Indian launches Chief Dark Horse in London

Indian motorcycles have continued the firm’s relaunch with the unveiling of the Chief Dark Horse at the Carole Nash MCN London Motorcycle show at the weekend.

The unveiling was the first time the bike has been seen outside of America where the bike was launched the evening before in Chicago and debuted a bike based on the MCN award-winning Chief platform. The Chief Dark Horse is a new all-black painted bike that shares the 1811cc V-twin and chassis from the Chief Classic model but it’s a fair bit lighter than the rest of the range so will offer better performance and handling.

The Chief Dark Horse is officially billed as a 2016 model because of the weird way American firm’s launch new models but always designate them for the following year. The bike was unveiled on Saturday on the Indian stand at the MCN London Motorcycle show held at Excel in London’s Docklands.

The relaunch of the Indian brand began under parent company Polaris in 2013 with the launch of the three bike Chief range which has the Classic, Roadmaster, Vintage and Chieftan and also includes the smaller Scout model.

The Chief Dark Horse is kept simple in terms of the paintscheme but still has all of the high tech and luxury additions seen on the rest of the range including ABS, a remote key fob for keyless ignition, electronic cruise control, and features a five-year unlimited mileage warranty.

Indian is pitching this bike as a model aimed a those owners who want a blank canvas for customisation and there is a long list of accessory options to choose from including ape hanger handlebars, accessory air cleaners, mudguard struts, slip-on exhaust with black heat shields and exhaust tips, and black mudguard trim help create the fully blacked-out look.

Indian Motorcycle’s Senior Product Manager Ben Lindaman said: “The Indian Chief Dark Horse is unlike anything else currently available from Indian Motorcycle. While it shares the best traits with other models in the Chief platform, its signature matte black paint and minimalist profile give it an attitude unlike any other Indian motorcycle. We’re excited to unveil this new bike at an engaging price point for a full-size heavyweight American cruiser.”