Indian Sport Chief specifications
Indian · Cruiser
Motorcycle News says the chassis and performance upgrades over the Cruiser included 43 mm upside-down forks, adjustable Fox shocks, superbike-spec brakes and a neat bikini fairing, and that the new seat, which Indian calls a 2-Up High Bolster seat, is very comfortable.
It also reports that the non-adjustable 43 mm KYB forks and Fox shocks, adjustable for preload and rebound, give a firm ride, enough to fire you out of the seat on bumpy roads, and that the Chief range has only been around a couple of years, so the Sport Chief the publication reviewed in 2023 had no negative owner reviews and no reports of major problems.
Indian Sport Chief
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Model year | 2026 |
| Engine | Air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 |
| Displacement | 1890cc |
| Bore x stroke | 103.2x113 mm |
| Compression ratio | 11.0 : 1 |
| Fuel system | Closed loop fuel injection / 54 mm bore |
| Transmission | 6-speed, gear drive wet clutch primary |
| Front suspension | Inverted Telescopic Fork, 43mm |
| Front suspension travel | 5.1 in |
| Rear suspension | Dual Shocks |
| Rear suspension travel | 4.0 in |
| Front brake | Dual Brembo / 320mm Semi-Floating Rotor / 4 Piston Caliper |
| Rear brake | Single / 298mm Floating Rotor / 2 Piston Caliper |
| Front tire | Metzeler Cruisetec 130/60 B19 61H on Sport Cast Black 19 in x 3.5 in |
| Rear tire | Metzeler Cruisetec 180/65 B16 81H on Sport Cast Black 16 in x 5 in |
| Seat height | 27.0 in |
| Wet weight (running order) | 685 lb |
| Wheelbase | 64.6 in |
| Rake (caster angle) | 28° |
| Trail | 4.4 in |
| Ground clearance | 5.0 in |
| Starting MSRP | $19,999 |
| Class | Cruiser |
| Fuel capacity | 4.0 gal |
| Peak torque | 120 ft-lbs at 2,900 rpm |
| Dry weight | 665 lb |
| Lean angle | 32.0° |
| Standard equipment | ABS, Ride Modes, Keyless Ignition, USB charge port, 12V Charge Port, Rear Cylinder Deactivation |
| Lights | LED Headlight, LED Tail/Brake/Turn Signals |
| Gauge | Speedometer, Tachometer, Odometer, fuel gauge, compass, ambient temperature, Gear indicator |
| Passenger accommodations | Solo Gunfighter Style Seat, 2-Up Accessory Options Available |
| Exhaust | Dual exhaust w/ Collector at Catalyst |
What Motorcycle News found
Indian lists a 5.1 in inverted 43 mm fork, dual rear shocks with 4.0 in of travel, dual Brembo 320 mm semi-floating front rotors with four-piston calipers and a 298 mm rear rotor. The wheelbase is 64.6 in, the rake 28 degrees and the trail 4.4 in, with 5.0 in of ground clearance. The bike weighs 685 lb in running order, has a 27.0 in seat and holds 4.0 gal.
Sport Chief against Harley
At $19,999 the Sport Chief costs $1,000 more than Harley's Low Rider S at $18,999 and $2,600 less than the Fat Boy at $22,599, and $3,000 less than the Breakout at $22,999. It weighs 685 lb, 15 lb more than the Low Rider S's 670 lb and 9 lb less than the Fat Boy's 694 lb. The Indian is the firmer ride, with a large air-cooled engine.
Who the Sport Chief is for
The Sport Chief suits a rider who wants a big air-cooled twin with sporty hardware. Its Brembo four-piston front calipers on 320 mm rotors, the 43 mm inverted fork and the adjustable Fox shocks are the parts Motorcycle News calls superbike-spec. The 120 lb-ft at 2,900 rpm is low-rev torque, so the engine pulls from a walking pace.
The firm ride that the reviewer notes is the price of the sport suspension, so a rider who wants a soft cruiser should compare it with the Chief Bobber or Super Chief.
Numbers against the other Chiefs
Three Chiefs in this comparison show the range. The Chief Bobber costs $17,499 and weighs 694 lb with a 111 cubic inch engine, the Sport Chief costs $19,999 and weighs 685 lb with the 1,890cc Thunderstroke 116, and the Super Chief costs $18,999 and weighs 739 lb. The Sport Chief is the lightest of the three and has the largest engine.
Its 4.0 gal tank is 0.6 gal larger than the Scout Classic's 3.4 gal, and its 5.0 in of ground clearance is more than the Scout's 4.4 in, which helps in corners.
Indian Sport Chief — specification referenceThe Indian Sport Chief is Indian's sport-styled Chief, an air-cooled 1,890cc Thunderstroke 116 V-twin producing 120 lb-ft at 2,900 rpm with a six-speed transmission. It is the sport-styled member of the Chief family and is priced from $19,999.
Motorcycle News says the non-adjustable 43 mm KYB fork and preload-and-rebound-adjustable Fox shocks give a firm ride, enough to fire you out of the seat on bumpy roads.
Motorcycle News says the 2023 Sport Chief it reviewed had no negative owner reviews and no reports of major problems, though the Chief range has only been around a couple of years.