Indian Chief Dark Horse Review

If you’re into Louis L’Amour or have been a lifelong fan of Western movies, you’ll certainly go “By Manitou!” the moment you see the Indian Chief Dark Horse in paint and steel. Just the name and the sight of this blacked-out mass of steel will evoke images of a long, curvy highway through a valley flanked by mountains covered with pine forests. And like the rest of the Chief range, the Dark Horse also retains the classic lines Indian Motorcycles are identified with, from the time this iconic brand started making motorcycles way back in 1901.

Design and Styling: rating_4.0_rating

Yes, the Dark Horse’s silhouette is the same as the shiny Indian Chief Classic and the Indian Chief Vintage, with the unmistakably-Indian deep skirted fenders and all-American cruiser looks. Yet, the Chief Dark Horse gets barely a hint of chrome – just the trims on the fenders, cylinder fins and the exhaust pipes – the rest of the Dark Horse are covered in matte black. It’s black from end to end – including the wheels, forks, handlebars, engine, bodywork – even the traditional warbonnet up on the front fender. 

Look closely though, and you will begin to notice that the Dark Horse is sleeker and meaner than its larger, chrome-laden siblings and it certainly will appeal to a lot of cruiser lovers. The black paint is suitably complemented by monochrome warbonnet graphics on the fuel tank, seen only on the Dark Horse. And overall, the design works well, particularly the unpolished and raw approach to its finish. It certainly is a handsome and attractive cruiser and is unmistakably Indian.

Engine and Features: rating_4.0_rating

The powerplant is the same Thunder Stroke 111 engine that powers the entire Chief range of motorcycles. The 1811cc V-twin makes a massive 138.9Nm of torque at 2600rpm. That means it’s got enough grunt to keep you entertained in a straight line, and the throbbing rumble of the V-twin will ceratinly jive with any cruiser lover.

It’s got keyless ignition, ABS and cruise control as standard for relaxed highway cruising. And the dual exhaust system produces a rich exhaust note which has been acoustically engineered to eliminate high pitched sounds. Most of all it’s a trimmed down version of the Chief Classic.

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A swept back handlebar greets you as you mount the Dark Horse. The tank mounted instrument console has been retained from the Chief Classic and gives out a long list of data, including a speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge, low fuel indicator, dual trip meters, digital tachometer, ambient air temperature, fuel range, average fuel economy, battery voltage, gear indicator, engine oil temperature, clock and a vehicle trouble code readout as well. Then  there’s a list of optional equipement as well, including ape hanger handlebars, pinnacle one-up luggage rack, gloss black parts  and Stage I slip-on exhausts.

Performance and Handling: rating_4.0_rating

Thumb the starter and the fuel-injected Thunder Stroke 111 rumbles to life in a familiar V-twin burble. And this engine has got excellent distribution of torque across the rev range and it’s evident on the Dark Horse as well. On a straight line, the Dark Horse has got enough grunt to keep you entertained as you accelerate through the gears. With linear power delivery and an even spread of torque, it certainly has excellent performance, with a meaty mid range which will be a boon for effortless overtaking on the highway without the need for downshifting.

Ride quality is good, although the suspension is on the softer side for comfortable highway cruising. Handling is good too and the Dark Horse takes to sweeping curves easily, despite its size and weight. The only hindrance are the footboards which tend to come in the way of leaning too far out on a corner. Overall, the Dark Horse proves to be a more than capable cruiser.

Pricing and Verdict: rating_4.0_rating

The Chief Dark Horse is placed bang in the middle of the Indian Motorcycles product line-up – it’s got the same personality and appeal as the chrome laden Chief and Chief Vintage, yet it’s shed some weight and gets that cool blacked out treatment many prospective buyers definitely would take a shine to. So, will the Chief Dark Horse become a bestseller and be the single most important model for Indian’s fortunes in India? Difficult to say...

Sure, the Chief Dark Horse has appealing looks, torquey engine, fantastic road presence and an iconic brand to boot, but it still is a handful, er armful, of a bike to handle in traffic. In India at least, the Dark Horse though will be a leisure tool for owners, for the Sunday morning ride or even a longish ride over the weekend. At almost Rs 22 lakh, it still by no means is an affordable machine and it’s got direct competition from the Harley-Davidson Night Rod, with similar pricing and similar ‘blacked out’ personality. For us though, the real ‘dark horse’ for Indian Motorcycles remains the entertaining Scout, and that may still undercut the Chief Dark Horse, both in pricing and personality.