The Indian Chief became the first production model sold under the Indian Chief name in 1922.
Indian introduced the Chief in 1922 as a large V-twin motorcycle intended to sit above the Scout in the company’s range. Early Chiefs used a 61-cubic-inch, or approximately 1,000 cc, side-valve V-twin engine. The model became one of Indian’s best-known motorcycles and remained associated with heavyweight American touring motorcycles.
The original Chief was designed during Indian’s period of expansion in the early 1920s. It shared some engineering ideas with other Indian motorcycles but had its own larger frame and touring-oriented character. The name was later revived by Polaris Industries after it acquired the Indian Motorcycle brand.
The Scout was an earlier and generally smaller Indian model, while the Indian Four used an inline-four engine. The modern Chief models are descendants in branding and styling, but their engines and chassis differ substantially from the 1922 motorcycle.