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“If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”
Every video in Indian’s latest Forged build series begins with this Mario Andretti quote. It’s a rallying cry for throttle junkies. It’s an adrenaline addict's mantra. But those probably aren't the first words that come to mind when you think about a bagger.
Indian Motorcycle doesn’t want to just compete with Harley-Davidson, it wants to differentiate itself from Harley-Davidson. Just look at its liquid-cooled PowerPlus V-twin, or the cast aluminum frame in which it resides. Try finding those on a Big Twin Hog (I’ll wait). The Polaris-owned brand has flown the performance flag for years. Baggers are no exception. Its latest video series only drives that point home.
Over the past five years, the Forged series has showcased Indian’s all-new Chief, Sport Chief, and Scout. The latest entries shine the spotlight on the 2025 Chieftain. Each video pairs a renowned bagger builder with a friend-of-Indian ambassador and X Games gold medalist Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg.
On the builder side, there’s Satya Kraus of Kraus Moto and Kyle Bertsch of Forever Rad. Even Twitch himself lends his customizing talents to the project. With that lineup, you can be sure that performance takes priority. Does Bertsch bathe the Chieftain’s PowerPlus engine blue for country musician Tyler Hubbard? He sure does. Does Twitch paint Ryan Sheckler’s Chieftain in ghosted rose lace graphics? You betcha. Each bagger snags style points in its own way, but these Forged installments are more about go than show.
A full exhaust, chain drive, and billet aluminum bolt-ons are the standard affair here, but it’s the bespoke upgrades that truly distinguish each custom. There’s the 17-inch BST carbon fiber wheels on the bike Kraus built for UFC fighter Cody Garbrandt, or the sporty fuel tank Bertsch fabricated. I can’t overlook the carbon fiber saddlebags and rear fender on Twitch’s Chieftain, either. It's clear, each build is different, but they all tell the same story.
Whether funded by Yamaha or Ducati, the main objective of any OEM-driven build series is to illustrate how customizable a model is. That’s especially true for Indian, whose customers don’t enjoy the same aftermarket support as Harley riders. That all changes if Kraus Moto and Forever Rad leverage their Forged experience to develop Chieftain parts. In the end, that’s the goal of the Forged series: new options and ideas for customers.
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