Preference is an individual’s choice. I’ve owned a Honda, Suzuki, Victory, Street Glide and Ultra Limited. All that matters is that you’re on 2 or 3 wheels and you’re riding safely. Get the Indian if you like the Indian. The the Harley if you like the Harley. Get whatever you like and can afford. Stop running your mouth and start running your bike - enough said.
Great review. I bought my first Indian this year. It’s a 2023 Chieftain dark horse and I am in heaven. I considered the road master but I just wanted a stripped down version. I’m not at the point where I feel I need large storage and I didn’t want to take it on and off. The real clincher was about color. I wasn’t in love with the colors of the road masters. I figured for my very first Indian I needed to love the color. You can’t go wrong with either of these bikes. I ride mine rain or shine and I always have a smile 😊on my face
I own a 2022 Roadmaster Limited. I agree with just about everything you said about the Roadmaster. I personally originally wanted a Vintage Chief. ( I just love that old school look)... But I paid up because of exactly what you said about your "honey".. I bought the Roadmaster because I wanted my wife to be comfortable. Everything you said about the Roadmasters performance is dead on. It's smooth. It's powerful. Two things though, that I wish Indian would do different. 1- The compartment on the dashboard that has the connection for your phone is way to small for most phones. It's equipped with Apple Car Play, but the only connection for that is in that compartment. And If you're smart and have any kind of case for your I-Phone, it will NOT fit in that dinky compartment. and 2- You are exactly right about the seats.. They are FIRM....... And they don't offer a softer touring type seat that has Heat/Cool function. When I first bought my bike, I wanted them ( the dealer) to switch out the seats and trade me for the bigger, softer seats... But then I learned that I was going to forfeit the heat/cool function, and my wife and I decided to stay with the seat it already had on it. There are many days that we travel pretty much ALL day on our Roadmaster. There are a few days / moments when we are really glad we have the heat/cool seats... But there are MANY days after riding all day that our butts are wishing we had a softer seat. We're just training ourselves at this point to make more frequent stops... "Butt Breaks" we call them. But on a scale from 1 to 10 ( 10 being the highest rating), I give my 2022 Roadmaster Limited an overall rating of 9.9
'21 Roadmaster Icon. We bought it to do two up riding, and have gone out to Big Bend, up to Sturgis, ton of Hill Country rides. We just liked the old school looks better, although the Dark Horse was a little more nimble with the larger front wheel during test rides a couple years ago. Only thing i felt the need to do was put some highway pegs on for me, and add the arm rests onto the back for the wife. Otherwise stock. Looks great, sounds great, zero issues. We love it.
I had a 2016 Roadmaster and it was great. I rode a ‘22 Roadmaster with the newer fairing and it sucked. The air on the rider was huge compared to my ‘16. This was the deciding factor on my ‘22 Challenger purchase. That said, last weekend I upgraded to a ‘23 Pursuit Darkhorse Premium in Stealth Grey - totally in love!!
That was good comment, I haven't ride the new fairing. I have low mileage '18 RM , I just keep it and update it, I like to be different. HD is like disco music for me.
I have owned two RoadMaster “Pursuit” and one Chieftain. For myself it just depended on what mood I was in when I owned them. I now ride a Challenger and its night and day difference. The 108 PP is the game changer.
I bought a ghost grey dark horse chieftain summer 2021 as my everyday transport, love the looks, the engine and the bike, great review would recommend either!
I love my Indian Roadmaster, but it does put of much more heat than any Harley I have ever owned. That is my only complaint with my Indian. I feel the heat on my left thigh. I do take the lower fairings off in the summer.
We have a 2021 Roadmaster dark horse, I have been riding street bikes since 1976, this Roadmaster {once off the kickstand) is one of the best handling, comfortable and easiest bikes I have ever ridden. If you enjoy riding the twisties in the mountains, you will love the sport mode.
Glad I found this video, in the process of buying either a Chieftain or most likely the road master. I love the olive drab coloured Cheiftain, but will go the Road master as I want the additional bells and whistles. Trading off the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro, so this'll be an experience. Ditching the gravel for the tarmac.
I think some of the more premium Indians have same sort of shock absorption in the floorboard. On my pursuit it feels springy and I think that's what eliminates the vibration
I have a 2022 Roadmaster Darkhorse love the bike but the issue here in the UK is the dealers, also how many miles would you expect to get out of the rear wheel bearings?
I loved both of these bikes when I test rode them. I ultimately bought a roadmaster limited because I do want it for longer rides and love the extra storage and the extra features you discussed. All of that said, I talked to myself about the choice between models, priced them, looked at options and otherwise equivocated for a couple years before pulling the trigger. The final criteria for me was the fact that the tour-pack is removable if I want a lighter feel to the bike. Indian says quickly, I don't know that it is that quick, but it can be taken off or added in under 1/2 hour, so I suppose that may count. Both are awesome bikes and are so well balanced that they feel lighter than their curb weight.
Dont get the debate over harley vs indian. You buy an indian to get more for your bucks, i get it. But the thing is that you dont have an Harley. Period. Probably honda, bmw or yamaha handle best than harley..... but you dont own an harley.
You say that like owning a Harley is a life requirement lol ive had several brands, currently have a 21 Chieftain Darkhorse and love it. Variety is the spice of life.
@@Hudama100 I think you dont understand my point here. People try hard to convice each other witch brand is better. My point is most people buying harley for the brand and everything is related for. Its like buying new Balance shoes and try to convince me that its a nike. And saying that brand dosent matter its just hypocrite.
If the brand is the most important thing then buy the Harley and take pictures of yourself standing next to it in your matching jacket. Don't ride it tho. Might get the brand dirty
890-lbs! That's ridiculous! My BMW R1150-RS is 350-lbs lighter, and can run rings around either bike. Better engineered, non-vibrating, more comfortable, better handling, easy to maintain, and reliable, with detachable hard bags and ABS. I've put 170,000 trouble-free KM on my bike, and it still looks and runs like the day it rolled out of the showroom. You can buy several brands of cars for the same money that handle much better, are more comfortable, and can carry more than either of those bikes. Thanks for the review. More reasons why neither of these vibrating over-priced bikes make any sense...
BMW…😂😂😂. American men don’t ride fugly crotch rocket styled touring bikes. Does yours feature the milk crate looking bags? Might be the perfect bike for your cat to nap on. Maybe you should try a little vibration from a v-twin between the legs, you might enjoy it.
@@seeda3473 Aside from demonstrating your clear ignorance about how BMWs are NOT 'crotch rocket styled touring bikes', or what our touring bags even look like, you've shown how experiencing v-twin vibrations between your legs is so important in the kind of bike you ride... The rest of us ride what we ride because we appreciate the engineering quality and pure riding enjoyment they provide.
As someone who's toured 50,000km on a zx14r, I understand your interest in your bike. But I can clearly see you have no idea what you're talking about. Guarentee a Indian Chieftain/Roadmaster rides alot smoother than anything you've experienced. The 890 pound weight hides itself so low down that i promise you these big cruisers have better slow speed control than anything youve ever experienced. They have forward mounted controls on floorboards, also something that is a must have for touring once you've experienced it. Not to mention these bikes have a maximum payload probably 200lbs heavier than anything bmw offers. These Indians can haul serious weight and they love it! I know for a fact 2 full size adults on your machine would be a nightmare!
@@larryhouse3776 Yah, right. I've been on charity poker runs where there's herds of various brands of v-twins, and what's so common is how you regularly see them tip over at traffic stops, and need three people to get them back up again... 🙂 Like the big cars of decades ago, v-twins are old technology that use cast-iron materials that keeps them in the iron-age when it comes to all levels of weight and performance. What's also typical is how many v-twin riders assume all that weight somehow makes their bike 'superior' to all the rest, and look down on everything else, including those who ride them. Even when those other brands will typically ride circles around them... As to carrying capacity, my R1150-RS has a wet weight of 546-lbs (including 5.5 gallons of fuel), a GVWR of 992-lbs, with a load capacity of 446-lbs, which for me is more than enough. While an Indian Chief Classic has a wet weight of 858-lbs, GVWR of 1,385-lbs. with a load capacity of 527-lbs. By the time you fill your top case and saddlebags with that extra dead weight you're going to need 4 people to pick it off the ground... So a bike that weighs 312-lbs / 57% more than mine, and can only carry 81-lbs (not 200-lbs...!!) more than mine, is so 'superior'? No...!!! So instead of guessing, then assuming you're right, why not use the reality of actual evidence to support your claims...?
@garymaclean6903 I encourage you to go to your local Indian dealer if you can and take one for a demo ride, I did that a few weeks ago. Had a Chieftain with the 116 engine out for an hour or so. I was beyond impressed with the quality of the ride. If you're looking for performance, you've got the wrong thing in mind. The thing makes enough torque off idle to get the bike moving efficiently. The engine, cable clutch, and heavy transmission feel archaic but in such a responsive and engaging way that feels natural to the rider. Like the powertrain is so sure of exactly what it needs to be. I currently own a 2023 Triumph Tiger Rally Explorer. And the Indian was far superior at slow speed control, comfort, and was more satisfying to ride in nearly every way. Mind you, the Triumph Tiger absolutely rips off road. Lol. But please do try one of these Indian bikes if you can, they aren't fast, but they are extremely refined and smooth, and comfort is nearly unmatched.
I've noticed it's always the Indian riders comparing their bike to the Harley and not the other way around. The inferior product compares itself to the superior product. Jordan would never compare himself to Lavar Ball, but Lavar always compares himself to Michael Jordan. Pick and choose what you're going to pick and choose. That's it, that's all!!
Thing is, if someone wants a Harley that’s what they will buy no? My Indian dealer has more used Harley trade ins in his showroom than he has new Indians. What does that tell you? Brand loyalty will cause many to miss out on a lot of nice things in life but to each their own..
Preference is an individual’s choice. I’ve owned a Honda, Suzuki, Victory, Street Glide and Ultra Limited. All that matters is that you’re on 2 or 3 wheels and you’re riding safely. Get the Indian if you like the Indian. The the Harley if you like the Harley. Get whatever you like and can afford. Stop running your mouth and start running your bike - enough said.
Yep, the best bike is the one you ride
*3 wheels, as long as a steering wheel ain't involved.
Great review. I bought my first Indian this year. It’s a 2023 Chieftain dark horse and I am in heaven. I considered the road master but I just wanted a stripped down version. I’m not at the point where I feel I need large storage and I didn’t want to take it on and off. The real clincher was about color. I wasn’t in love with the colors of the road masters. I figured for my very first Indian I needed to love the color. You can’t go wrong with either of these bikes. I ride mine rain or shine and I always have a smile 😊on my face
I own a 2022 Roadmaster Limited. I agree with just about everything you said about the Roadmaster. I personally originally wanted a Vintage Chief. ( I just love that old school look)... But I paid up because of exactly what you said about your "honey".. I bought the Roadmaster because I wanted my wife to be comfortable. Everything you said about the Roadmasters performance is dead on. It's smooth. It's powerful. Two things though, that I wish Indian would do different. 1- The compartment on the dashboard that has the connection for your phone is way to small for most phones. It's equipped with Apple Car Play, but the only connection for that is in that compartment. And If you're smart and have any kind of case for your I-Phone, it will NOT fit in that dinky compartment. and 2- You are exactly right about the seats.. They are FIRM....... And they don't offer a softer touring type seat that has Heat/Cool function. When I first bought my bike, I wanted them ( the dealer) to switch out the seats and trade me for the bigger, softer seats... But then I learned that I was going to forfeit the heat/cool function, and my wife and I decided to stay with the seat it already had on it. There are many days that we travel pretty much ALL day on our Roadmaster. There are a few days / moments when we are really glad we have the heat/cool seats... But there are MANY days after riding all day that our butts are wishing we had a softer seat. We're just training ourselves at this point to make more frequent stops... "Butt Breaks" we call them. But on a scale from 1 to 10 ( 10 being the highest rating), I give my 2022 Roadmaster Limited an overall rating of 9.9
'21 Roadmaster Icon. We bought it to do two up riding, and have gone out to Big Bend, up to Sturgis, ton of Hill Country rides. We just liked the old school looks better, although the Dark Horse was a little more nimble with the larger front wheel during test rides a couple years ago. Only thing i felt the need to do was put some highway pegs on for me, and add the arm rests onto the back for the wife. Otherwise stock. Looks great, sounds great, zero issues. We love it.
I had a 2016 Roadmaster and it was great. I rode a ‘22 Roadmaster with the newer fairing and it sucked. The air on the rider was huge compared to my ‘16. This was the deciding factor on my ‘22 Challenger purchase. That said, last weekend I upgraded to a ‘23 Pursuit Darkhorse Premium in Stealth Grey - totally in love!!
That was good comment, I haven't ride the new fairing. I have low mileage '18 RM , I just keep it and update it, I like to be different. HD is like disco music for me.
Love those American made Indian motorcycles❣️
They just keep getting better and better👍
I have owned two RoadMaster “Pursuit” and one Chieftain. For myself it just depended on what mood I was in when I owned them. I now ride a Challenger and its night and day difference. The 108 PP is the game changer.
I bought a ghost grey dark horse chieftain summer 2021 as my everyday transport, love the looks, the engine and the bike, great review would recommend either!
I love my Indian Roadmaster, but it does put of much more heat than any Harley I have ever owned. That is my only complaint with my Indian. I feel the heat on my left thigh. I do take the lower fairings off in the summer.
We have a 2021 Roadmaster dark horse, I have been riding street bikes since 1976, this Roadmaster {once off the kickstand) is one of the best handling, comfortable and easiest bikes I have ever ridden. If you enjoy riding the twisties in the mountains, you will love the sport mode.
Glad I found this video, in the process of buying either a Chieftain or most likely the road master. I love the olive drab coloured Cheiftain, but will go the Road master as I want the additional bells and whistles. Trading off the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro, so this'll be an experience. Ditching the gravel for the tarmac.
I think some of the more premium Indians have same sort of shock absorption in the floorboard. On my pursuit it feels springy and I think that's what eliminates the vibration
My Chieftain has shock absorption in the floor boards, very nice 👍
I have a 2022 Roadmaster Darkhorse love the bike but the issue here in the UK is the dealers, also how many miles would you expect to get out of the rear wheel bearings?
Putting the full indian tour pack setup on a chieftain is easily over 4k, so theres your value alone
I loved both of these bikes when I test rode them. I ultimately bought a roadmaster limited because I do want it for longer rides and love the extra storage and the extra features you discussed. All of that said, I talked to myself about the choice between models, priced them, looked at options and otherwise equivocated for a couple years before pulling the trigger. The final criteria for me was the fact that the tour-pack is removable if I want a lighter feel to the bike. Indian says quickly, I don't know that it is that quick, but it can be taken off or added in under 1/2 hour, so I suppose that may count. Both are awesome bikes and are so well balanced that they feel lighter than their curb weight.
Half hour? What all is involved in removing that tour pack?
I have a 2021 Roadmaster and love it
Seems to be more of a comparison of a Street Glide to a Ultra Classic Ltd.
Love the roadmaster limited. Feels so light compared to HD.
Love my 22 Roadmaster. Lower fairing makes the big difference
Wth Why must you always put in a plug for HD when your talking about the awesome Indian motorcycles??
Nice video keep up the good work fella
Thanks man
Sheesh. I'm so torn between Harley and Indian. I love both bikes but can't afford both. I was leaning Indian for years and now leaning Harley. Smh.
Traded my 21 Challenger for a Chieftain.
Dont get the debate over harley vs indian. You buy an indian to get more for your bucks, i get it. But the thing is that you dont have an Harley. Period. Probably honda, bmw or yamaha handle best than harley..... but you dont own an harley.
He does have a harley. He rides a road Glide
You say that like owning a Harley is a life requirement lol ive had several brands, currently have a 21 Chieftain Darkhorse and love it. Variety is the spice of life.
@@Hudama100 I think you dont understand my point here. People try hard to convice each other witch brand is better. My point is most people buying harley for the brand and everything is related for. Its like buying new Balance shoes and try to convince me that its a nike. And saying that brand dosent matter its just hypocrite.
If the brand is the most important thing then buy the Harley and take pictures of yourself standing next to it in your matching jacket. Don't ride it tho. Might get the brand dirty
Not everyone must have a "Harleee"sorry to tell you that bro👍
890-lbs! That's ridiculous! My BMW R1150-RS is 350-lbs lighter, and can run rings around either bike. Better engineered, non-vibrating, more comfortable, better handling, easy to maintain, and reliable, with detachable hard bags and ABS. I've put 170,000 trouble-free KM on my bike, and it still looks and runs like the day it rolled out of the showroom. You can buy several brands of cars for the same money that handle much better, are more comfortable, and can carry more than either of those bikes.
Thanks for the review. More reasons why neither of these vibrating over-priced bikes make any sense...
BMW…😂😂😂. American men don’t ride fugly crotch rocket styled touring bikes. Does yours feature the milk crate looking bags? Might be the perfect bike for your cat to nap on. Maybe you should try a little vibration from a v-twin between the legs, you might enjoy it.
@@seeda3473 Aside from demonstrating your clear ignorance about how BMWs are NOT 'crotch rocket styled touring bikes', or what our touring bags even look like, you've shown how experiencing v-twin vibrations between your legs is so important in the kind of bike you ride... The rest of us ride what we ride because we appreciate the engineering quality and pure riding enjoyment they provide.
As someone who's toured 50,000km on a zx14r, I understand your interest in your bike. But I can clearly see you have no idea what you're talking about. Guarentee a Indian Chieftain/Roadmaster rides alot smoother than anything you've experienced. The 890 pound weight hides itself so low down that i promise you these big cruisers have better slow speed control than anything youve ever experienced. They have forward mounted controls on floorboards, also something that is a must have for touring once you've experienced it. Not to mention these bikes have a maximum payload probably 200lbs heavier than anything bmw offers. These Indians can haul serious weight and they love it! I know for a fact 2 full size adults on your machine would be a nightmare!
@@larryhouse3776 Yah, right. I've been on charity poker runs where there's herds of various brands of v-twins, and what's so common is how you regularly see them tip over at traffic stops, and need three people to get them back up again... 🙂
Like the big cars of decades ago, v-twins are old technology that use cast-iron materials that keeps them in the iron-age when it comes to all levels of weight and performance. What's also typical is how many v-twin riders assume all that weight somehow makes their bike 'superior' to all the rest, and look down on everything else, including those who ride them. Even when those other brands will typically ride circles around them...
As to carrying capacity, my R1150-RS has a wet weight of 546-lbs (including 5.5 gallons of fuel), a GVWR of 992-lbs, with a load capacity of 446-lbs, which for me is more than enough. While an Indian Chief Classic has a wet weight of 858-lbs, GVWR of 1,385-lbs. with a load capacity of 527-lbs. By the time you fill your top case and saddlebags with that extra dead weight you're going to need 4 people to pick it off the ground... So a bike that weighs 312-lbs / 57% more than mine, and can only carry 81-lbs (not 200-lbs...!!) more than mine, is so 'superior'? No...!!!
So instead of guessing, then assuming you're right, why not use the reality of actual evidence to support your claims...?
@garymaclean6903 I encourage you to go to your local Indian dealer if you can and take one for a demo ride, I did that a few weeks ago. Had a Chieftain with the 116 engine out for an hour or so. I was beyond impressed with the quality of the ride. If you're looking for performance, you've got the wrong thing in mind. The thing makes enough torque off idle to get the bike moving efficiently. The engine, cable clutch, and heavy transmission feel archaic but in such a responsive and engaging way that feels natural to the rider. Like the powertrain is so sure of exactly what it needs to be.
I currently own a 2023 Triumph Tiger Rally Explorer. And the Indian was far superior at slow speed control, comfort, and was more satisfying to ride in nearly every way. Mind you, the Triumph Tiger absolutely rips off road. Lol. But please do try one of these Indian bikes if you can, they aren't fast, but they are extremely refined and smooth, and comfort is nearly unmatched.
Looks like wayyyyy too plastic to me
I've noticed it's always the Indian riders comparing their bike to the Harley and not the other way around. The inferior product compares itself to the superior product. Jordan would never compare himself to Lavar Ball, but Lavar always compares himself to Michael Jordan. Pick and choose what you're going to pick and choose. That's it, that's all!!
Thing is, if someone wants a Harley that’s what they will buy no? My Indian dealer has more used Harley trade ins in his showroom than he has new Indians. What does that tell you? Brand loyalty will cause many to miss out on a lot of nice things in life but to each their own..
There isn’t anything that HD has that can compare to the Challenger, the Challenger is in a class by itself.
Harley can thank Indian for forcing them to make a better motorcycle.
Not better engineered than Indian, just a better Harley.