OK, sell me on the F6B

[lhurker]

Hi all!

I'm tentatively in the market for a new bike, having ridden a large Honda bagger for many years now.

Current contenders are the Honda Gold Wing F6B (l) vs the Indian Chieftain (r)

As I’m 55, this would probably be the last bike I’d ever own. I want to ride, too, not wrench. Reliability and low maintenance are key.

Here’s what I’m thinking:

HONDA F6b:

PLUSSES:

• 1800cc 6-cylinder boxer engine, liquid-cooled, known for balance of torque vs high-end and for longevity
• Shaft drive
• ~$2K lower asking price than the Chieftain
• Modern electronic features
• Great Honda fit & finish, engineering

MINUSES:

• Does not have old-school look nor much chrome
• No reverse gear on the F6B like the ‘Wing — they dropped it to save weight

INDIAN CHIEFTAIN:

PLUSSES:

• 111ci/1800cc V-Twin engine, air-cooled
• Belt drive
• TONS of chrome & old-school styling — freaking gorgeous
• Modern electronic features

MINUSES:

• Indian Motorcycle has been in & out of bankruptcy since last century. While the brand is now owned & produced by Polaris, I don’t know how long Indian will be around this time.
• I’m not familiar with long-term reliability of the brand
• ~$2k Higher asking price than the F6B

Please share your riding experiences on the F6B to help me make a better decision!

Thanks

[stroguy]

You're 55 and don't need chrome. It's ride time not chrome polish time. Have you driven an F6B? Most reliable package you can buy.

[shooter]

You can add chrome. A lot for the $2000 difference. That Indian ain't much better than a HD. The Honda is blazingly fast and corners like a Moto GP bike. Honda us a proven package with millions of miles in the field testing. Water cooled. Stro guy rides one. Oh , and this.20150612_140046-1.jpg

[CheesyRider]

• ~$2K lower asking price than the Chieftain

Keep in mind that real world pricing makes the F6B closer to $5K less than the Cheiftain. It seams the Indians sell for close to MSRP, but even current year F6Bs can be found with big discounts.

[Jimmytee]

It's all in what you want. I simply love the flat six motor. I also don't believe you'll find a better performer between the two. The Indians are sharp looking, but I think the F6B is awesome in looks and doesn't look like every other cruiser on the market.
I believe the Indians will probably be here to stay for awhile. Seems this comeback with Polaris has some staying power.

[carpdm]

Does the Indian have reverse? Ride'm both, then decide.

[unsub]

Hi all!

I'm tentatively in the market for a new bike, having ridden a large Honda bagger for many years now.

Current contenders are the Honda Gold Wing F6B (l) vs the Indian Chieftain (r)

As I’m 55, this would probably be the last bike I’d ever own. I want to ride, too, not wrench. Reliability and low maintenance are key.

Here’s what I’m thinking:

HONDA F6b:

PLUSSES:

• 1800cc 6-cylinder boxer engine, liquid-cooled, known for balance of torque vs high-end and for longevity
• Shaft drive
• ~$2K lower asking price than the Chieftain
• Modern electronic features
• Great Honda fit & finish, engineering

MINUSES:

• Does not have old-school look nor much chrome
• No reverse gear on the F6B like the ‘Wing — they dropped it to save weight

INDIAN CHIEFTAIN:

PLUSSES:

• 111ci/1800cc V-Twin engine, air-cooled
• Belt drive
• TONS of chrome & old-school styling — freaking gorgeous
• Modern electronic features

MINUSES:

• Indian Motorcycle has been in & out of bankruptcy since last century. While the brand is now owned & produced by Polaris, I don’t know how long Indian will be around this time.
• I’m not familiar with long-term reliability of the brand
• ~$2k Higher asking price than the F6B

Please share your riding experiences on the F6B to help me make a better decision!

Thanks

Since you're asking I don't think you can compare a belt or a chain drive to the shaft drive on a GL1800. Of the three I would have to say the shaft is essentially quiet and maintenance free, whereas the other two are not. I would put the belt drive in the negative column. Specifically on Polaris Victory machines there are numerous owner reports of belt chirp and alignment issues. Enough reports to make me [if I were in your shoes] think there may be a real issue buried in there somewhere. You also point out correctly that Indian has had numerous owners over the years. That's a deal breaker me [if I were in your shoes] because again as you've pointed out you want ride time, and not wrench time with the dealers or lack thereof. God, it would be like finding Artesians looking for someone to escalate issues to at Polaris.

[Greg O]

First off your not going to get old school styling and reliability, so you have to pick one. I rode Harley Baggers for nearly 20 years. This is the bike for comfort and reliability. This bike is so simple to clean you rarely have to get out the hose. I prefer my bikes murdered out. I am also 55 and don't see myself going back to Harley Davidson. It also seems like everybody and there brother has a Harley these days. I wanted something different.

[gandydancer]

Harley rider most of my 49 years on bikes--had a 2008 Wing and then 2013 f6b when they first came out--HD Rushmore changes got me back to Harley---good changes and a good bike but missed the power of the 6cly--back on a f6b---nothing like riding in the "hills" of Texas and not down shifting--Indians look great and run good--most folks I`ve talked to simply say they are still very much like HD`s---test ride both and go for it---

[Miks]

Since I have owned a plethora of motorcycles...I think about 37 counting my 2015 Honda F6B, I hope I can help you decide what bike you should purchase.

First off, I categorize a motorcycle as different than most other products we buy. A motorcycle has soul, but it also has to have that look to it that you enjoy. Nothing like going for a ride, parking your motorcycle alongside a river or other photographic scene, and just staring at it because you enjoy it that much. If you don't like the looks of a bike, you can't use the more analytical approach to ownership, it is all about the visual and character of the bike that will make that decision.

That being said, I ride my F6B with a Indian Chieftain rider, and can give you some input to how the bikes compare. I traded my 2015 Victory Cross Country for the Honda F6B, and it was the best decision I have made in a while.

First off - Indian will be around for a long time! I have gone to the Polaris factory in Spirit Lake IA, as the factory is about 100 miles from my place. The Indian is a totally re-engineered motorcycle from what piece of crap they ended up with just to have the Indian name. The bike has a lot of shared component engineering from the Victory, which is a good thing. The Victory 106 Freedom engine is built like a tank, and from modification companies, they say it is a very hard engine to blow up! The transmission is a Victory 6 speed, so it is going to make a lot of CLUNK, but it is a certified 100,000 mile + transmission so abuse it if you want.

The Honda F6B is more of a practical everyday bike, it handles better and will leave the Indian in the dust (why do you think the F6B has such large mirrors?, to watch the rest of the bikes while you are pining the throttle!) Anyway, the F6B has the engine performance, and is generally smoother with a transmission that is hugely slicker when it comes to grabbing the next hear. When I say "everyday" bike, I mean the weather protection is better around your legs, and the batwing fairings always have airflow from the bottom that seems to slip up to your chest and face. The F6B doesn't have that annoying characteristic.

While riding with the Indian Chieftain, both are equally comfortable, and amazingly get about the same gas mileage if not the edge to the F6B by two or three miles per gallon. What I like is that I don't have to search for premium fuel all the time, as the F6B uses 86 octane regular. In the Chieftain manual, it states that you can use a lower octane, but for best performance 91 octane should be used.

If you ride a lot in warm weather, the F6B is going to be the bike of choice. The radiators get rid of the heat away from you for the most part, while the Chieftain...especially in stop and go traffic, is a very warm bike in that the heat radiates right at you and the engines run HOT! I had a temperature gauge for my oil on the Victory, and it would run 220 to 245 if the temperature was above 85 degrees and we ran the bikes hard, but according to the engineers I have spoke to, they aren't worried until it gets in the 270 + range and they really aren't all that concerned about that either.

The Chieftain is more top heavy, and it does NOT have reverse gear. The electronics are a little more advanced IE bluetooth from the dash, so you can link your phone to your helmet, and it does have the throttle by wire. Now, if you were talking a Harley Vs. Indian Chieftain, forget about it, the Indian is a no-brainer. But, if you like pure reliability and refinement, the Honda is the answer hands down.

The belt on the Chieftain is a 40,000 mile replacement interval, so not a big deal, they are cheap. Going between the two bikes, and other Indian riders that we swap bikes at times, most can't believe the performance and fun the F6B brings to the table. I enjoy the thump of the big V-twin as it is a single pin crank similar to the Harley, so it has that "heart beat potato-potato" sound, and it has torque out the wazoo. It is the real deal if you like big V-twin bikes.

While riding to a resort, we stopped at a popular watering hole for a cold beer on the way home, and I told my riding buddy that the attention to his bike would be insane, as it is a nice looking bike with all the chrome, and most Harley guys like Indian motorcycles. To my amazement, most people would look at the Indian and like the looks, but they were more involved with "what the heck is this...a HONDA?" and then they would go on about how they owned a Honda at one time, and thought the F6B was one cool bike.

Go figure, huh?