No chrome, no fringe, no windscreen, no whitewalled tires. With barely any touches of color whatsoever, the 2020 Indian Chief Dark Horse keeps things dark (even down to the headdress on the front fender) all while providing an aggressive cruiser aesthetic. But like the Chief Vintage in the Indian lineup, this model features valanced fenders, 111ci Thunder Stroke V-twin engine, cruise control, keyless ignition, rear cylinder deactivation at stops, and three ride modes. This is a model for those looking to cruise the American highways on a black-trimmed cruiser, soaking in the rumbling songs of the Thunder Stroke V-twin.
American-made cruisers like the Harley-Davidson Softail Slim serve as the Chief Dark Horse’s competition. We threw the H-D Softail Slim, Victory Gunner, and Chief Dark Horse together in a 2016 classic cruiser comparison and found that with its styling, the Chief Dark Horse doesn’t necessarily scream “minimalist” like the other two, but is a representation of Indian’s role in the early bob-job movement. The Chief Dark Horse won in the torque-producing category in the comparo. This transitions us over to the numbers we pulled on our in-house dyno. Since the Thunder Stroke 111 engine remains unchanged, our recordings of the 2016 model’s numbers of 106.8 pound-feet at 2,670 rpm and 76.3 hp at 4,490 rpm remain comparable.
The Chief Dark Horse is reported to now share the same chassis as the Springfield and Springfield Dark Horse, reducing the rake from 30 degrees in previous years to the current 25 degrees, resulting in improved handling, plus the added benefit of an adjustable rear shock.
The Indian Chief Dark Horse is only available in Thunder Black Smoke at an MSRP of $18,499.
