2026 Indian Chief Vintage Sturgis, SD Edition: First Look at the Limited-Run Cruiser

Indian Motorcycle has unveiled the 2026 Chief Vintage Sturgis, SD Edition, a 125-unit limited-run cruiser priced at $23,999 MSRP. The bike pays homage to the 1930s Indians that raced at the inaugural Sturgis rally, with a two-tone Indian Motorcycle Red and Cream paint scheme featuring a multi-colored headdress tank logo.

Serialized badging (numbered to 125) marks the company’s 125th anniversary, and a painted number 56 on the side plate salutes early Sturgis racers. Heritage finishes on the engine—painted cylinder heads and pushrod tubes over black cylinders—echo 1940s Indian styling.

The base Chief Vintage, which retails for $19,999, remains mechanically unchanged, meaning the Sturgis edition is purely a cosmetic upgrade. Underneath the retro paint lies the familiar air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 V-twin, churning out 120 ft-lbs of torque at 2900 rpm.

Three ride modes (Tour, Standard, Sport) tweak throttle response, while a 4-inch Ride Command touchscreen adds navigation, live traffic, and weather updates via a Bluetooth-linked smartphone. Keyless ignition and ABS are standard.

The styling package mirrors the base Chief Vintage: valanced fenders, an illuminated headdress front fender light, 16-inch wire-spoke wheels wrapped in Metzeler Cruisetec tires, floorboards, and a pullback handlebar. The seat height is a low 27 inches, and the curb weight clocks in at 721 pounds.

Indian’s claim to Sturgis history is well-founded—the first rally in 1938 was organized by a local Indian dealer and a motorcycle club, with nine riders racing and 200 spectators watching. That modest gathering has since ballooned into the world’s largest motorcycle rally, now in its 86th year. “When you look at how far it’s come and how much it’s grown over almost 90 years, it’s amazing to think that it was an Indian Motorcycle dealer and a group of Indian Motorcycle riders that literally started it all,” said Indian Motorcycle CEO Mike Kennedy. “What’s even cooler is the fact that back then, it was all based on a simple desire to come together in celebration of a lifestyle and a spirit of freedom that can only be found through motorcycle riding, and it remains the same to this day.

This bike is special in that it pays homage to those origins and to that spirit that all riders share.”