With the performance side of things dialed in on the 2018 Indian Chieftain Classic project from the last issue—thanks to Lloyd’z Motorworkz cams, a Fab28 Industries exhaust, Power Vision CX tuner, and an Arlen Ness air cleaner—we were eager to focus on some more bling from the likes of Ness, and we definitely found it with its new ProCross wheels.
The ProCross ($1,199.95) is an aggressively styled spinner, especially in the black and machined finish, which goes with our overall colorway vision of using silver and black accents throughout. The Ness ProCross wheels are lightweight yet engineered with a smooth rolled lip and CNC-machined details for weight reduction to perform and handle anything the road throws at you. The wheels are precision machined from radial-forged 6061-T6 aluminum for maximum road durability, and Ness uses its own proprietary wheel forgings to control every detail from the start. And all Ness wheels are structurally tested to meet or exceed DOT, JAS, and TUV international load ratings. The ProCross is available in multiple sizes; however, we opted for a 21-by-3.5-inch front and 17-by-5.5-inch rear in black anodized (also available in chrome). The ProCross will fit popular Harley-Davidson motorcycles too. Of course, matching floating performance rotors are also available in 11.5-, 11.8-, and 14-inch sizes.
Of course, tires are muy importante as well, which is why the Metzeler ME 888 Marathon Ultras (contact your local dealer for price) found their way on our ProCross wheels. We’ve tested the ME 888 Marathon Ultra for thousands of miles on heavy baggers in the past, and have to say they’re some of the best tires out there from a multidimensional approach: profile, structure, tread pattern, and compound. The structure shape features a flat and wide geometry that conveys and dissipates toward the sidewall the stress generated under the footprint, reducing fatigue and the wear process. To increase wear regularity, the transversal grooves of the tread pattern are discontinued by “compound bridges,” resulting in a more solid and stiffer tread design that reduces the stress transmitted to the belts and carcass plies.
Also, the edges of grooves are critical areas for wear regularity. ME 888 groove walls have a different inclination to ensure the best operating angle in every position. The polymers of the compound are abrasion resistant, providing higher resistance to wear and, hence, high mileage.
With the wheels, rotors, and tires dialed in, we needed a fender too. We checked out a few options from Arlen Ness and Klock Werks. The Klock Werks Tire Hugger and the Arlen Ness Rapper provide a streamlined look. For those who want to keep the Indian War Bonnet, check out Klock’s Klassic front fender. For the minimal guy or gal, the Ness Pro Short fender is just for you. We sent all the fenders to Gjerde Paint Production in Spirit Lake, Iowa, to color-match all the fenders to the Vogue Matte Silver scheme of this bike. Once we received the flawlessly painted tins back, we headed over to Indian Motorcycle of Orange County in Westminster, California, to let them tackle the wheel, tire, and fender installation while we lounged out in the waiting room sipping piña coladas and mai tais. Thanks for the efforts, Chris, Max, Johnny, Damon, and Julian!
Source : Hotbikeweb
