The best Indian motorcycle trailer hitch is one built for your exact bike and year, and HitchDoc Outdoors makes receiver-style hitches from American steel for the Chieftain, Roadmaster, Chief, Springfield, Challenger, and Pursuit. Coverage runs 2014 through 2024 depending on the bike, plus the 2002 and 2003 Chief. Every HitchDoc hitch is rated for 40 pounds of tongue weight, max, and that tongue weight should never be more than 10% of the loaded trailer. One thing you need to hear before you spend a cent: Indian’s own owner’s manuals say don’t tow a trailer. If you decide to tow anyway, it’s your call, and the job is to stay inside the hitch’s limits and your bike’s GVWR. Nothing we sell makes that safe. It just makes the connection solid and the limits clear.
Key Takeaways
- Indian’s owner’s manuals say don’t tow a trailer. Hear that before you buy any hitch, ours or anyone else’s.
- HitchDoc hitches fit the Chieftain, Roadmaster, Chief, Springfield, Challenger, and Pursuit for listed years.
- The ceiling is 40 pounds of tongue weight, and tongue weight never goes over 10% of the loaded trailer.
- The hitch is receiver style. The ball and the trailer wiring are separate.
- 2022 and newer Chieftains, the new Chief, and the Scout aren’t on the list. Call before you order.
What does Indian say about towing?
Straight answer: Indian says don’t. The 2025 Indian Challenger owner’s manual and the 2023 Indian Chief rider’s manual both say it in their safe riding section. “Do not tow a trailer. Towing a trailer can make the motorcycle hard to handle.” That’s not a suggestion. That’s the manufacturer telling you, in writing, not to do it.
We’re not burying that. You’re the one on the bike. You should hear it from us before you spend $500 on a hitch. That’s the whole reason we put it up top.
Plenty of Indian riders tow anyway. There are whole threads about it on the Indian forums, and it’s a real thing. If that’s you, a hitch built for your exact bike is the right way to do it, and a hard limit is better than no limit. But it doesn’t change what Indian says. And it doesn’t make an overloaded trailer safe. What it gives you is a solid, bike-specific connection and numbers you can check against. Stay inside them.
Two things to do before you tow, and I’d do them before I even buy the hitch. Ask your Indian dealer how towing affects your warranty. And find your bike’s GVWR. It’s on the label on the frame and in the specifications section of your manual. You’ll need it a few paragraphs from now.
Does HitchDoc make a hitch for my Indian?
If you ride one of the big Indian baggers, tourers, or cruisers from the last decade, probably. The Indian motorcycle hitch is listed by model and year:
- Chieftain (Classic, Dark Horse, Elite, Limited): 2014 to 2021
- Roadmaster (Classic, Dark Horse, Elite, ICON, Limited): through the 2023 model year
- Chief (Classic, Dark Horse, Vintage): 2014 to 2020
- Chief: 2002 and 2003
- Springfield (Dark Horse): 2016 to 2021
- Vintage (Dark Horse): 2021
- Challenger (Dark Horse, Elite, Limited): 2020 to 2024
- Pursuit (Dark Horse, Elite, Limited): 2022 to 2024
One thing that catches people: the recent Chief, Chieftain, and Roadmaster take the same hitch part number. The Challenger takes a different one. So don’t assume your buddy’s hitch bolts onto your bike just because you both ride Indians. Pick your year and model on the listing and let it pull the right part. Same family, different hardware.
What’s not on the list? Newer bikes, mostly. The 2022 and newer Chieftain, the 2024 and newer Roadmaster, the 2025 and newer Challenger and Pursuit. The redesigned Chief that came out for 2022 isn’t listed. Neither is the Scout family. If you ride one of those, call (800) 446-8222 before you order. We’d rather tell you no than ship you a hitch that doesn’t fit. That’s not a policy. That’s just good sense.
The hitch is also built for stock bikes. If you’ve changed the shocks, suspension, or tires, check that nothing interferes before you install it. Call us before you order.
Will the hitch change how my bike looks?
Not much, and that’s the whole point of a bike-specific hitch. A universal bracket hangs off the back like an afterthought. A hitch built for your exact Indian follows the lines of the bike, and you barely notice it.
Every Indian hitch is receiver style. The ball mount slides out when you’re not towing. Riders on the Indian forums have been saying it for years. With the tongue out, a HitchDoc nearly disappears. That’s not a marketing line. That’s what owners report.
You can pick chrome plating or black powder coat for the hitch. The receivers are chrome either way. Whatever you choose, it’s the same steel, same fit, same shop.
It’s built the same way as every HitchDoc motorcycle hitch, from American steel in Minnesota. And it’s the product this company started with. Brad Mohns built the first one in the family farm shop for the 50th Anniversary Sturgis Rally. HitchDoc has been building hitches for specific bikes ever since. That’s 35 plus years of the same thing, done right.
How much can you tow behind an Indian?
Here’s the math. Two rules on the trailer side, one on the bike side. Get these wrong and the ride gets dangerous fast.
- 40 pounds of tongue weight, max. That’s every HitchDoc motorcycle hitch, Indian included. Hard ceiling. Not a suggestion.
- Tongue weight can’t be more than 10% of the loaded trailer. On a 300 pound loaded trailer, that’s 30 pounds on the ball. On 250 pounds, it’s 25. Do the math before you load, not at the coupler.
- Everything counts against your GVWR. The bike, you, your passenger, riding gear, what’s in the bags, the tongue weight. Add it all up. It can’t go over the number on the label. That’s the one that catches people.
That last one trips more people than the first two. A Roadmaster with two riders and full bags is already carrying a lot before the trailer goes on. Do the math at home. Not on the shoulder of the interstate.
And weigh the tongue. Don’t guess. Load the trailer the way you’ll ride with it. Set the coupler on a bathroom scale at hitch height and read it. If it’s over, move weight back over the trailer axle or leave some of it home. A bathroom scale reads fine. You don’t need a $200 trailer scale for 40 pounds.
One more rule from the hitch instructions. No single-wheel trailers. HitchDoc hitches aren’t built for them. The sway on a single-wheel rig is a different problem, and this hitch doesn’t solve it. Two wheels. Period.
What else do you need before you tow?
The listing is the hitch itself. A few things come separate, and people forget them:
- A hitch ball. Not included. Match the ball size to your trailer’s coupler. 1-7/8 inch is the common one, but check your trailer.
- Trailer wiring. Your trailer’s lights need power from the bike. Plan for a wiring harness that fits your model. No lights means no trailering, plain as that.
- Safety chains. Always run them. Cross them under the tongue. If the coupler comes loose, crossed chains catch the tongue.
Set the trailer tires to their maximum allowable pressure. Check the bike’s tires before every ride. Then walk around the whole rig before you leave. Coupler latched, pin in, chains crossed, lights working. Two minutes at home. Saves a lot of trouble on the road.
How does a trailer change the ride?
A lot more than you’d think the first time. Even a light trailer changes how an Indian stops and turns, and the first few rides will feel wrong. But respect the change while you’re learning it.
- Braking: leave more room and start earlier. You’re stopping more weight than the bike was set up for.
- Corners: slow down before the turn, not in it. Hard braking mid-corner with a trailer behind you is the thing to avoid.
- Group rides: ride at the back. Nobody should be braking hard in front of you. You can’t react to a sudden stop if there’s 300 pounds swinging behind you.
- Sway or bounce: slow down gradually. Don’t grab the brakes. Then pull over and stop towing until you find the cause. A trailer sway at 60 mph is not something you fight with the brakes. You slow it down, you stop, and you figure it out.
Take a short ride on roads you know before the first long trip. You’ll learn more in twenty minutes of riding than from everything you read here. That’s how you learn a bike. Planning for rally season? Our post on towing a trailer to Sturgis covers packing and the ride out. For setup, our motorcycle towing guide goes deeper.
Get the HitchDoc hitch for your Indian
Read what Indian says and still want to tow? Then get a hitch made for your exact bike, from the company that answers the phone. The Chief, Chieftain, Roadmaster, and Challenger hitches run $535.28, and the listing starts at $469.91 depending on the model. US ground shipping is free on orders over $100. Pick your year and model on the Indian motorcycle hitch page, or see the full HitchDoc motorcycle hitch lineup.
Riding something else too? We’ve got guides for the Harley-Davidson and the Honda Gold Wing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Indian Motorcycle recommend towing a trailer?
No. Indian’s owner’s manuals say “Do not tow a trailer” because it can make the motorcycle hard to handle. If you tow anyway, keep tongue weight at or under 40 pounds and at or under 10% of the loaded trailer. Stay inside your bike’s GVWR. And ask your dealer how towing affects your warranty before you buy anything.
Will a HitchDoc hitch fit my 2025 Indian Chieftain or Roadmaster?
Not right now. The Chieftain is listed through 2021 and the Roadmaster through 2023. If your bike is newer, call (800) 446-8222 and we’ll tell you where things stand.
Is the hitch ball included?
No. The Indian hitch is receiver style, and the ball is sold separately. Match the ball size to your trailer’s coupler. 1-7/8 inch is the common size, but check your trailer before you buy.
Can I pull a single-wheel trailer with a HitchDoc hitch?
No. HitchDoc motorcycle hitches aren’t built for single-wheel trailers. The sway is a different problem and this hitch doesn’t handle it. Use a two-wheel trailer that keeps the tongue weight inside the limits.
Does HitchDoc make a hitch for the Indian Scout?
Not currently. The Indian hitch covers the Chief, Chieftain, Roadmaster, Springfield, Vintage, Challenger, and Pursuit for listed years. The Scout isn’t on the list. Call us and we’ll tell you where things stand.
Know your bike and your year? Find your hitch on the Indian hitch page, or call (800) 446-8222 and we’ll make sure it fits before it ships.