2024 Indian Super Chief Limited Review

[Hugh Janus]

The 2024 Indian Super Chief Limited stays true to its roots. (Jeff Allen/)

Reasons why to ride a motorcycle are diverse and plentiful. America’s spectrum of riders come from all walks of life, but the statistics of ownership do reveal an indisputable majority: Most American riders choose to ride a cruiser, and overwhelmingly an American-made V-twin to be exact. Is it for the image? The lifestyle and culture? Nostalgia? Indian’s Super Chief Limited aims to satisfy all of those desires and more.

The Super Chief Limited straddles the cruiser and bagger categories within Indian Motorcycle’s model lineup. It also performs a delicate dance of retaining some of the simplicity of older-generation baggers while sprinkling in the right amount of modern amenities to meet the sensibilities of riders in 2024.

If modern-era baggers like the Chieftain and Challenger are overwhelming in features and price, and stripped-down cruisers like the Scout and classic Chief models are too austere, then the Super Chief Limited is surely the Goldilocks of this story.

If it looks like a bagger and it barks like a bagger, it just might be a bagger. (Jeff Allen/)

Indian Super Chief Limited Ergonomics and Style

As far as first looks go, the Super Chief Limited is the quintessential cruiser archetype. Big round headlight, gleaming chrome buxom V-twin motor, teardrop gas tank, and a power stance that is punctuated by the balloon 130/90 front tire.

It’s a traditional round headlight housing but the Super Chief Limited puts an interesting modern LED twist on the iconic style. (Jeff Allen/)

It’s easy to slide into the saddle with a 26.2-inch seat height, though the voluminous  Thunderstroke 116 engine and floorboards make the U-line a bit wide. Nonetheless, a petite rider like me at 5-foot-4 is easily able to flat-foot the SCL. Hefting it up from the sidestand is a bit of labor and pushing around the 739 pounds of the Super Chief Limited will require some muscle.

There is always some give and take between style, comfort, and convenience. The floorboards are comfortable and fit the cruiser styling, but for this small rider it will mean some extra stretching to operate the foot controls. (Jeff Allen/)

The riding position of the SCL is rather accommodating, with long floorboards in a mid-to-front forward position and a handlebar that sweeps back for a comfortable bend in the elbow while riding. As a shorter rider, I found the foot controls to be just out of reach so I had to shift my riding position and stretch to engage them. The levers are nonadjustable and the clutch lever in particular is a bit stiff.

Like a pair of Converse sneakers, the American V-twin powerplant transcends eras and endures the test of time. (Jeff Allen/)

Indian Super Chief Limited Engine

The Super Chief Limited is extra “super” thanks to the 1,890cc air-cooled V-twin Thunderstroke 116 engine, an upgrade from the Thunderstroke 111 powerplant in the base-model Super Chief.

Aside from “The Star-Spangled Banner,” there might not be a more American sound than an air-cooled V-twin engine roaring to life. Even with the stock exhaust the SCL made me nod with approval, the handgrips thrumming in my hands with the vibrating of the beating heart of a classic American cruiser. The Thunderstroke 116 is torquey down low and will happily cruise along in the 3,000 rpm range with a tolerable buzzing in the bars and the seat.

This old motor has some new tricks up its sleeve however, thanks to the three selectable modes of Rain, Road, and Sport. The biggest differentiator between the ride modes is the initial hit of the throttle, going from softest to hardest in a predictable manner. What was not predicted was how harsh the hit would be in Sport mode, causing the rear tire to screech loose when taking off from a stoplight. With each shift, the Sport mode rockets forward with tenacity and it is not for the faint of heart. Ultimately, I found I was most comfortable in the less rowdy Road mode, which still has plenty of pounce but with a measure of restraint.

The Super Chief Limited has its limitations when it comes to lean angle and ground clearance. (Jeff Allen/)

Indian Super Chief Limited Chassis and Handling

Traditional cruisers tend to like going in straight lines or rumbling along gentle long sweepers, and the SCL is no exception. A steel tubular frame, 46mm telescopic fork with 5.2 inches of travel, and dual rear shocks with adjustable preload and 3 inches of travel are standard fare in the cruiser world. Stopping power is delivered by a single 300mm semi-floating rotor and four-piston caliper up front, with a single 300mm floating rotor and two-piston caliper out the rear—both of which are ABS equipped.

Like many cruisers, the SCL has a single disc front brake. It is the opinion of this rider that a dual-disc system could be more effective and confidence inspiring for the SCL and all other heavy cruisers. (Jeff Allen/)

The overall sensation from the SCL is stiffness. Nearly every bump on the street transmitted straight to the seat of the pants, and with forward-oriented floorboards it was difficult to stand up to help aid the short-travel suspension in its mission. The fork was immovable and it’s difficult to imagine the amount of force and stress required to send it through its stroke. It’s likely that Indian has dialed up the suspension settings due to the overall weight of the machine, and the anticipation of a much larger pilot in the seat rather than all 120 pounds of little old me.

The Super Chief and Super Chief Limited are the only variants offering a passenger seat in the Chief series as stock. (Jeff Allen/)

The brakes require some strategy to operate them in the most effective manner. Relying entirely on the front brake is a no-no, as the single disc setup is not fully adequate to quickly slow down all the weight of this rolling thunder machine. A thoughtful combination of front brake, generous rear brake, and timed engine-braking are all required to stop the SCL with haste. In practicing some emergency stops, I found the ABS in the rear brake to activate much sooner than the front, and generally speaking the overall stopping power of the SCL left me wanting. A dual-disc front brake would be a welcome upgrade in future models.

On twisty and winding roads the SCL has some limitations. First on turn in, the wide-profile 130mm front tire is resistant to direction change. When it does finally commit to the corner, the SCL has a tendency to run wide. Increasing countersteering is a natural instinct to help remedy this issue but the floorboards will scrape with minimal effort on that front. Not to mention that the floorboards instead of footpegs means the rider has even less agency to use bodyweight to control the motorcycle.

The tall windscreen on the SCL makes for comfortable freeway cruising out of the buffeting wind. (Jeff Allen/)

Just like Goldilocks, the Super Chief Limited has a preferred moderate riding goal in mind. It’s called a cruiser for good reason. Tight, technical roads and lane-splitting is anxiety-inducing but casual cruising on serene backroads and empty highways are where the SCL performs its best.

The Indian Super Chief Limited is smile-inducing when cruising in the evening golden hour on empty roads with your hair flowing in the wind. (Jeff Allen/)

Indian Super Chief Limited: Everything Else

The Super Chief Limited gets top marks for tastefully integrating technology into classic packaging. In particular, the round dial instrument, which is a 4-inch touchscreen powered by Indian’s Ride Command user interface, is intuitive and works quite well. Toggling through multiple tach displays, GPS navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, and music control finds no issues. This instrument has other features I did not get to engage with, such as live weather overlay, live traffic overlay, bike locator, and intuitive destination search. It’s an impressive amount of functionality in a small and discreet dial.

The dial interface is also a touchscreen, allowing for quick interactions on the ride if your gloves are also touch-tech capable. (Jeff Allen/)

The SCL also had hard bags that mimic the look and feel of soft leather saddlebags, complete with fast buckles and shaped to the exhaust. The keyless ignition aspect of the SCL is also slick but not exactly new technology. However, something about a push-start air-cooled V-twin does tickle my fancy.

The Super Chief Limited fills in a niche that is becoming smaller and smaller—much like trying to find a small-bodied pickup truck in a sea of new-age monster trucks. The marketplace has forced manufacturers to supersize and overcomplicate many product lines, and price them into extremes to make profitable margins. For the rider who wants a simple bagger from yesteryear, yet still have those one or two goodies like cruise control and a fancy dash, the SCL is an unsung hero in meeting the need and bucking the trend of more, more, more.

If you are tired of motorcycles that “try too hard,” then the Super Chief Limited has the appeal of a simple machine that does all the things with adequacy. (Jeff Allen/)

Put simply, the Super Chief Limited is a refreshingly honest motorcycle. It is not trying to redefine a genre, or smash any figures or records. Load up the tail bags, cue the riding music, and see where the road will lead. It’s uncomplicated, just like cruising was meant to be.

2024 Indian Super Chief Limited Specs

MSRP:	$21,999
Engine:	Air-cooled, V-twin Thunderstroke 116
Displacement:	1,890cc
Bore x Stroke:	103.2 x 113mm
Compression Ratio:	11.0:1
Transmission/Final Drive:	6-speed / belt
Fuel System:	Closed-loop fuel injection w/ 54mm throttle body
Clutch:	Wet, multiplate
Frame:	Steel tubular
Front Suspension:	46mm telescopic fork; 5.2 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	Dual shocks, preload adjustable; 3.0 in. travel
Front Brake:	4-piston caliper, 300mm semi-floating disc
Rear Brake:	2-piston caliper, 300mm floating disc
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Wire spoked; 16 x 3 in. / 16 x 5 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	Pirelli Night Dragon; 130/90B-16 / 180/65B-16
Rake/Trail:	29.0°/5.2 in.
Wheelbase:	64.0 in.
Ground Clearance:	4.9 in.
Seat Height:	26.2 in.
Fuel Capacity:	4.0 gal.
Claimed Wet Weight:	739 lb.
Contact:	indianmotorcycle.com

Source

[Buckster]