Vulcan Bagger Forums - View Single Post - Anyone looked at an Indian Chieftain or Roadmaster?

RACNRAY · 04-17-2017, 12:05 PM

I had a Vaq, put 100,000 trouble free miles in FIVE years (cept for 2 sets of warped rotors) b4 I sold it and gots me this CDH.

The Indian engine is nuthin special, with my custom intake and modified exhaust my Indian makes the same H.P./Tork as my Vaq did AT 95,000 MILES!!!

The CDH out handles the Vaq hands down, absolutely no comparison, and that was with LOTS of $$$ spent on the Vaq in suspension/handling improvements.

Wind/rain protection on the Indian is FRIKKIN HORRIBLE, the Vaq has a MUCH better fairing for those aspects, tho the adjustable w/s on the Indian is nice to lower when runnin round town. The saddlebags on the Indian SUCK BIGTIME. All the stuff that came out of the Vaq's bags won't fit into the Indian's bags.

The Indian has a far superior audio system and I don't have to spend all that $$$ I did on upgrading the Vaq's system, but when u spend $20,000+ that is to be expected.

I have gotten more compliments on my CDH since I bought it in June 2016 than I did the whole 5 years I had the Vaq, but that is just an observation. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and very quickly I grew to NOT like the Vaq's front cowl (NOT a pretty face, tho that is just my opinion) and LOVED the ass on the Vaq. But when I look at the CDH at ANY angle, my face smiles.....LOTS.

AVG MPG so far is bout the same as the Vaq, tho the CDH will NEVER be as efficient of an engine as that 1700 Kawi engine. I look at the Indian engine as an old lump of coal!

And yes....I ALREADY have warped the rotors on the Indian a lot sooner than I did on ANY Jap bike, as I have found there are LOTS of made in China stuff (like wheels) on the Indians.

The Indian's overall fit and finish is no where's near as good as a Jap bike, there were SO MANY gaps in the fender area at the rear of the skoot that ridin on wet roads had the back end FILTHY requiring too much clean-up. Took me 2 hours to silicone and install foam to seal the gaps!

All in all the Harleys/Indians, in my opinion, are NOT WORTH the $$$$ buy in as compared to a Jap bike. I been werkin on skoots for a living for 40+ years and have learned more than just about anyone (and am still learning) and from a professional standpoint the Jap skoots in many ways are better built.

Funny thing tho, as much as I loved my Vaq, it NEVER touched my heart strings like this Indian does. Never, and in that weird comparison (completely ELLIMINATING) my professional and objective findings MAKES THE $$$$ buy in WELL WORTH IT!!! We are emotional bout our skoots for sure!!!

BTW...here's what I've done since June 20th, 2016...

I am waiting to hit the Lottery so I can gets me one of those new Chieftain Elite's, now THAT skoot touches my heart strings like no other!!!

RACNRAY

04-17-2017, 12:05 PM	#12
RACNRAY Sr. Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: SOUTH FLORIDA Posts: 1,210	I had a Vaq, put 100,000 trouble free miles in FIVE years (cept for 2 sets of warped rotors) b4 I sold it and gots me this CDH. The Indian engine is nuthin special, with my custom intake and modified exhaust my Indian makes the same H.P./Tork as my Vaq did AT 95,000 MILES!!! The CDH out handles the Vaq hands down, absolutely no comparison, and that was with LOTS of $$$ spent on the Vaq in suspension/handling improvements. Wind/rain protection on the Indian is FRIKKIN HORRIBLE, the Vaq has a MUCH better fairing for those aspects, tho the adjustable w/s on the Indian is nice to lower when runnin round town. The saddlebags on the Indian SUCK BIGTIME. All the stuff that came out of the Vaq's bags won't fit into the Indian's bags. The Indian has a far superior audio system and I don't have to spend all that $$$ I did on upgrading the Vaq's system, but when u spend $20,000+ that is to be expected. I have gotten more compliments on my CDH since I bought it in June 2016 than I did the whole 5 years I had the Vaq, but that is just an observation. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and very quickly I grew to NOT like the Vaq's front cowl (NOT a pretty face, tho that is just my opinion) and LOVED the ass on the Vaq. But when I look at the CDH at ANY angle, my face smiles.....LOTS. AVG MPG so far is bout the same as the Vaq, tho the CDH will NEVER be as efficient of an engine as that 1700 Kawi engine. I look at the Indian engine as an old lump of coal! And yes....I ALREADY have warped the rotors on the Indian a lot sooner than I did on ANY Jap bike, as I have found there are LOTS of made in China stuff (like wheels) on the Indians. The Indian's overall fit and finish is no where's near as good as a Jap bike, there were SO MANY gaps in the fender area at the rear of the skoot that ridin on wet roads had the back end FILTHY requiring too much clean-up. Took me 2 hours to silicone and install foam to seal the gaps! All in all the Harleys/Indians, in my opinion, are NOT WORTH the $$$$ buy in as compared to a Jap bike. I been werkin on skoots for a living for 40+ years and have learned more than just about anyone (and am still learning) and from a professional standpoint the Jap skoots in many ways are better built. Funny thing tho, as much as I loved my Vaq, it NEVER touched my heart strings like this Indian does. Never, and in that weird comparison (completely ELLIMINATING) my professional and objective findings MAKES THE $$$$ buy in WELL WORTH IT!!! We are emotional bout our skoots for sure!!! BTW...here's what I've done since June 20th, 2016... I am waiting to hit the Lottery so I can gets me one of those new Chieftain Elite's, now THAT skoot touches my heart strings like no other!!! RACNRAY __________________ "TRUE HAPPINESS IS IN THE HEART, NOT IN THE OUTSIDE FIXES" WITH OVER 46 YEARS AS A MOTORCYCLE TECHNICIAN/HI-PO SHOP OWNER I AM A PURVEYOR OF FACT NOT FICTION! "WE LIVE OUR LIVES IN CHAINS NEVER KNOWING WE HAD THE KEY" Last edited by RACNRAY; 04-17-2017 at 12:42 PM.
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