nauseous. Is it okay for the rest?
Gillis: “Are you going to ask important questions or edit me? (Laughs) No, the Sport Chief is a nice addition to the four-member Chief lineup, which includes the standard Chief, Bobber, and Super Chief. In addition to the visual changes with the head fairing and “fighter” saddle, They also worked on the performance oriented twin Brembo discs up front, Fox piggyback suspension in the rear and KYB up front.”
Fits best m…
Gillis: “I’m not done yet. The point is that there’s 100mm of travel in the rear. Not only is your back very happy with this, because there’s a lot more suspension comfort, but the ride characteristics are also improved. You now have suspension travel – and therefore reservation – to dive harder In a corner. Because of the higher rear, you’re also more aggressive on the handlebars in the front. More on the attack. The sitting position is very comfortable and easy to maintain through a full day.”
Has anything been mechanically modified?
Gillis: “No, the Thunderstroke’s 1,890 cc air-cooled V2 is still ridiculously good (162 Nm!) and as supple as leather on a seat. It’s a very big, very heavy and very present block of metal, but what a party. Although it You can shift fine with it, except you rarely do. Third gear is your best friend whether you need to take a hairpin or a quick S-section. It also explodes nicely with gas.”
Doesn’t look like an athlete…
Gillis: “You can come to this conclusion … if you have never driven him to it. However, we are pleasantly surprised by the sporting abilities of the Sport Chief. In particular, the brakes (thank you Brembo), stability (thank you wheelbase Long) and ease of turning (thank you to the low center of gravity) make it a machine that not only looks great, but is also sporty from the get-go. The corner can come. The question is: Who else will?”
