Indian’s PowerPlus 112 Engine Improves On A Familiar Bagger Formula

Indian’s bagger lineup, namely the Challenger and Chieftain, are seriously comfortable and seriously big motorcycles. For the 2025 model year Indian has updated all four of these large highway cruisers with even more power from its PowerPlus 112 engine, improved user interface, and an interestingly incomplete suite of radar-sensor safety equipment. I will fully admit that the Indian Challenger was already my favorite bike in this class, and I loved the PowerPlus 108 engine for its smooth, lopey low end and compelling high-revs for this displacement class. Bump the displacement, give the bike a little more power, and keep the bike stylish and comfortable enough when the road gets twisty, and I’m going to stay interested. The bagger wars are hotter than they’ve ever been, and Indian thinks it has the right recipe to take on the best Milwaukee can throw at it. 

Indian Motorcycle Company

To make things a little simpler for you, these two models sort of boil down to just one bike. The Chieftain is the fork-mounted fairing version of the PowerPlus platform, while the Challenger is the fixed fairing version. Both bikes get top-box and passenger backrest touring versions, called Roadmaster and Pursuit, respectively. Until recently the Chieftain was only available with Indian’s aircooled 92-horsepower Thunderstroke engine, and while that version of the bike remains available, the watercooled PowerPlus engine is new to the Chieftain lineup. There are other differences and options, but if you keep all of this in mind, it’s hopefully as clear as mud.

Full Disclosure: Indian invited me out to Las Vegas, fed me and put me up in a nice hotel. I was also treated to a gorgeous day in the Valley of Fire State Park.

All of the bikes you see me riding in these photos are higher-spec models with the optional larger 112ci PowerPlus V-twin. The Chieftain tips the scales at 842 pounds ready to ride, while a full-fat Challenger with a 400w stereo system weighs 860. That engine makes 126 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque unleashed with a chunky handlebar throttle twist, however, so you aren’t exactly pining for more power or less bike. They’re not exactly corner carvers, but these machines are competent enough to be engaging when the roads aren’t perfectly arrow straight. A fast curvy desert highway, in fact, is where these steel horses were born to run. These bikes are the two-wheeled embodiment of the American west.

Indian Motorcycle Company

When I reviewed the Challenger last, I wrote “the solid chassis, impressive suspension, and incredible torquey powerplant means the Challenger is a pliant dance partner,” and I stand by that assessment. The floorboards will absolutely scrape the ground before anything else, so it’s best to keep your riding well below the limit. That underlying structure and suspension tuning hasn’t really changed at all, but it didn’t really need to. 

I am confident that I would notice a difference between the standard Chieftain and the new PowerPlus-powered Chieftain, but going from the old 122-hp Challenger 108 to the new 126-hp Challenger 112 is probably imperceptible. But the whole point of that extra four horsepower is that you can say the engine in your bike was developed by Indian’s championship-winning King of the Baggers race team. Sure it’s an extra $3,000, but whether it’s worth that is really up to you. The Chieftain Dark Horse 112 I rode will set you back $33,499, while the white Challenger Limited 112 is a mere $250 cheaper.

The tech available in these bikes is pretty great. The PowerPlus engine has had rear cylinder deactivation since new, which aids in reducing crotch heat soak sitting at stop lights or stuck in traffic. Naturally the already-extant Bosch six-axis IMU controls the bike’s traction control and lean-sensitive ABS, as well as facilitating a launch control mode. All of the old stuff is there, including three selectable ride modes and a standard touch screen with Apple Carplay. 

For the 2025 model year Indian has added a “rider assist package” with some radar-sensor safety elements to its baggers, which is a pretty big deal. The new package includes hill hold control and electronically-linked braking, both very welcome additions to the riding experience. The big change, however, is found in a little black box mounted between the rear turn signals. This little sensor enables the bike to display blind-spot warnings to the rider with flashing lights on each of the mirror stalks to indicate which blind side is occupied. There’s no substitute for an over-the-shoulder glance when changing lanes, but this little piece of tech, a staple in cars for two decades now, is very helpful for keeping track of traffic around you. Additionally, the sensor also facilitates a rear collision warning system, which flashes the rear lights to let drivers behind know they’re approaching too quickly. Hopefully that flash of light will get a distracted driver to look up from their phone for a second and apply the brakes instead of smashing into you. 

Indian Motorcycle Company

Why Indian didn’t include a front radar sensor is a question I’ll be asking every day of the rest of my life. This is a $30,000-plus bagger bike intended for long-legged highway cruising, which is the perfect application for radar adaptive cruise control. I’ve ridden a few bikes with the Bosch-designed ACC tech before, including the Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak over four years ago, and the sub-$20,000 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+. There’s plenty of space in the giant fairings on these motorcycles to fit a front-facing radar sensor, and there’s plenty of price in these bikes to hide new advanced tech. More importantly, Harley-Davidson hasn’t done it yet, and Indian is always trying to one-up the bar and shield brand. 

Thirty-three-and-a-half grand is a lot of money to plonk down on a motorcycle, any motorcycle. I’ve said before that I don’t see the value proposition of bagger bikes, but I do find myself enjoying the hell out of every mile I sit in that seat. If you’re a rich guy, a sucker, or a mile-eating monster who wants a bike that will run across the country in comfort and style, maybe you can justify the price, and you’ll probably be happy with your decision.