FEATURE - 2021 Indian Chieftain Elite
Words: Mike Ryan
Photos: Indian Motorcycle
Following success with past ‘Elite’ limited-edition premium offerings, Indian Motorcycle continued the trend with the launch of the 2021 Chieftain Elite earlier this year.
Announced in March, the MY21 Chieftain Elite was limited to 120 units globally, making it the most exclusive Elite offering to date. The build number reflects Indian’s 120th Anniversary this year, and of that 120-unit total, only a handful were allocated to Australia.
“We designed the Chieftain Elite for riders who want to turn heads and stand out without sacrificing performance or comfort,” said Reid Wilson, Vice President of Indian Motorcycle.
"The bike’s attention to detail and world-class craftsmanship is second-to-none, while its extreme exclusivity makes it something truly special to own and ride.”
Exclusive Style
The MY21 Chieftain Elite is offered in two-tone Thunder Black Vivid Crystal over Carbon Crystal paint - a heavy metalflake finish (Indian call it ‘gunmetal flake’) that’s exclusive to this model and gives the Chieftain Elite a bit more pop and presence than the Chieftain Dark Horse and Chieftain Limited.
The paint is applied by hand and takes more than 24 hours to complete on each bike.
Complementing this is a special Slate Smoke finish on the Thunderstroke 116 v-twin and colour-matched badging on the fuel tank and panniers.
The wheels are an additional point of difference over the Limited and Dark Horse. They’re the same 19-inch front and 16-inch rear size, but of a different design and with precision machined finishes that complement the silver sections of the two-tone paint.
Big Thunder
Powering the Chieftain Elite is the standard ThunderStroke 116 v-twin that delivers 171Nm at 3,000rpm and is matched to a six-speed transmission.
Selectable ride modes include Tour, Standard and Sport, each of which adjusts throttle response, engine power and ABS intervention to suit.
Various Indian Motorcycle accessories can be added to the Thunderstroke, from Stage 1 kits that upgrade power via exhaust, muffler and air intake replacement parts, to a Stage 2 kit that adds performance cams for even more power.
Complementary cosmetic upgrades include a low-profile pillion sissy bar and backrest pad, colour-matched topbox and lower fairing, to name a few.
Standard Features
Paint, badging and wheels aside, the Chieftain Elite is the same as the Chieftain Limited and Dark Horse in most other respects, but defaults towards the Dark Horse in its detail and trim areas, like the finish of the exhaust, switchblocks and mirrors, ie. less chrome and more black.
The Chieftain Elite’s bobbed windshield is the same power adjustable unit fitted to the other Chieftains and the footboards are premium units. Along with these features, the 400-watt PowerBand audio system, Ride Command with a 7.0-inch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay compatibility, Pathfinder LED lighting, ABS, tyre pressure monitoring, cruise control and a remote locking function for the 68-litre panniers are all standard.
The two-up Rogue seat is unchanged from the existing Chieftain range, as is the slammed bagger stance. Suspension consists of a 46mm tele fork front end with 119mm travel, and a monoshock rear with ‘Air Adjust’ adjustability and 114mm travel.
For braking, the Chieftain Elite runs the standard Chieftain’s dual 300mm front discs with four-piston calipers and a 300mm rear disc with a two-piston caliper.
Even though dimensions aren’t listed, the Chieftain Limited/Dark Horse’s seat height of 650mm and wet weight of 373kg is unlikely to be different for the Chieftain Elite, nor is the 20.8-litre fuel tank.
Limited Special
Despite a $49,995 ride away price, initial take-up of the MY21 Chieftain Elite has been strong. Thank (or blame) COVID for that, as money previously spent on cruises and overseas travel is now being put into cars, bikes and other toys.
Check with your Indian Motorcycle dealer to confirm if any of the handful of units allocated for Australia are still available.