Indian Chieftain Dark Horse Test Ride Review

Indian Chieftain Dark Horse Review

Bike Tested: Indian Chieftain Dark Horse; Road Test No. 918

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 39.88 lakhs

The Indian Chieftain Dark Horse is a bagger with plenty of creature comforts

Adrenaline rush. This phenomenon has come to be synonymous with every other two-wheeled vehicle that wades past the half-a-million mark when it comes to price. However, akin to two sides of a coin, there exists an audience in motorcycling fraternity as well that doesn’t give two hoots about blistering performance but rather prefers to soak in the experience. This time around, we are tearing the roads of Mumbai astride a cruiser that’s tailored to meet the expectations of such elite customers. It’s called the Indian Chieftain Dark Horse and it costs a staggering Rs. 40 lakhs! We test it to the core through traffic, sweepers and straights to frame a verdict. To find out whether or not it makes sense at this price, read on!

Motor Quest: Coming into existence in 1901, Indian Motorcycle is among the oldest motorcycle brands with a great deal of heritage associated with it. The American brand was revived by Polaris in 2013 and flaunts a number of cruisers, baggers and tourers in its stable as of now. Draped in Thunder Black Smoke colour, Indian Chieftain Dark Horse is the range-topping bagger model from the manufacturer.

The Chieftain will leave you astonished with its phenomenal level of attention

Styling –- To start with, the Chieftain is a behemoth in the world of motorcycles with dimensions of 2506 x 1000 x 1388 (length x width x height, in mm). While the bagger features modern mechanicals and a ton of electronics, it stays true to the iconic motorcycles of the 1950s as far as design is concerned. The signature War Bonnet, vintage badging and valenced fenders covering the brake calipers make it resemble the original Chief remarkably well while the Quick Release backrest, powered windscreen, LED lighting, 100-watt bluetooth-enabled audio system and other contemporary elements manifest modernity. The Dark Horse theme plays its part in providing a strong character as there’s minimal use of chrome. To top it off, a number of parts are cleverly designed to demonstrate complete symmetry, right from a fake pass light switch to a dummy fuel tank lid!

Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – Being an older version, the Chieftain at our disposal came equipped with a semi-digital instrument cluster with two analogue pods on either side and a medium-sized MID in between. The newer versions come with a Ride Command system that consists of a 7-inch colour touchscreen with support for two-finger touch and pinch-to-zoom. Along with 15 telltale indicators, this system can be customised to showcase vehicle info, ride data, navigation and audio information display. Meanwhile, the speedometer and odometer pods get their separate monotone displays to display gear position, real-time fuel efficiency and even engine oil life percentage! In the latest iteration, the analog gauges get a black background while the power button (yup, keyless ignition!) has been moved near the instrument cluster.

Ergonomics -– With a seat height of 660 mm and a fairly spacious seat, the Chieftain Dark Horse is well-suited to riders of all sizes. As is typical with cruisers, this one offers a relaxed laid-back seating position that replicates the feel of sitting on a sofa! The handlebar is sufficiently wide and is set at a perfect height such that it falls into place naturally. What this translates into is a fatigue-free ride experience even after hours of non-stop riding. The seat cushioning and contours are spot-on for the rider as well as pillion. The Chieftain comes with footboards for the rider that are placed far ahead than the usual position which takes some time to get used to. While the pillion gets relatively utilitarian footpegs, the supremely comfortable backrest exclusive to the rear seat makes up for it.

Performance -– The Chieftain Dark Horse draws power from Indian’s 1811cc Thunder Stroke 111 engine that churns out all of 150 Nm of torque at 2900 RPM with the rev limiter kicking in at around 5500 RPM. Even with a narrow power band, the air-cooled motor is thoroughly enjoyable because of its effortless torque delivery. Torque is available from the word go and there is zilch hesitation even when riding in higher gears at low speeds. However, power starts to taper off at the top-end and it is best to adopt a sedate riding style on this motorcycle. The initial gears are fairly tall which allows for a smooth ride at city speeds and reduces the need for frequent gear changes. In fact, you can use the 2nd cog like an automatic transmission and traverse from crawling speeds to a ton with the dual exhaust pipes spitting out the characteristic V-Twin rasp in full glory.

That 378 kgs of kerb weight is nowhere to be felt once you get going on this bike

Refinement levels are of top order for a V-Twin powerplant with not even a hint of vibrations or harshness felt throughout the usable rev band. On the other hand, the hard clutch and iffy gearbox operation is nothing to write home about. The Chieftain manages to hit 160 km/hr with ease if you give it the beans. However, progress thereafter is painfully slow. Even in moving traffic, the bagger heats a lot which becomes a cause of discomfort for the rider when the heat hits the legs. Thanks to its 20.8-litre fuel tank though, the real-world fuel economy of 15 to 20 kms to a litre translates to a respectable range of over 300 kms on a single tank of fuel.

There’s no denying that the Chieftain is a heavyweight motorcycle

Riding Dynamics – The suspension setup is tuned to be on the softer side to provide a compliant ride quality while the sheer mass ensures that crosswinds and undulations don’t unsettle the motorcycle. This results in a dearth of feedback from the front end which makes it unnerving to ride at higher triple-digit speeds. Taking U-turns or maneuvering through crawling traffic is a painful task because of the weight as well as the riding position (allows little control in case you mess up). As you speed up, handling turns out to be good enough for a bagger as the Dark Horse holds its line well through fast sweepers provided it isn’t pushed aggressively. ABS-equipped brakes do a commendable job of bringing this horse to a halt although some amount of nose dive is felt under hard braking.

Verdict -– For what it is, the Indian Chieftain Dark Horse is an impressive blend of style, comfort, performance and features as well. However, where this motorcycle actually stands out is in terms of road presence! Nothing at this price point would garner as much attention as the Dark Horse because the Indian Motorcycle brand is among the rarest things to spot on our roads. What’s equally rare is their service network in our country that will make maintaining the Chieftain a task in itself! However, when the going gets tough, you’ve got them marine speakers on the dashboard to lighten your mood by blasting out some of your favourite tunes. Heck, the company even provides additional speakers attached to the saddlebags to transform this monster into a discotheque. At Rs. 40 lakhs on-the-road, this isn’t meant for the common man but for the one who knows what he’s getting into!

What’s Cool

* Massive road presence that can put even some known SUVs to shame!
* Refined V-Twin with effortless cruising ability
* Ride quality is impressive over most road undulations
* Long feature list, enormous attention-to-detail and top-notch quality of materials

What’s Not So Cool

* 378 kgs of American muscle makes it scary to ride at crawling speeds
* Soft suspension calls for plenty of heart-in-mouth moments at high speeds
* Notchy gear shift quality
* Price tag, which may end up giving someone a mini heart attack!

Indian Chieftain Dark Horse Specifications

* Engine: 1811cc, Air-Cooled, Twin-Cylinder
* Torque: 150 Nm @ 2900 RPM
* Transmission: 6-speed Manual
* 0-100 km/hr: 7 seconds (Est.)
* Top Speed: 200 km/hr (Est.)
* Fuel Consumption: 15-20 km/l
* Fuel Type: Petrol
* Frame: Cast Aluminium
* Suspension: Telescopic Forks (Front), Air Adjust Monoshock (Rear)
* Tyres: 130/60/19 (Front), 180/60/16 (Rear), Dunlop
* Brakes: 300 mm Dual Disc (Front), 300 mm Disc (Rear)

Indian Chieftain Dark Horse Dimensions

* Length x Width x Height: 2506 mm x 1000 mm x 1388 mm
* Wheelbase: 1668 mm
* Ground Clearance: 142 mm
* Seat Height: 660 mm
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 20.8-litres
* Kerb Weight: 378 kgs

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