One of the perks of being a blogger and founder of the largest road trip community in India is the press conferences, parties and events I get to attend. Yesterday was no different, and I was invited to the launch of an iconic motorcycle brand in India, which ironically enough, is named, Indian Motorcycles.
While Indian Motorcycles launched 3 models in India (you can read about them here), it was their top end model, Indian Chieftain which truly bowled me over.
For a person who isn’t a fan of cruisers or for that matter, V-Twins, and has only ever liked one V-Twin Cruiser, Harley Davidson Fat Boy, it was surprising that I got impressed by the Chieftain this easily.
But then again, Indian Chieftain isn’t just another heavy cruiser built for show. It comes with easy to detach hard saddle bags with remote locking, power adjustable windscreen and even a 100w music system to keep you entertained, while chewing miles on a long boring highway in the unending plains of India.
That is not to say it isn’t bling-bling, or isn’t another heavy and loud American cruiser with one leg in past and another in the present. Attempting to represent an Iconic Brand with a modern fuel injected 1,811cc engine being directed by a fly by wire throttle control and an integrated ABS system to bring its 385kg curb mass to a halt.
But I guess herein lies the true lure of the Indian Chieftain and the reason, why I got completely bowled over by it and can justify the extremely pricy Rs. 31.5 lakh (ex-showroom) price tag of the Chieftain in my head. And even though I don’t have the funds to buy one today, but one day…
4 Comments
Isn’t it a bit too big for our highways? And won’t parking for the night be a rather ‘large’ issue? I’m worried enough when I have to park my Bullet with the front wheel chained to a pole outside some remote highway hotel. With a bike like this, I guess I’d have to sleep next to it all night to be sure it’s in one piece next morning!
I guess this will be good for company-organized bike ‘tours’ where everything is planned to the last gasp, all hotel rooms (and parking space) pre-booked before the ride even starts, and with a ‘support vehicle’ in tow. I really don’t see how this can be a practical tourer in India. At least not for my kind of ‘random touring’. (Of course, not that I can ever afford anything close to the price tag of this bike!)
For Delhi – Mumbai and similar highways, it shouldn’t be a major problem.
As far as security at night is concerned, a person spending close to 35lakh isn’t going to stay at a budget place, and good hotels normally have their own parking lot with security, so it is a non-issue.
MAY YOUR DREAM COME TRUE… 🙂
Thanks Pradeep