That didn’t take long. Just weeks after Harley-Davidson launched its blacked-out, stripped-back Deadwood, Indian Motorcycles has come out swinging with the Chief Vintage Sturgis, SD Edition. But here’s the plot twist: unlike its American rival, the Indian will be produced in limited numbers … and at a premium.

Only 150 units of this particular Chief Vintage will be produced, all priced at US$23,999. Looking past that special edition paint scheme, I’m a bit confused about this motorcycle.

For starters, this special trim is mechanically identical to the $19,999 standard model, which launched earlier this year. That means the 1,890cc air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 V-twin engine is carried over, which produces 115 lb.ft (156 Nm) of torque.

It also means the underpinnings are carried over too: the same steel tube frame suspended on a non-adjustable 46-mm fork with 5.2 in (132 mm) of travel, with dual rear shocks offering 3 in (76 mm) of travel, alongside a single 298-mm disc front and back to take care of braking.

The thing rolls on 16-inch spoked wheels with balloon tires, carries a 4-gallon (15.1-liter) tank with dual exhausts at the back. The bike weigh the same monstrous 721 lb (327 kg) as before.

And as much as it is an ode to bygone times, the Chief Vintage SD comes with a four-inch touchscreen TFT, three ride modes, throttle-by-wire, cruise control, keyless ignition, a USB charging port, and LED lighting.

The difference lies only in a special two-tone livery consisting of a red and cream paint scheme. There’s a unique headdress logo on the tank that will remind you of the one Indian used on its bikes in the 30s and 40s.

There’s a “56” numbering on the side plate, which Indian says honors the original Sturgis racers' hand-painted numbers of the time. And lastly, each motorcycle will come numbered, with the serial number found under the seat.

Indian says the bike is designed in honor of the first Sturgis meet in 1938, where a group of Indian riders and a local Indian motorcycle dealer organized what would grow to be the largest motorcycle rally in the world. And truth be told, I think there was no better model in Indian’s lineup than the Chief Vintage to do a Sturgis special.

But look at the bigger picture, and I’m unsure of Indian’s strategy, especially since it turned independent after the Polaris sell-off. At best, the Chief Vintage SD will appeal to a very small, niche group of people. Sure, the paint job looks fabulous, and the commemorative stickers and the special serial numbers might woo a select few, but there’s hardly much beyond that.

A $4,000 premium over the standard model just for theatrics looks a bit stretched. Especially when sales numbers are at an all-time low. Reality check: Indian managed to sell only 24,421 motorcycles last year. During the same period, its biggest competitor, Harley-Davidson, despite all its struggles, managed to sell 132,535 units.

This bike might buy Indian some time till it figures out what to do next. And that move better be a bold one, if the company hopes to “ride” through the storm.

Source: Indian Motorcycle