Both baggers have bright LED headlights, and the Harley’ s turnsignals are integrated in its batwing fairing.
5- foot- 8, could see over the dark screen but complained about not being able to see through it; at 6- foot, I was able to see well over it. The Indian has a lightly tinted windscreen that has a steeper angle and is electrically height adjustable. When raised up, it creates a quiet pocket of air in the cockpit.
Slowing these baggers down is the job of dual 4- piston front calipers pinching large 320mm discs plus a single rear caliper. Both
The Dark Horse version of the Chieftain PowerPlus has a blacked-out powertrain, but other versions have bright work. The Street Glide is also available blacked-out. offer serious stopping power, but the Harley has a more aggressive initial bite, and its rear 4- piston caliper can even feel grabby if the pedal is not applied with finesse. Cornering
ABS is standard on both bikes and provides a reassuring margin of safety on dirty or slippery roads.
COASTAL CRUISING We packed in about 350 miles on our first day, logging more than 10 hours of riding and photography with a midday break for tacos in Atascadero. We ended up in Monterey, home to Cannery Row and a world- famous aquarium. As we walked to a brewpub for dinner, we swapped stories about past rides and shoots, memorable moments and embarrassing ones, and how we were much more reliant on ibuprofen and a good night’ s sleep than we used to be. Like my dad used to say, it sucks getting old, but it beats the alternative.
The next day, we cruised along the rocky shore of Pacific Grove and down State Route 1 to Bixby Bridge, which was built in 1932. Sitting on the rugged coast just north of Big Sur, it’ s one of the most photographed bridges in California( see Last Page on page 50). SR- 1 south of Big Sur was closed due to a landslide, so we backtracked to Carmel, swung around to the Salinas Valley, stopped for our daily ration of tacos in King City, and then rode south to Fort Hunter Liggett, an Army base that allows access to Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, a beat-to-hell, lane-and-ahalf- wide road that climbs over the Santa Lucia Mountains to SR- 1. Riding through a dark canopy of trees, we hit hidden potholes and gravity cavities that bottomed out
18 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2025 | AMERICANRIDER. COM