Want more bagger? Indian’s got you covered, with the Elite series. The new ’22 Chieftain Elite and Challenger Elite take the essence of their base model counterparts and add a whole pile of upscale trim to become a factory custom setup, with a correspondingly high price tag.
The most noticeable difference is the flashy paint and bodywork. The Challenger Elite is supposed to look powered-up, with Stealth Gray and Black Metallic paint with Indy Red accents and a stance that’s supposed to look like a muscle car—and with the liquid-cooled PowerPlus engine, the Challenger has the power to back up its looks. The Elite version adds an upgraded 400-watt PowerBand audio system to that horsepower and torque, and a year’s free subscription to the Ride Command+ infotainment system, including live traffic and weather overlays on the GPS system. Speaking of which, of course that GPS system is included with the standard Ride Command system, along with Apple CarPlay.
The Chieftain Elite uses Indian’s air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 engine for a more traditional look. It’s supposed to look a bit more like a traditional customized bagger instead of a muscle bike, and that means it gets Heavy Metal Smoke paint, metallic bronze finishes (including the engine pushrod tubes), and slammed saddlebags and plenty of other flash. And, that Thunderstroke V-twin isn’t exactly a pushover either, with 126 lb-ft of torque on tap.
The Chieftain Elite gets a similar infotainment system to the one found on the Challenger Elite, with a 400-watt stereo and Ride Command on tap. It gets several LED lights added as trim, and even an Adaptive Pathfinder LED headlight, which will make night riding considerably safer.
The Indian Challenger Elite sees pricing start at $42,999 (more details here). The Chieftain Elite has an MSRP starting at $40,499 (see more details here). Although they’re factory customs, Indian also offers considerable customization via its accessory catalog, which will drive the price tag up even further.
These bikes are shipping now, so if you’ve got the dough, you can get one, but act fast: The Challenger will only see 200 examples built for the worldwide market, and the Chieftain will only be built in a 150-machine run.
