Indian Motorcycle Chief reviews

The chief is so uncomfortable the air cleaner will wear a hole through your left knee.The motor shakes the poop out of you,so you'll won't be buying any Exlax.I tried to sell it back to the dealer,but he only offered me $15,000 for it.I took it and lost $12,000 in 2 months.What a nightmare! Show less

I have been riding American-made motorycles since I was fourteen years old. I have boought and sold so many different Harleys I cannot remember them all. I have a 93 H/D Fatboy, 00 Chief and just parted with an 01 Spirit. The Chief has been the preverbial dream bike. No leaks, no transmission troubles, no problems of any kind. The dealer (there are two here in Houston and one is light years ahead of the other and the owner and employees are customer service personified - Indian Motorcycle Houston - North) will run through brick walls to help you and his staff is top-notch. This bike rides like a dream. The single detractor is that she does not run well right off the bat if the air quality is bad combined with the heat of the summer. But, as she warms, she runs like a dream. Otherwise, I have never owned a better bike! Show less

I have a 2000 Indian chief, Since purchasing this bike in June, 2001 it has been in the shop for a total of 5 months. The bike spends more time on a trailer being towed than being rode.I am at the end of my patience and I can't get any answers from Indian except for them advising me to take it to their preferred mechanic in Nashville, Tn. which is a 4 hour drive from my home.Each time I get the bike back the primary problem still exists, That is that while riding the bike it shuts down not to restart without turning the key off and back on to reset the computer. And this is only one of the many problems we have encountered with this bike. Show less

I am writing a review at this time because I have had my 2000 Indian chief for 2 years, and last December I also purchased a 2001 Spirit (Great Bike) Unlike so many reviews that are anonymous and seem to contain only negative comments, I have both positive and negative comment and am not afraid to divulge my name. I have had almost ever-thing that can go wrong with a motorcycle happen to mine. There were new gas tanks (twice), new shocks (twice), new fenders (twice), brakes electrical problems and major engine problems. All were fix at no cost to myself, but lost time on my scoot. This brings me to my reason for writing this review. I had been planing a seven-week vacation starting on May 22nd so I could ride the chief during my time off. On May 18th I traveled to Terre Haute Indiana for a bike show, in which I took second place for best in show. I returned to Indianapolis after the show and on the way home my Indian developed an engine problem. The next day it was returned to the dealer in Terre Haute. The dealership had to hound the company to get parts almost four weeks, and even then they had not sent an oil pump so the dealership had to order one through S & S on its own. Repairs made I picked up the bike and headed home from Terre Haute to Indy. Just outside of Cloverdale, Indiana the engine again developed trouble. The next day back to the dealership. Four weeks pass and finally a letter from the company with a few gift items and an apologetic letter from the president for any inconvenience. I then proceeded to call the dealership and they informed me that they had just unloaded off the truck a brand new crated engine for my chief. Now there is no one on this planet that loves Indian more than I do, considering that my house is a shrine to Indian, but even with that nobody that I know has ever received a new engine on a two year old vehicle at no cost to themselves. The engine was replaced and detailed out by the dealer at Indian Terre Haute. They have been wonderful and very sorry for any inconvenience that I had been put through. Indian Motorcycle Company should be very proud of this dealership because they have gone above and beyond the call of duty. While the company is going through growing pains it is the dealerships that will make the difference. ( “If we do not learn from our mistakes we are doomed to repeat them”). Show less

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.WHAT A NICE LOOKING CHANGE OF PACE.I HAVE SOME MINOR DISSAPPOINTMENTS BUT I COULD HAVE BOUGHT A HARLEY LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.ALL AMERICAN BIKES ARE OVER PRICED BUT,GOD BLESS AMERICA. PS.HARLEY IS A BRAND OF MOTORCYCLE NOT A GUARANTEE OF NO PROBLEMS Show less

I've had my 2000 Chief for about a year now. Like some of the other guys I've had some real issues with the dealer I was using, (they absolutely sucked), but I looked around and found good service elsewhere. I've put some money into customizing the bike and it gets more attention than just about anything on the road. It's a blast to ride and if you take a look at the newer models they're getting crappier and crappier each year, the 2000 is money. I'd give the bike 5 stars and the Indian dealer 1. Show less

I wrote a review in 03/01. I own a 2000 Chief and now have 18k on the odometer. I mostly ride in town and on day trips, but have spent upwards of six hours in the saddle on longer hauls, like the Trail of Tears run. The point is, I have some credible info to pass on, unlike some of these anonymous reviews I've read in here. I know what I ride. It's not a smooth fast metric cruiser, or a hard cornering crotch rocket, and it ain't the same lost in the parking lot American Iron that my buddies ride. If you're in the market for an Indian, make sure you know what you want. Me...I like the look ("buy a Drifter"...now thats a laugh!), I like the style, I like the interest people show (my Harley buds will attest to the same!)and I like the reliability. (18K with no problems). I've gotten great service from my adopted dealer (moved here from Fla. with the bike). Show less

I cannot imagine that all indians are built this poorly. But this is a brand new demo with 1350 miles on it. We have had nothing but problems. Engine problems, electrical you name it, its falling off. Thank God there are lemon laws. Indian should investigate their dealers more carefully, we recieved no help whatsoever. Show less

Sold my Harley FLH, to get a 2000 Indian Chief. Harleys are nice, BUT, stock, they look like old man bikes. Sorry to say, but Harley knows darn good and well that 80% of all Harleys are modified one way or another. It's calle d business people. Enter Indian. Classic, sleek, and vintage looking. Any mods needed? Absolutely not. Show less

I now have about 3500 miles on my 2000 Chief. This is my 9th motorcycle and I have owned several different makes and have rode a lot of miles in the past 25 years. I love the Chief and have recently had some work done on it, the items covered under warranty included the oil pump and rear brake master cylinder. Caution if the oil pump fails in the mode mine did your oil will pump out the breather onto the ground. I was lucky as it failed after my mechanic had done some work so it failed on the bench at the shop and he caught it right away. I have installed a gel pad in the original seat and it is beginning to make longer rides a bit easier as it conforms to my shape. They have some bolts that mount the P-Pad on the back of the front seat that are just long enough to smack you in the tailbone through the seat pad. Where did you get those four bruises ask the wife. I only have one gripe with the bike and it is an engineering problem. The 1999 and early production 2000 models were made with a right hand floorboard rear support bracket similar to a Harley. It attaches to the frame and is made of aluminum. You can find the same parts in the H-D catalogs. With the Chief set up in it's advertised low seat height mode, shocks lowered, the right side bracket will reach out and grab uneven pavement in a corner hard enough to high side you off the bike. I'm not talking about riding like a crotch rocket rider, just a simple turn. That is why you will see many of the early bikes with a taller stance which ruins the effect of a low cruiser. The factory came out with a relocation kit but it is not being covered under warranty at this time. I have heard they have three versions of the kit. The new version connects like the newer bikes it doesn't use the frame tab and rear support. My dealer told me it cost about $550 plus labor. I really feel this should be a warranty item, many don't like the update kit because it is cast black and not billet. I can recommend the K&N filter, the performance exhaust and the S&S 561 cam, power cones. After reading some of the reviews I think I might replace my petcock. I am considering installing the EZ-Boy clutch activator as it is a heavy clutch to deal with in traffic. P.S. Remember to keep your brake light lit when you stop. Flash it a couple of times when a car is coming up. The life you save will be your own. Show less