Indian Chief Dark Horse: the game changer
When I first heard that a new Indian Chief Dark Horse, I immediately thought that Indian was about to release a model with a generic change in colors, a tech up-date, and that was going to be it. Well… I could not be more wrong! For the 100th anniversary of the Iconic name of the “Chief” name, Indian decided to go big and reworked the bike from wheel to wheel. The new Chief line has been out for a while now, let’s see how the Chief Dark Horse is doing.
Critical thinking
As I was mentioning before, compared to its predecessor, Indian has taken a different approach with the new Chief. No more big flared fenders, chunky headstock and other ornamentation that gave the motorcycle its big, brawny look. The new Indian Chief Dark Horse now features a modern look with a more minimalistic approach. It comes with a bright LED headlamp and LED lighting for the other auxiliary lights, a 4-inch colour TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity, built-in navigation, music, and all the vehicle data you can think of. Everything topped with a full blacked-out look.
While the new design makes it incredible to look at, the Indian Chief Dark Horse is also great to ride.
Riding Experience
Boy it is so nice to ride you never feel like stopping. The saddle sits 662 mm off the ground, and the stance is a bit aggressive due to the handlebar. Despite the long wheelbase and large wheels, since its weight is well-distributed, the Indian Chief Dark Horse behaves incredibly good around corners and through moving traffic. The only instances in which it is possible to really feel its weight is when taking U-turns or haul it off the kickstand: at the ends of the day, its kerb weight is 304-kg.
In traffic, Indian cylinder deactivation pays off. Basically, at a standstill the rear cylinder gets deactivated for better heat management. Once the throttle is applied, the cylinder begins firing again. A brilliant solution to solve a problem that has been bugging us bikers for years. The brakes do not have a strong bite but are adequate enough to always keep you in control. The same goes for the suspension which, despite only 75 mm of travel at the rear, is good at flattening most road undulations. Worthy of mention, is the fact that, despite the low ground clearance of 125 mm, the bike does not scrape its underbelly on any speed breakers. Trust me I’ve ridden on so many of them.
Our thoughts
The new Indian Chief Dark Horse represents the direction that Indian Motorcycle wants to take for the future. It is the modern expression of what Indian wants to offer with its new lineup of motorcycles. While it is sure that it has lost its unmistakable design and the butch stance that commanded road presence, it is also true that this new Indian Chief Dark Horse has also gained with dynamics and weight management, making it a fun motorcycle to ride. Thanks to the abundance of torque delivered by the 116 Thunderstroke, it is an engaging and effortless motorcycle, one that makes you want to go for endless rides. Thanks to its looks, its tech features and the way it rider, this is the best cruiser on the market at the moment.
Ends Cuoio take on Indian Chief Dark Horse
If you spend all your free time riding your Indian Chief Dark Horse, you might be interested in Ends Cuoio bags for Indian Chief Dark Horse.
We have a wide range of bags capable to unlock the wide range of distances the new 2022 line of Indian Chief models can ride.
