Indian’s liquid-cooled and overhead-cammed engine in its Challenger changed the game among American V-Twin baggers when it was introduced in 2020. The 108ci Indian Chieftain PowerPlus motor cranked out more ponies than the air-cooled Milwaukee-Eights from Harley-Davidson.
The Challenger was aptly named, as it was intended to confront the venerable Harley Road Glide for supremacy in the battle of American baggers with frame-mounted fairings. Meanwhile, Indian’s Chieftain and its air-cooled Thunderstroke V-Twin served as combatant for the massively popular Street Glide and its handlebar-mounted fairing.
The 2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus takes all the good bits of the Challenger and strips away the boxy fairing, replacing it with a chiseled batwing-style fairing. After testing the new Chieftain and its Roadmaster stablemate in Nevada, we believe Indian has built one of the best baggers in America.
Vegas, Baby! | 2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus
Indian flew us into Las Vegas to attend the media launch of the new Chieftain and Roadmaster. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, but there’s no similar slogan for Lake Las Vegas, the resort community that served as the hub for the launch.
Events like these are always preceded by a rah-rah presentation with newsy successes trumpeted by company officials. The introduction of the 1,250cc Scout platform last year has given Indian the market-share lead in the midsize cruiser segment for the first time. On a related note, the 999cc Scout Sixty is Indian’s best-selling motorcycle, with prices starting at $9,999.
Related: 2025 Indian Scouts Reviews
But we were in Nevada to get seat time on the new Chieftain PowerPlus and its trunk-equipped Roadmaster sibling. Fans of air-cooled motors will be happy to hear that the Thunderstroke-powered Chieftain remains in Indian’s U.S. lineup, with prices starting at $23,999. The Chieftain PowerPlus’ MSRPs begin at $26,499, identically priced to the Challenger. Prices for the Roadmaster PowerPlus start at $31,999.
The added cost to get a PowerPlus Chieftain is offset by upscale equipment, like its more powerful engine, an aluminum frame, and premium Brembo brakes. The 108ci (1,768cc) PowerPlus churns out 122 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm. The Thunderstrokes hit their torque peaks earlier, with the 116ci iteration twisting to 126 lb-ft at 2,900 rpm. Indian doesn’t state horsepower numbers for Thunderstrokes, but it’s somewhere in the 80s.
Go Big! | 2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus
When more is more, Indian is offering its PowerPlus in a new 112ci (1,835cc) version, the same displacement as used in the King Of The Baggers racebikes to win the 2024 title. While the 112’s peak numbers are only marginally increased (126 hp, 133 lb-ft), the torque band of the bigger motor is filled in everywhere.
If you wanna run with the big dogs, there’s a $3,000 price to pay. The 112 is only available in the higher-end Limited and Dark Horse variants, which start at $30,499. The bigger motor will also be available in the Challenger platform.
In a year-over-year MSRP comparison, the Challenger gains the more powerful engine and new rider-safety systems with the 112ci upgrade for a modest $500 increase in price. The 108ci Challenger Dark Horse and Limited models receive $2,500 price cuts.
Complicating the value equation is that all PowerPlus 112 models include SmartLean Technology with a 6-axis IMU to provide lean-sensitive traction control and ABS, plus hill-hold control, electronically linked brakes, and remote locking saddlebags.
The upscale versions of the Chieftain and Challenger also include a radar-based Rider Assist Package with blind-spot and tailgate warnings, plus rear-collision warning lights that flash taillights when a vehicle behind is approaching quickly. It’s the first system of its kind on an American-made motorcycle.
The only remaining option in Indian’s catalog is the more powerful Powerband audio system with rear speakers integrated into the saddlebag lids, which vaults the Chieftain’s fully loaded price to $31,749. A top-trim Roadmaster retails for $36,499.
First Impressions | 2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus
Seeing the new Chieftains parked next to Challengers clearly illustrates their dramatically different appearances. Although basically the same under the skin, the bar-mounted fairing of the Chieftain makes it look much lighter than the Challenger, even though the 842-lb Chieftain weighs only about 10 lb less. The Chieftain PowerPlus scales in about 20 lb heavier than the Thunderstroke version.
Throwing over a leg reveals a 26.5-inch seat height shared with the Challenger and the Chieftain Thunderstroke. Steering geometry is also identical, with a 25-degree rake angle, 5.9 inches of trail, and a 65.7-inch wheelbase. It feels big, naturally, but not unwieldy, similar to a Street Glide.
The Chieftain’s cockpit is centered by the familiar 7-inch TFT touchscreen Indian has employed for several years, and it’s flanked by twin analog gauges for speed and rpm, with LCD info screens at the bottom. This instrumentation was class-leading a few years ago, but it looks dated in comparison to the brilliant 12.3-inch full-color TFT display Harley has been using on its recent baggers.
Silver State | 2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus
Nevada is a strange place. Vegas is dramatically overbuilt and glitzy, while most of the rest of the state is barren and desolate. Lake Las Vegas is east of the city, and our ride followed a northbound route that roughly paralleled Lake Mead on State Route 167.
The Chieftain felt at home on these roads, cruising serenely with a V-Twin soundtrack rumbling below. The electrically adjustable windshield accommodates differing rider sizes and preferences, a feature unavailable on Harley’s Glides.
The controls are easy enough to decipher, a combination of handlebar buttons and the intuitive touchscreen TFT display, which includes Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity, plus integrated navigation with real-time traffic updates. At the base of the windscreen is a cubby for a phone with a USB-C plug for on-the-go charging.
The PowerPlus is sweet, as we learned a couple of years ago when comparing a Road Glide to Indian’s 108ci Challenger. Harley’s Milwaukee-Eight spits out more grunt just above idle speeds, but the PowerPlus dominates its rival once past 3,000 rpm and revs out with vigor the Harley can’t match. This advantage is even clearer with the 112ci PowerPlus between your legs. And if you’re a rider who demands smooth-shifting transmissions, the Indian’s short and positive throws will please while the Harley’s clunkier gearbox frustrates in relative terms.
The blind-spot lamps are neatly integrated in the mirrors and illuminate when the bike’s radar senses a vehicle in a potential blind spot. The radar unit is located atop the taillight bracket, and it can also warn about tailgaters with a notification on the TFT screen. Conveniently, Indian allows riders to set the distance parameters of each or switch them off if desired. Same for the system that will automatically flash taillights to vehicles traveling too closely behind. Cruise control can be adjusted in 1-mph increments.
GEAR UP
- Helmet: Shoei Neotec 3
- Jacket: Alpinestars Hoxton V2
- Airbag Vest: Alpinestars Tech-Air 3
- Gloves: Alpinestars Celer V2
- Pants: Roadskin Taranis Elite
- Boots: Highway 21 Journeyman
Valley of Fire Crucible | 2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus
A westward turn brought us into the stunning Valley of Fire State Park and an opportunity to find out how the Chieftain performs on twistier pavement. The bar-mounted fairing doesn’t have much of an effect on steering quickness, but the weight of the fairing and its electronics and speakers makes the Chieftain more ponderous than the Challenger at very low speeds and on uneven surfaces.
The Chieftain PowerPlus impresses when ridden at a sporting pace, offering excellent chassis composure from its stiff aluminum frame and inverted fork. Toggling to the Sport ride mode delivers sharper throttle response and looser electronic intervention than Standard or Rain modes. Metzeler Cruisetec rubber provides plenty of grip up to the footboards dragging at 31 degrees of lean angle.
Braking performance from the Brembo binders is excellent for a big bagger, offering a firm lever and decent feedback. No worries about the electronically linked brakes, as that system only operates above 13 mph, so their actions are imperceptible.
Suspension performance is a step up from the Street Glide, with a half inch more front travel (5.1 in.) and a significant 1.5 inches extra rear travel (4.5 in.) from its shock, which offers hydraulic preload adjustment. The Roadmaster has electric preload adjustment for the shock.
The Roadmaster | 2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus
The fully dressed Roadmaster PowerPlus would be a desirable upgrade over the Chieftain for touring over long distances, and especially if carrying a passenger. Its key asset is the trunk providing an additional 18 gallons of storage on top of the saddlebags’ 32 combined gallons. Pillions are treated to a cushy backrest, footboards rather than pegs, and a broader seat with a heating element and a cooling feature.
Pilots also are treated to a plusher and heated/cooled seat, heated grips, and more expansive protection from the elements. The fairing lowers shelter legs, and the windscreen is much taller, able to ensconce riders in calm air. Cruising along a deserted Nevada highway at 100 mph proved to be surprisingly relaxing behind the Roadmaster’s screen. Vents in the fairing lowers provide appreciable airflow with a kick of a foot.
While it’s a super comfortable perch on which to inhale countless miles, the Roadmaster feels significantly heavier than its Chieftain counterpart. Fully loaded with Powerband audio, it scales in at 937 lb. With the high-mounted trunk combined with the audio componentry in the fairing, the Roadmaster’s top-heavy weight is a lot to contend with, feeling especially unsteady at low speed on gravel turnouts.
Fork-Mount vs Frame-Mount | 2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus
Proponents of frame-mounted fairings like the Challenger and Road Glide endlessly gush about how they isolate weight and aerodynamic forces from the handlebar and steering axis.
And they’re not wrong. There were a couple of times in blustery crosswinds when I felt the handlebar faintly waggle as aero forces meandered around the fairing. Also, low-speed maneuvering in tight spaces requires some extra muscle to balance the weight of the speakers, instrumentation, and headlight that wants to rotate around the bike’s steering head.
On the other hand, the Chieftain and its modern yet classic fairing look far prettier to my eyes than the blockier Challenger, and the majority of respondents in an informal poll of journalists shared the same opinion. As we’ve all learned over the years, attraction can override simple logic. “The heart wants what it wants,” wrote Emily Dickinson, “or else it does not care.”
Final Analysis | 2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus
Indian’s Challenger stirred up the bagger broth and emerged as the class leader among American baggers with frame-mount fairings, and the PowerPlus motor in the new Chieftain elevates its status in the pantheon of baggers.
The 117ci Milwaukee-Eight in the new Street Glide Ultra (starting at $30,749) has similar torque to the PowerPlus, but it comes up about 20 horses short of a full corral. Indian’s motor is eager to rev to its 6,500-rpm redline, while the M-8 runs out of breath on the way to 5,500 rpm.
Not all is perfect in Indian-land. The Chieftain’s instrument panel looks like yesterday’s news compared to the Harley’s, and for a $30K bike, we’d expect niceties like backlit switchgear.
But for a touring motorcycle, the Chieftain’s electrically adjustable windscreen is a significant advantage over the fixed screen on Street Glides, and the extra compliance of the rear suspension translates into greater comfort anytime roads turn bumpy. And the PowerPlus 112 surges with power unavailable from Harley-Davidson.
So here are four questions that only you can answer: Do you want a simpler air-cooled V-Twin or a more powerful liquid-cooled motor? Do you want a frame-mount or a fork-mount fairing? Do you want a basic bagger like the Chieftain or a luxury-touring rig like a Roadmaster?
And, finally, do you think a Street Glide is more attractive than a Chieftain? If so, Emily Dickinson can’t fault you for considering one. It’s a great era for bagger shopping.
2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus 108 (112) Specs
- Base Price: $26,499 ($30,499)
- Website: IndianMotorcycle.com
- Warranty: 2 yr., unltd. miles
- Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse 60-degree V-Twin, SOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl.
- Displacement: 1,768cc (1,835cc)
- Bore x Stroke: 108 x 96.5mm (110 x 96.5mm)
- Horsepower: 122 (126) @ 5,500 rpm
- Torque: 128 lb-ft @ 3,800 rpm (133 @ 3,600 rpm)
- Transmission: 6-speed, cable-actuated slip/assist wet clutch
- Final Drive: Belt
- Wheelbase: 65.7 in.
- Rake/Trail: 25.0 degrees/5.9 in.
- Seat Height: 26.5 in.
- Wet Weight: 842 lb (855 lb)
- Fuel Capacity: 6 gal.
