I’m not the kind of guy to just hand out gold stars for free, but Indian Motorcycles keeps making it hard to be stingy. Full disclosure, I have not ridden an Indian motorcycle in about two years now, but I have ridden quite a few, and every single one of them has blown me away. They make sick bikes. Period! Everything on two wheels that comes out of Polaris is a winner.
Now was the perfect time for me to saddle up on one again, because “America’s first motorcycle company” has dropped the liquid-cooled PowerPlus into the fork-faired Chieftain and pointed me at the biggest bully in the lineup: the 112-ci Powerplus engine. I’ve ridden a lot of American baggers, and I’ll say this without blinking—Indian generally build more well-rounded bikes than Harley-Davidson.
The Chieftain finally joins the PowerPlus family, swapping the old Thunderstroke for a liquid-cooled SOHC, four-valve V-twin, and it’s available with the 112-ci upgrade—a bored-out evolution of the 108 that delivers a noticeable jump in power that will slap you in the face. It also brings modern rider aids with a bunch of other goodies.
Design: The Red One Draws Your Attention
Absolutely beautiful, but it has to be the red one for me. If color does not pull your strings much, then move on because there is so much else going on here. Fork-mounted “batwing” fairing, hard bags, and a stance that’s lower, meaner, and more athletic than the old air-cooled Chieftain. The Powerplus Limited’s chrome against that deep red paint my test bike takes it from bagger to boss. LED headlights, the power-adjustable screen that can yank the sting out of highway air; and the fairing vents actually work when the temps climb, and all of this ‘stuff’ justify this motorcycle’s price tag.
The details feel sorted—switchgear with quality click, bag latches that thunk shut, clean engine dress without clutter. This bike is beautiful and really draws attention.
Then there are numbers that match the feel: a confidence-building seat height and a curb weight that sounds terrifying on paper but melts away once rolling. The wide saddle is long-haul comfy, floorboards give you room to move, and the Metzeler Cruisetecs (19-inch front, 16-inch rear) deliver a planted, trustworthy front end when you’re hustling. The Chieftain looks intentionally muscular, and yet classic, from tank seam to bag lids—no tacked-on fluff—just a handsome bagger ready to take you to motorcycle nirvana.
Engine & Ride Quality: Meet The Best American V-twin Right Now
Yes, the 108 might be good. I have not experienced it yet, but I can safely assume. Moving on. The 112 that sits perfectly in that strong chassis is why I am smiling even as I write this. Every twist of the throttle is clean and immediate with huge torque everywhere. The engine just seems dialed in all the time no matter what your mood is. The powerband doesn’t wheeze at the top when you want to push it. Roll-on passes feel like a walk in the park, and if you select Sport mode the Powerplus turns the horizon into a moving target. IF you dont keep your fingers on clutch when you ride in the city, well then, beware! The slightest twist can send this 800+ lb beauty shooting forward and if you aint holding on to those bars properly you might be going the other way.
But, stay out of Sport mode and the bike still feels powerful, but more composed, and less silly, if I might add. Cruise all day long and this beaufitul engine just gives you everthing you want from it all the time. I’ll say it: this is the best-feeling American V-twin you can buy right now.
There is a great explanation too as to why this engine is to darned good. The Powerplus 112 learned its tricks on the racetrack, taking lap after lap of abuse and asking for seconds. It was bolted into Indian Motorcycle’s factory race bikes, and it helped the team bag (pun fully intended) the 2024 King of the Baggers championship.
The engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission that feels exactly what I expected from Indian. There’s less clunk, and more glide—finally, a big American bagger that shifts like it’s been to finishing school.
When it comes to ride and handling, the IMU lets you trail the brakes into corners without the pucker factor, and the chassis is happy to see its boards kiss daylight. It does have a lean angle of 31 degrees, because this is not the race bike after all. And, despite the weight, it rides light on its feet. The Chieftain is stable on curvy sections, unfussed by ugly pavement, and eager if you are. However, I am a pretty big guy and there were a few occasions I felt as if the steering was heavy at lower speeds, but then I realized the fairing with all the tech stuff like screens and speakers, was bolted onto the forks and was probably the cause of it.
Nonetheless, with a little thing called ‘getting used to it’, I felt that this bagger was glorious to ride no matter where I was.
Comfort is definitely baked right in. The upright ergos, generous floorboards, the power windscreen, and rear-cylinder deactivation that keeps heat off your thighs in traffic, all play important roles in making the Chieftain the ride of your life. Around town, it tiptoes better than you’d expect and the only time the weight taps you on the shoulder and thighs is backing out of a slightly sloped parking spot—nature’s reminder to hit leg day.
2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus Limited (112) Engine And Specs
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Engine |
PowerPlus V-twin, liquid-cooled, SOHC, 4-valve |
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Displacement |
112 ci (≈1,835 cc) |
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Power Output (claimed) |
126 hp / 133 lb-ft |
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Transmission |
6-speed, belt final drive |
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Weight |
844 lbs (wet) |
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Price |
$30,499 |
Tech: Generous, But Not The Flashiest Of Screens
Indian’s Ride Command touchscreen brings nav, Bluetooth, and audio you can upgrade to “annoy the next county.” but I have to admit that this was the one flaw I see in this bike if I am going to compare to it’s Harley-Davidson rival. Harley’s latest jumbo display wins for sheer wow factor. The 7-inch screen feels a little outdated. However, the Indian Chieftain hits back with real-world confidence tech: cornering ABS/TC, natural-feeling linked brakes, rear-radar blind-spot and rear-collision alerts, TPMS, cruise, keyless, remote-locking bags, bright LEDs, USB—the works. It’s the kind of kit that quietly reduces fatigue while letting you ride quicker, safer, and longer.
Verdict: Buy The Big One!
Stack it against the Street Glide and Road Glide, throw in the Euro oddballs and fast-tourers if you want—the Chieftain PowerPlus Limited (112) feels the most complete right now. It looks right, it rides better than it needs to, and that engine deserves its own trophy. If you’re eyeing the 108, be honest: you want the 112. It’s the meanest, baddest, sexiest bagger on sale—and the only regret you’ll have is not riding it sooner.
Stack it against Harley’s Street Glide and Road Glide—plus their CVO hot rods—and the Chieftain PowerPlus Limited (112 we are talking about) still feels like the most complete bagger. The Harley duo nails swagger and that new big-screen theater vibe, but the Indian’s liquid-cooled PowerPlus 112 just delivers broader, cleaner power everywhere, with a chassis that invites you to have some fun. Dip into Europe and the misfits—BMW R 18 B and R 18 Transcontinental, Moto Guzzi’s V100 Mandello with bags, even a Honda Gold Wing if you’re bagger-curious but tourer-minded—and you’ll meet fine machines that excel in niches. None of them, however, blend American V-twin charisma, modern safety tech and rider aids, and “park it and stare” presence as smoothly as this Chieftain 112 does.
For me, the engine is the headline on every single ride: instant torque off idle, seamless fueling, and top-end composure that leaves you grinning from ear to ear. The ride position is all-day doable, the seat height is suitable for everyone, the adjustable screen and vents are awesome, heat management is civilized, and the IMU-based rider aids plus rear radar make you braver without getting cocky. Fit and finish are properly premium, the saddlebags feel vault-solid, and it carries its weight better than the spec sheet suggests once you’re rolling.
Now the honest part: if you’re eyeing the 108, I have a feeling your heart already wants the 112. The Limited’s bigger V-twin makes every mile feel like you picked the right answer on the first try, and the rest of the package has the manners to match the muscle. It looks right, it rides better than it needs to, and that engine deserves its own trophy. Among big-name baggers—Street Glide, Road Glide, CVO twins, R 18 B, even the Indian Challenger—the Chieftain PowerPlus Limited (112) is the one I’d park in my garage and not second-guess. Meanest, baddest, sexiest? Today, yes. Your only regret will be not getting it sooner, and not doing enough leg day for those uphill parking lots.