If it is a cruiser, it has to be a V-twin. That’s just the way it has been, and will be. Even the parallel-twin pretenders ape the firing order of a narrow-angle V-twin, proving that the layout suits the cruiser segment the best. This is why American brands stick to the original format. And being premium brands, they don’t have to worry about costs as much as others, and can afford to remain authentic. However, this ‘premium’ badge can – and does – often work against them, because they are always chasing bigger, better numbers that appear more impressive on the spec sheet.
American V-Twins Are Usually Inclined Towards The Past Rather Than The Future
Buell Motorcycle
Those ever-larger numbers are usually displacement and torque. These matter most to traditional cruiser riders who prefer the V-twin, though there are V-twin motorcycles that can deliver inline-four performance. Some have opted for a different route: high-revving engines, chassis that use the engine as a stressed member, and a power cruiser vibe. Either path alienates a segment of potential buyers, either the fans of traditional cruisers or the critics. There must exist a balance somewhere, but it isn’t easily evident from the products currently in the market since the choices to be made make the products fall into one category or the other.
The Balance Can Be Achieved In Multiple Ways, Some Better Than Others
Milwaukee-Eight 121 VVT engine in a 2026 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide LimitedHarley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson approaches this balance between traditional and modern in some of its products by offering oil- or water-cooling for the cylinder heads of the Milwaukee-Eight engine, and variable valve timing as well in some models. These are sometimes paired with modern suspension and brakes. It works, but the brand also reserves a lot of the best tech for its tourer range, leaving a gap between the cruiser and tourer ranges.
Indian Is Onto Something Real And Timeless
2024 Indian Springfield fuel tank close-up detailIndian Motorcycle
Indian Motorcycle chooses to approach this balance from different directions. Its small-displacement cruiser, the Scout, has a liquid-cooled engine that will please newcomers to the brand, but it sticks to twin rear shocks and a cradle frame so that the barrier to customization is low. Graduate to the bigger cruiser range, and you find yourself with the quintessential large-displacement, air-cooled V-twin, but it still manages to bridge the gap with some intelligent use of technology. And here is where we’ll find the V-twin cruiser that quietly becomes its owner’s forever bike.
The Indian Super Chief Quietly Becomes Its Owner’s Forever Bike
Rider next to a black 2026 Indian Super Chief LimitedIndian Motorcycle
Indian is frequently known as the ‘other’ American legacy motorcycle brand, but despite it not having the same level of sales success as Harley-Davidson, it has some incredibly good products to offer. The Chief range is a great example, having quietly survived the years while being mostly overlooked. Among these, the Super Chief is one of the better products in the range.
This is the light touring version of the Chief cruiser, and it is equipped as standard with things like a quick-release windscreen, genuine leather saddlebags, and a pillion seat and footpegs. It is also equipped with Indian’s largest-ever air-cooled engine, which means it is serious about hitting the highway. It has an unbeatable mix of retro features and charm with modern electronics supervising everything, which is why it is the V-twin cruiser that quietly becomes its owner’s forever bike.
This Is Good Value, Even If It Doesn’t Appear Like It At First
A rider standing besides a parked 2026 Indian Super Chief cinematic close-up shotIndian Motorcycle
Indian has two variants of the Super Chief: the Limited and Dark Horse. These are cosmetic variants and have the same mechanical and electronic features on them, and they are more capable than their looks suggest. They are both priced at $21,999, which seems a little expensive when you realize that the base price of the competing Harley is $2,000 cheaper. However, if you spec the Heritage Classic up to the looks of the Super Chief, you will easily end up spending a few thousand dollars more than the Indian, which is why the Super Chief ends up being quite good value.
The Thunderstroke Powerhouse Is A Combination Of Old And New
2026 Indian Super Chief Limited Thunderstroke 116 engine close-up detailIndian Motorcycle
The Super Chief is powered by the Thunderstroke 116 V-twin, an engine that is known to hit 100,000 miles regularly. This is a 49-degree old-school V-twin that displaces 1,811 cc, has a long-stroke design and a compression ratio of 11.0:1. It has an SOHC head and two valves per cylinder, and it produces 120 pound-feet at a really low 2,900 RPM. This is fed through a six-speed gearbox with an assist and slipper clutch and a belt drive to the wheel. This might be a throwback pushrod engine, but it has its fair share of modernity that makes it suited to a modern cruiser.
Old School Chassis Complements The Engine Well
A lady rider cozily accelerating the 2026 Indian Super Chief Dark Horse along a beautiful mountain highway, front third quarter accelerating viewIndian Motorcycle
Indian has equipped the Super Chief with the same type of chassis it has across its cruiser range, and this helps it balance comfort and character perfectly. This is a dual downtube double-cradle frame, and with the saddlebags in position, it hides the dual rear shocks to appear like a hardtail. 46 mm telescopic forks with 5.2 inches of travel do duty in the front, while preload-adjustable twin rear shocks with 3 inches of travel are present at the back.
Riders cruising the 2026 Indian Super Chief on the highway rear third quarter accelerating viewIndian Motorcycle
The brakes are similarly throwback: there is a single 300 mm semi-floating disc at the front with a four-piston fixed caliper, while an identical disc at the rear is mated to a two-piston floating caliper. The Super Chief uses wire spoke wheel rims with a 16-inch diameter. Unlike the competition, this setup needs tubes, which is a negative.
This Is A Large, Comfy Cruiser
The Super Chief is a full-size cruiser at 90 inches long, 42.5 inches wide, and with a wheelbase of 64 inches. The twin rear shocks manage to give it an extremely low 26.2-inch seat height, but it has a relatively low ground clearance of 4.9 inches. Lastly, the fuel tank can hold 4 gallons, and it weighs 739 pounds in running order, making it one of the heaviest cruisers around.
The Feature Set Has Some Good And Some Bad
Indian Super Chief Limited touchscreen close-up detailIndian Motorcycle
The Super Chief looks retro, and it adheres to Indian’s mantra of offering luxury that is more thoughtful than flashy. It has some truly modern features, beginning with the circular 4-inch TFT display with the Ride Command+ system. Among the other standard features are a 12V charging socket, keyless ignition, all-LED lighting, a touring seat with pillion accommodation, and leather saddlebags with over 9 gallons of storage.
When it comes to electronics, you get a by-wire throttle with three ride modes and dual-channel ABS. There is an assist and slipper clutch, too. The engine also sports rear cylinder deactivation, which works while it is idling and in neutral. This should help reduce heat to the rider and keep temperatures of the rear cylinder in control.
Some Improvements Would Make It A Much Better Product
Indian Super Chief Front wheel and brakeIndian
There are some bad points, despite all that we like about the Super Chief: the spoke rims mean tire tubes are a necessity, but a center stand isn’t available even as an option. That means a simple flat on the highway will lead to an unnecessary amount of effort by today’s standards. The rear suspension travel simply isn’t enough for a bike that is positioned as a touring machine; it needs a better front brake (kudos to Indian for that fixed front caliper) for its weight.
There is limited cornering clearance (a 28.5-degree maximum lean angle), and on a hot day in traffic, the Thunderstroke engine can still make the rider uncomfortably hot despite the cylinder deactivation. Oh, and there is either a black or red colorway, and you can have a blacked-out engine and exhaust, or a chromed one. The competition has a much larger assortment of liveries.
There Is Only One Real Competitor To The Super Chief
Rider cruising on the open road on a 2026 Harley-Davidson Heritage ClassicHarley-Davidson
There is only a single true competitor to the Super Chief, and it comes from an obvious place: Harley-Davidson. The Heritage Classic occupies the exact same space as the Indian and feels like a lifetime motorcycle itself, but it has its own set of quirks. Milwaukee has chosen to give it analog/LCD, so it appears decidedly retro and low-rent. That impression is doubled down on when you see the sub-$20,000 base price gives you a flat gray colorway with alloy wheels.
Putting a two-tone paint job on, the cross-spoke rims, and a pillion seat on take the price significantly higher than the Indian. And it has even less cornering clearance than the Super Chief. But the Harley offers a six-axis IMU with cornering ABS, traction control, and drag-torque reduction; the cylinder heads are oil-cooled, and that underseat rear monoshock can be upgraded to an Öhlins unit for much better long-term comfort.
Source: Indian Motorcycle
