Indian Motorcycle has unveiled the Chief Vintage Sturgis, SD Edition at the 86th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, paying tribute to the riders and motorcycles that helped establish the event in 1938.
The limited-edition motorcycle is inspired by the first gathering in Sturgis, South Dakota, which was organised by a local Indian Motorcycle dealer and a motorcycle club. The inaugural event brought together nine riders and around 200 spectators for racing, riding and camaraderie, eventually growing into one of the world’s largest motorcycle rallies.
The Chief Vintage Sturgis, SD Edition gets a two-tone Indian Motorcycle Red and Cream paint scheme, along with a multicoloured Indian Motorcycle headdress logo inspired by the brand’s motorcycles from the 1930s. A painted ’56’ on the side panel references the hand-painted race numbers used by riders at the early Sturgis events.
Production will be limited to 125 units, with serialised badging marking each motorcycle. The number also commemorates Indian Motorcycle’s 125th anniversary. Very limited numbers of the motorcycle will be offered outside North America.
Power comes from Indian Motorcycle’s Thunderstroke 116 air-cooled V-twin engine, which produces 156 Nm of torque. The motorcycle retains the traditional Chief styling, including valanced fenders, an illuminated warbonnet, wire-spoke wheels, a Vintage Espresso Solo Seat and Vintage Handlebars.
The heritage theme continues to the engine, which gets painted cylinder heads and pushrod tubes with black cylinders inspired by Indian Motorcycle models from the 1940s.
Despite its retro styling, the Chief Vintage Sturgis, SD Edition gets modern equipment, including three riding modes – Tour, Standard and Sport. It also features a 101-mm round touchscreen display with RIDE COMMAND, app-enhanced navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation.
Indian Motorcycle has not announced pricing or availability for individual markets yet.
