Indian Motorcycles unveils 2023 Indian Sport Chief

Setting the tone for cruiser motorcycles this year is the 2023 Indian Sport Chief, combining riding performance with traditional American cruiser styling. Calling it a “performance cruiser” the 2023 Sport Chief is equipped from the factory with brand name motorcycle components.

Designed with the hard charging cruiser rider in mind, the Sport Chief comes with semi-floating, radial-mount Brembo four-piston callipers, grabbing twin brake discs on the 19-inch front wheel while two-wheel ABS is standard. The standard equipment Fox rear shock absorbers give 100 mm of travel and allow the Sport Chief to achieve 29.5 degrees of lean angle.

For riders wanting a little more comfort and handling ability, Indian offers optional Fox Piggyback rear shocks with remote reservoir. This gives 24-step compression and rebound damping adjustment for the Sport Chief and the shocks can also be fitted to other models in the Indian range, including the Chief, Chief Bobber, and Super Chief.

Power for the Sport Chief comes in the form of the air-cooled Indian Thunderstroke 116 V-twin. Displacing 1,890 cc from two cylinders, the Scout Chief delivers 162 Nm of torque at 3,200 rpm and approximately 79 hp with power getting to the 16-inch rear wheel via a six-speed gearbox and belt drive.

Aside from the Fox shock absorbers, the Sport Chief also comes with KYB uopside-down front forks, allowing for 130 mm of front wheel travel. Seat height is set at 686 mm, while the Sport Chief tips the scales at 311 kg with 15.1-litres of fuel in the tank.

For riding aids, the Sport Chief comes with three ride modes – Sport, Standard and Tour – as well as cruise control, and keyless ignition and there are three colour options available – Black Smoke, Ruby Smoke, and Stealth Gray. The instrument binnacle resembles a conventional four-inch round analogue gauge but is actually a touch screen LCD with a choice of two display themes.

Using Indian Motorcycle’s Command interface to the rider’s smartphone, this allows for turn-by-turn navigation display as well as music, call and message control using Bluetooth. Other riding amenities include a USB charging port and LED lighting throughout.

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