The Indian Chieftain Elite Is Back With a Stunning New Paint Job

The Indian Chieftain Elite, a big, premium American bagger returns for the 2018 model year with a paint job that’s guaranteed to turn heads. It’s called Black Hills Silver with marble accents and no two Chieftain Elites will look exactly the same because of the marbling process that goes into this paint. From beginning to end, painting one of these bikes takes about 25 hours.

But Indian isn’t resting on just a cool paint job. The Chieftain Elite is a great bike on its own. It’s powered by the excellent Thunder Stroke 111 v-twin engine which we tested last year in the Indian Roadmaster. It makes peak torque of 119 pound-feet and horsepower estimates are in the 70's (Indian doesn’t give it an official power rating).

“The Chieftain Elite is painted and assembled entirely by hand,” said an Indian representative in an email to The Drive. “This limited-edition bagger features premium amenities for the rider looking for the best of the best.”

A few of these features include the Ride Command infotainment system which includes Bluetooth, navigation, and 200-watt premium audio, aluminum billet floorboards, genuine leather seats with attractive stitching, and a tinted, flare power windshield. Being a bagger, it also comes with hard saddlebags which are remote-locking.

The starting price is a little steep at $31,499, but what you’re getting is a premium, hand-built, hand-painted motorcycle with a marbling pattern unique to your bike and your bike alone. The Chieftain Elite is comfortable, powerful, generously appointed with modern tech, and it stands out from a mile away. What more could you want from an American bagger?