I just completed my first 1000 miles on my new-to-me 2016 Chief Vintage. The majority of these miles were ridden with my friend who rides a Heritage Classic. Here are a few things I noticed....
1) The Indian gets a TON of attention. It's rare that I get fuel or make any stop without someone commenting on the beauty of the bike. I expected some attention (it is a beautiful bike, after all) but the actual amount has far exceeded what I expected.
2) To my surprise, the Harley guys accept an Indian with open arms (we did a Harley group ride last week). I expected it to be similar to how they view imported bikes (apathetic) but it seems most Harley guys love Indians, too. In fact, most people that approach the bike (when I'm stopped) ride Harleys
3) MANY people have an Indian story. Whether it was their Grandpa's or Uncle's or whatever. I can see that it stirs up good memories and they are happy to see an Indian still on the road.
4) The public is way less aware of them that we are. IE, as an owner, I know the models, colors, etc of what's out there and my bike is somewhat "common" in the Indian world. But, in the general public, it is very unique. Even though I've seen 100 willow green and cream Indians, most people who I talk to, it's the first and only they've ever seen. In fact, one lady said she saw my bike in Dallas 2 years ago (she even showed me a picture). Haha.
5) The Indian corners WAY better than my friend's Heritage Classic. I hear the Heritage scrape going around most corners. So far, I've only scraped once.
6) The Indian has significantly more power than the Heritage. I should note that my bike is completely stock except for some slip-on exhaust. In fairness, the Heritage is older (88 cubic inch) but it's been stroked, bored, cammed, high flow intake/exhaust, and tuned. But, power-wise, they aren't even close.
7) I'm REALLY looking forward to my next 1000 miles.
Thanks for reading.
1) The Indian gets a TON of attention. It's rare that I get fuel or make any stop without someone commenting on the beauty of the bike. I expected some attention (it is a beautiful bike, after all) but the actual amount has far exceeded what I expected.
2) To my surprise, the Harley guys accept an Indian with open arms (we did a Harley group ride last week). I expected it to be similar to how they view imported bikes (apathetic) but it seems most Harley guys love Indians, too. In fact, most people that approach the bike (when I'm stopped) ride Harleys
3) MANY people have an Indian story. Whether it was their Grandpa's or Uncle's or whatever. I can see that it stirs up good memories and they are happy to see an Indian still on the road.
4) The public is way less aware of them that we are. IE, as an owner, I know the models, colors, etc of what's out there and my bike is somewhat "common" in the Indian world. But, in the general public, it is very unique. Even though I've seen 100 willow green and cream Indians, most people who I talk to, it's the first and only they've ever seen. In fact, one lady said she saw my bike in Dallas 2 years ago (she even showed me a picture). Haha.
5) The Indian corners WAY better than my friend's Heritage Classic. I hear the Heritage scrape going around most corners. So far, I've only scraped once.
6) The Indian has significantly more power than the Heritage. I should note that my bike is completely stock except for some slip-on exhaust. In fairness, the Heritage is older (88 cubic inch) but it's been stroked, bored, cammed, high flow intake/exhaust, and tuned. But, power-wise, they aren't even close.
7) I'm REALLY looking forward to my next 1000 miles.
Thanks for reading.
