Indian Sport Chief Goes Custom with New RT Model

Outright performance might not be what everyone thinks when Indian Motorcycle comes to mind, or even what they desire from the brand, but the Sport Chief was a step in that direction for the legendary Chief model when it launched a few years ago. A new RT variant now injects custom elements more commonly associated with a brand famed for its style over its specs.

What this means in practice is that the new Sport Chief RT packs the bike full with new aesthetic pieces, including a set of new all-weather saddlebags offering 37 litres of storage together, a two-up high-bolster seat, 152mm machined risers complete with what Indian calls “moto-style handlebars", a machined triple clamp, forward controls allowing for a more relaxed seating position, a quarter-fairing, and a 165mm screen.

The new Sport Chief RT keeps the Thunderstroke 116 engine as its power source, pumping out a healthy 115lb-ft of air-cooled peak torque. Of course, the way in which that torque is delivered can be adjusted via selecting different riding modes: Sport, Standard, and Tour are available to flick between on the fly.

Being a big American cruiser, and being the more stylish variant of a sportier version of a big American cruiser, you could expect everything to fall apart into wallowy vagueness as soon as we stray from the engine, but with 23-click Fox shocks and an inverted KYB fork the Sport Chief RT should stack up in the corners, too.

Plus, it’s four-piston Brembo callipers on dual 320mm front discs that will be getting you stopped for those corners, and the bike is connected to the floor (assuming all is going well) by Metzeler Cruisetec tyres.

Aaron Jax, vice president for Indian Motorcycle, said: “When we launched Sport Chief, we raised the bar for performance cruisers.

“After observing the aftermarket landscape, our product team saw an opportunity to design a motorcycle that came standard with high-quality, factory components that were traditionally aftermarket add-ons.

“With Sport Chief RT, we’re adding custom-inspired componentry to create the ultimate package for riders looking to enhance style and add storage.”

The new Indian Sport Chief RT is available in the UK with prices starting at £21,495.

Indian Super Chief Dark Horse

In addition to the Sport Chief RT, Indian has announced the new, special edition Super Chief Dark Horse.

“Featuring blacked-out, fender-to-fender styling, with premium gloss paint, the Super Chief Dark Horse delivers even more attitude,” Indian says.

Keeping the same Thunderstroke 116 motor as the regular Super Chief, the Dark Horse variant is the fourth Indian Chief variant available in Europe presently, with UK pricing starting at £22,295.

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