Indian Chieftain Dark Horse
The Chieftain Dark Horse is a cross-breed between the Chieftain bagger and the
stripped-back Chief Dark Horse custom. It’s got fewer frills than the
chrome-bejewelled Chieftain, and the result benefits from being taken down a
notch in the look-at-me stakes.
There’s the macho-titled Thunder Stroke 111 V-twin,
cranking out 102.4 lb-ft of torque at a thudding 2,600 rpm. Power isn’t officially
quoted, but it's in the region of 95 hp. It’s
fitted in the usual Indian cast aluminium frame, and most of the bits that are
usually polished, buffed or chromed have been given a workmanlike coat of satin
black paint.
The single seat means you’ll be doing
your touring solo, so there should be plenty of space in those panniers for
spare leather vests and tasselled chaps.
The styling might be stripped back, but
the equipment certainly isn’t. The Dark Horse offers everything from a stereo
(with Bluetooth) to an on-board computer that will tell you everything from the
remaining engine oil life to the overall hours that the motor has run, not to
mention voltages, average speed and fuel consumption, air temperature, gear
position.
Then there’s the cruise control, ABS,
tyre pressure monitoring system, keyless ignition even the tiny remnant of a
windscreen, despite looking like it’s evolving away like a vestigial limb, is
electrically adjustable. Unsurprisingly, all this doesn’t add up
to a flyweight. The Chieftain Dark Horse is already straining its belt
buckle at 364 kg.
Buy one and you’ll be lighter, though.
To the tune of £ 19,599. That’s grand less than a non-Dark-Horse version of the
Chieftain, leaving you a bit left over to splash out on extras like the
optional ape-hangers, or the performance cams and ‘six-shooter’ exhaust tips.
Or maybe you’d prefer to make up for the relatively subtle paintwork by
blasting the surroundings with extra speakers in the ‘Thunder Black Concert
Audio Lids’ and ‘Concert Saddlebag Audio Kit.’
You can even pay extra to replace the
few remaining chrome bits on the grips, floorboards, fenders and panniers with
black versions.
