OK, sell me on the F6B

[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?

[Old Ryder]

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.

I had 2 Victorys---one had the belt chirp. Go over to the Victory and Indian forums and it is a mixed bag as far as responses to the problem. Some guys got new sprockets and some---like my dealer---played dumb to the issue and was happy to replace it at full MSRP and $90 hour labor charge. But that was Vic. I rode all the Indian models and they are a quality bikes. My concern would be dealer support and the price associated with it. I have experienced quite a bit of "heartburn" and "elevated anger issues" in dealing with Polaris on the most simple items. Not sure about Indian, but with Vic, ALL warranty work must be given written permission before work is started and even then, the wait for parts can be excessive. (Google is your friend) How close is your Indain dealer? Closest to me is over 150 miles away and if he doesn't make you happy, then how about 200 miles? That being said, bot of my Victorys were quality machines, but if you want to add accessories, at this stage of production your only option is Indian. That may not sound like a big deal, but on my Cross Roads, when I went to add a backrest and luggage rack, there was one option and the combo was close to 1K. Yep---that is not a misprint. Look it up.

Now for the F6B, the dealer thingy is not an issue for 2 reasons. 1) they are all over the place and 2) you never need them because it never breaks down. There are more goodies for the B than I could ever afford---remember there are a ton of Wings on the street and almost everything that fits a wing can fit the B. There is also a reason this generation of Wing/F6B has been in production for well over a decade. Personally, after years polishing chrome on Harleys, I am happy to wash my bike and be done in 10 minutes, but that is just me.

My biggest issue with the B will most likely be yours. You will spend money making the seat, bars and windshield fit your specific body. Some guys fit from the stocj OEM position, but most have to change something. Once you do that, you will have the best combination of comfort and touring----then when you open it up on the twisties you will most likely be able to hang with the sportbike crowd, too.

I'm done!

BTW---welcome to the board.

[opas ride]

Having owned and ridden 2 Victory motorcycles and several Indian bikes at demo rides, it all depends on what one wants in a bike...After riding my F6B for over 2 1/2 years now...no question that the F6B is the way to go..Smoother, faster, one of the more reliable bikes on the planet, not much chrome to polish and handles like a dream...The Indian is way heavier, over 900lbs, and is just not my type of bike..You will spend a lot more on it and why??...At 76 years of age I did not want to wrestle with a heavy V-Twin bike and the F6B was my answer...Spend the cash you will save on the Honda and outfit the F6B the way you want and enjoy a truly great bike...I thought that at 55 I was on my last bike!!....Since then I have had 6 different bikes and none as nice a ride as the 6.....JMHO...

[Bunny]

i totally agree with what you said about the Beautiful B!!!! i am a female owner of the F6B and i get on that bike and i just dont want to get off of it. i did swap out my seat, replace the windshield, want more mods but i got the important things done - that bike is so comfortable i can just keep on going and going and going!!!

that's my 2 cents worth = don't comment much on here but had to this time. Enjoy what ever bike you decide on!!

Bunny

I had 2 Victorys---one had the belt chirp. Go over to the Victory and Indian forums and it is a mixed bag as far as responses to the problem. Some guys got new sprockets and some---like my dealer---played dumb to the issue and was happy to replace it at full MSRP and $90 hour labor charge. But that was Vic. I rode all the Indian models and they are a quality bikes. My concern would be dealer support and the price associated with it. I have experienced quite a bit of "heartburn" and "elevated anger issues" in dealing with Polaris on the most simple items. Not sure about Indian, but with Vic, ALL warranty work must be given written permission before work is started and even then, the wait for parts can be excessive. (Google is your friend) How close is your Indain dealer? Closest to me is over 150 miles away and if he doesn't make you happy, then how about 200 miles? That being said, bot of my Victorys were quality machines, but if you want to add accessories, at this stage of production your only option is Indian. That may not sound like a big deal, but on my Cross Roads, when I went to add a backrest and luggage rack, there was one option and the combo was close to 1K. Yep---that is not a misprint. Look it up.

Now for the F6B, the dealer thingy is not an issue for 2 reasons. 1) they are all over the place and 2) you never need them because it never breaks down. There are more goodies for the B than I could ever afford---remember there are a ton of Wings on the street and almost everything that fits a wing can fit the B. There is also a reason this generation of Wing/F6B has been in production for well over a decade. Personally, after years polishing chrome on Harleys, I am happy to wash my bike and be done in 10 minutes, but that is just me.

My biggest issue with the B will most likely be yours. You will spend money making the seat, bars and windshield fit your specific body. Some guys fit from the stocj OEM position, but most have to change something. Once you do that, you will have the best combination of comfort and touring----then when you open it up on the twisties you will most likely be able to hang with the sportbike crowd, too.

I'm done!

BTW---welcome to the board.

[VP8]

Like what others have said, you really need to ride both and decide which you enjoy riding most. Also, another thing to consider is, are you going to be riding a passenger. If you are riding a passenger more than just a little...then you may want to consider a bike with a trunk...such as the full dress Honda Goldwing or the Chieftain you are contemplating about. I know Indian dealers will let you test ride the bikes...and some Honda dealers will too. It's just something you will have to pre-arrange with the salesperson.

Now, I've ridden the full dress Honda Goldwing, Indian Chieftain, HD Street Glide, HD Ultra Limited CVO, owned a Victory Cross Country (also owned by Polaris) and of course currently own a F6B.

The HD bikes have nice low end power, shake like crazy at idle and are a bit cramped for the rider. The Chieftain was well balanced, good control, decent power, but I also felt cramped, similar to the HD. My 2012 Victory Cross Country, which I owned for one year and ridden over 26K miles on was very smooth, decent gas mileage, very roomy for the rider and had mass loads of saddlebag storage. My problem with it was reliability, parts availability from Polaris and lack of dealerships near me. During my one year of ownership, I ran into eight warranty problems...one of which was the belt pulley was defective and squealing. Polaris agreed to replace the pulley, but not the belt. Generally, when ever you replace the pulley, it is best to replace the belt at the same time. On one warranty issue (porous cylinder head), my bike was sitting at the dealer for over 45 days waiting for a new cylinder head to arrive from Polaris. I was so pissed off, I managed to find one myself.

Since maintenance and reliability is a big factor for you...you really need to do some research on not only the Indian brand (since Polaris took over) but you should also do some research on Polaris as well. As others have said...shaft drive is maintenance free. Verses a belt, you have to replace the belt and pulley every 30K miles...which I believe can cost somewhere around $500 with labor.

As for electronics, Indian does have Honda beat on that. The Chieftain has bluetooth, remote control lock saddlebags (the full goldwing has this too), key fob electric start and an electronic adjustable windshield. However, the Chieftain does not have reverse gear like the full goldwing does.

As for power...Honda is way more powerful than the Chieftain.

I've owned my F6B for a little over a year now...and I love it...I haven't had one warranty issue on this bike yet. There is that one recall that people have discussed, but I haven't experienced any problems, so I will wait until my next service interval to have that issue taken care of. I rarely take a passenger, and I know how to pack light, so this bike was perfect for me, as I was contemplating on purchasing the full goldwing.

Hopefully this has been of some help...good luck with your decision.

[stroguy]

Hey Miks and VP8, you guys upset with Twitter? Freakin sweet you 2. Now let your keyboards cool down.

[shooter]

I thought I was reading a novel.