Adam, just a follow up from my last comment.. after owning 17 motorcycles of many brands and riding for 43 years, for the first time I just visited my Local Indian Dealership today after reading your review of the Dark horse, and I must say you are not kidding! I WAS ABSOLUTELY BLOWN AWAY by the incredible balance and handling of this motorcycle. Even turning the front forks lock to lock felt light and nimble. From the second I stepped in the dealership I was warmly welcomed and never in my life had this kind of experience in any dealership. the salesman really went into very technical detail of the all the models, in fact he told me the power stroke motor only has a total of 8 gaskets! He also explained in great detail the chassis, motor and suspension features and design. Adam, you are right on the money with your review and assessment. I still can’t believe how incredible this bike handles and preformed!! And killer sleek looks too! I am keeping my Harley-Davidson, but I am also buying this Indian Dark horse, there is no Turning back once you put a leg over one and experience it! I just tacked a Indian metal sign on my garage wall right next to the Harley-Davidson sign...I now have two American Icons and darn proud of it!
When I got T-boned on my Harley Springer, and was vaulted into the oncoming traffic, as I was airborne I thought about my next bike. That it should still be a V-twin, but something....different. I thought about the Indian brand, and it seemed like a worthy consideration. As I landed, and cartwheeled into a line of honking cars, I then thought about how the Indian bike might be something I was definitely going to try. As I ground to a halt, and crawled to the side of the road, I was already dialing a dealer for a test ride. As soon as I was able to remove my casts and steel pins, I was on my way to a new adventure! Thanks, Indian!!
Coming from a guy who currently owns two Harley Davidson’s I would definitely buy this bike if I didn’t love Harley as much as I do! Hell of a motorcycle , any Harley guy that dislikes this bike doesn’t realize that when competitors out do themselves it just makes Harley work even harder (hopefully) to improve their current product.
I totally agree with what you said. I too am a die hard Harley guy, how ever, I am totally disgusted with the MOCO anymore. They have lost touch with their base and the competition is running away from them. The problem will be, HD will redesign the touring frame and suspension (they have to), add LED lights from the factory and will up the price to a more unaffordable price than they are now. Key fob locking bags, great idea. Harley only offers them on an over priced CVO rather than standard models, crazy. Adam, I enjoyed your review and am seriously considering looking at the Indian. I'm 57 years old with 39 years on a Harley and I am considering something else. Your review was great and informative. Harley Davidson is committing suicide with their arrogant, corporate business model. They need to take a good look at SEARS and see what happened there. HD is on the same road. Don't think they can help themselves at this point. Will be sad but interesting to read about in the future. Bill Harley and the Davidson brothers have all rolled over in their grave at this point.
@@amberbali8881 the reason Harley Davidson doesn't put LED's from the factory is because if you look at their stocks reports they actually make more money selling T-shirts and accessories then they do selling motorcycles. Harley doesn't want to give up that extra revenue for anything. I have had a Harley Rep. Ask me before what one thing would you change about your bike factory. I told him Harley brakes suck, put some Brembo brakes on there. His only reaction was to tell me that would cost to much, it would raise the price of the bike. I said you are putting brakes on it now. Polaris puts Brembo brakes on there's a theirs and their bike is less then yours. All things they didn't want to hear. Then I started with the safety of their customer aspects. Now it's years later and Harley brakes are better, because they had to with the big inch motors. I always get the feeling from Harley that they won't change anything until they have to. That said I love Harley and own several, but it's videos like this that will make me think about test riding this Indian. I rode several Polaris bikes , they never fit me , and I just didn't enjoy the feel of them. I want to buy a American bike. Not much Harley makes right now makes me say yeah let's test ride that.
Great review! I’m a long time harley fan but bought a chieftain limited this summer. Love it! It handles like a champ and flies through the black hills. Very pumped to see you on an Indian man!
Thanks Adam I own Indian Chieftain Limited 2018, amazing bike did 5320 mile in 45 days ;) Go with Stage 2 Adam you will feel increase of HP right away. Welcome to Indian Family
Found your YT channel after searching for an Indian Chieftan Dark Horse. I rode my brother in laws a couple of weeks ago and absolutely fell in live with it. I currently do not own a bike. Had to sell my last bike a few years ago. I hope to change that in 2-3 yrs. I miss riding beyond belief. What a stress reliever riding is. Thanks for the great review. This bike will surely be mine when able to afford it.
I test drove one yesterday, talking to my banks loan officer TODAY. Your review nudged me over the edge. Your dislikes were all things that I really thought were minor to me. So thanks for (hopefully) making me an Indian owner
Spot on review Adam! I test rode one a couple months ago and realized my 3yr old Vic Magnum rode like a log wagon. The Indian test ride kept me awake the past couple months and three weeks ago I bought a new Chieftain Limited in black. I’ve slept like a baby ever since. The bike is so easy to maneuver in parking lots and feels 150lbs lighter than my Vic, even though the weight is the same. The Chieftain corners like it’s on rails and you find yourself not even thinking about curves like the bike is riding itself. Unbelievably nimble! And lastly, you don’t have to brace yourself for bumps as this thing glides over them! You don’t feel them at all. I will quickly add that I will miss the nearly 120hp my Vic Magnum had though.
Great review Adam! Appreciate you putting some serious miles on it first... Indian is doing nice work, love my Springfield Dark Horse - so nimble...agree with all you said about frame and suspension but the front rake (25 degrees) is a big factor as well. Thank you for all that you do for Veterans, it is truly awesome! Enjoy and all the best to you!
Best unbiased , honest review ..... and Qualified w/ 4,000 miles ! Thx. Adam for your honesty ! The best part is knowing up front that INDAIN is giving you LOTS of VALUE for you’re money ! They’re selling you something useful & complete and won’t be charging you thousands EXTRA for stuff that SHOULD HAVE already came with the bike !! ☝️🤙
Adam, I just wanted to say thank you for all you do not only for our countries veterans but for us riders. Your video here along with all of tue videos helped me decide to make the jump From a midsize bike to a full faring bike. I just purchased a 2019 indian chieftain limited and your videos helped me make my decision. Thank you so much brother and I hope to meet you one of these days!
I have a 17 chieftain limited. I installed Lloydz 558 cams and a power commander PVCX tune. Made a huge difference in both low and top end power. It still very smooth and torqey and now pulleys hard all the way to 5500 rpm.
I like that your dad raised you to be an honest stand up guy. I am with you on the community feeling. I am nobody's patsy I think long and hard before I put my money down. Thank you and thank your dad for us too.
I test rode one at Bikes, Blues & BBQ. I agree, the suspension and handling are outstanding. I did test ride both the 111 and Stage 3 Big Bore kit (116). Well, the Stage 3 did fix the hp issue. It made a HUGE difference. I've rode Harley-Davidson touring bikes for many many years. I WAS a brand snob until I rode this amazing machine. My only complaint was also the turn signals. I absolutely HATE it!!! All you "I'm not riding a Polaris" guys need to give this a shot. I WAS that guy until I rode one myself to form my own opinion. Indian knocked it out of the park with this one. Thanks for the honest review, Adam. Cheers!!
I'm not a huge fan of the Indian look though this one is not that bad. The one thing that keeps me away from Polaris is their lack of commitment to a brand name. I absolutely loved the Victory bikes. When I was moving from a sport bike to a cruiser I was all about a Victory but then Polaris folded them in favor of Indian. So what happens when Polaris acquires another brand or decides Indian isn't preforming the way Polaris wants them to? For those reasons I was pushed towards a Harley.
It seems that if you migrate from HD to Indian you will hate the signal switch; otherwise, they are awesome. I rode my gf sportster and could not stand having a turn signal switch on each side.
Bought a 2016 Dark Horse it had 1600 miles on it and it looked brand new,as soon as I saw it and sat on it I new I was in love! Everything Adam said is spot on! Great bike! Sorry Harley:(. (And I owned a Harley since 1984 but will never go back.
I went to the local Indian dealer today and sat on this very bike. I have a 29 “ inseam and I easily flat footed it. Pulls up off the stand easily feels like a much lighter bike. If I had the money I would definitely have to consider an Indian! And I have owned 5 Harley’s.
Excellent review, Adam. My wife and I just got back a week and a half ago from a 5,000 mile trip on a Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT, it handled exceptionally well. However, I would have loved to been riding that Indian any day. Being a former HD rider, never again for me thanks, I would take the Indian Chieftain Dark Horse over any Harley hands down, no hesitation. Beautiful bike.
I was saving my money to buy a 2018 Road King Special and then I came across this video. This was back in January. I started researching all I could about this bike and ended up buying the same one back in May. Ive put a few thousand miles on it and I have to say, you steered me to making the best decision I could have made! love this bike. I went with the Indian mid-rise bars, Lloydz 558 cams, Rinehart slip-ons and the Indian hi-flow intake. Also added a Klockwerks windshield and have a BMC Widowmaker seat on order. I plan on doing the audio upgrade this winter.
Dude I love my 2019 chieftain too. I'm 6'4" and this bike fits me beautifully. The stage 2 wakes it right up bro. Great review and I agree with almost every thing you said about it too.
Adam, I tell you, your review on this Indian DH is probably the best review ever on your tube channel. I really enjoyed and thank you for taking the time and giving us a candid review. I really want this bike for my next purchase of motorcycles, but I am so used to having a T-bar on all my previous rides on HD. No one makes kits for T-bar conversion as I am still searching n viewing.
I was just thinking the same thing. This guy kept it real. It’s not very often that you get an honest review. Most of these reviews don’t have a guy riding almost 4,000 on one and then giving his review. Solid as a rock!
You should watch Lemmy review bikes for RevZilla, no one does reviews like him. No bullshit intros and 20 minutes about his experience. It's straight to the point, positives where there's positives and negatives where there's negatives. No bullshit, no fluff, just facts.
@@SpykeZ0129 but he rarely reviews bikes. I'm pretty sure that the last he did was the triumph tiger, after which revzilla will probably let Zach and Ari review bikes now.
Now you know what I found out when we got our first chieftain now we are on the Roadmaster and yes I done cams, exhaust , and air cleaner. I knew the performance would be better I can say it was better than I expected and really expected to go to the 116 kit but we have done about 10000 miles I don't know if I will or not we just got back from Yellowstone and I've got to say I'm really impressed the more we ride it.hope to make it back to your campground keep up the good work and God bless.
Baggers are not my thing, but I really dug your review. Probably the best, most honest, and thorough review I've seen. Made me watch some more of your vids. Niice. Keep it up, stay upright and between the pipes.
Adam, Thank you so much for your views on this 2019 Indian Chieftain® Dark Horse. I was on the fence about getting this, but now I'm on board and can't wait to go pick mine up!
Harley really dropped the ball by not rolling with you anymore. Seeing you rep the new Indian gear is a real kick in the sack to HD, Their loss. Keep up the good work, Godspeed.
I knew he was uh Harley supported.I didn't know that they we're backing him.So he's repping Indian now?That's what's up.I'm uh 2018 Road King Special owner.Love the Bronze Dark horse Chieftain Limited.
Very nice review. As a Victory Cross Country owner I see a lot of the Victory in the Indian. I am seriously looking at the new Road Master Dark Horse. Indian in my opinion is the new frontier to making awesome bikes. Keep up the great work.
Nice to get a worthy review on this Moto with some miles on it and a lot of experience on other brands. It pretty much seals my decision. I've always been a flat black dude but there's something about the bronze that really has me second guessing my next color. Thanks for the honest review! Cheerz!
Nice honest review. I'll definitely hit Indians next demo day. Working on picking my next bike now and after several Harley's, they aren't on my list anymore. I need a bike that can handle and has innovative features such as central locking and infotainment that is fluid. Almost every touring bike has good handling and central locking now but HD only puts it on their CVOs. Not to mention, other brands are giving you more for your money. I'm tired of spending 2k on top of the new bike just to get things that should come standard. Something as simple as a nice seat! I looked at a k1600 today for 4K less than a new road glide, It even came with a heated seat, heated grips, Quick shifter and central locking! 160hp and great handling to boot! We are long distance riders that love to hit the corners! Ready for the next few years and maybe HD can win me back one day.
Love the Indian Adam! I love Harley Davidson, I've been on them my entire life, but two wheels is two wheels. I love them all! I'm actually glad to see you mixing it up and unifying the motorcycle community. It's really good for us all.
Thanks for all the videos Adam.... After tests rides, research, and reading; I bought the 2019 Chieftain Dark Horse from Greensboro Indian Motorcycle. Brought it home tonight. I am keeping my '08 Heritage Softail so I have 2 classics in my barn! hope to run into you out on the road in 2020.
As I watched this video I thought you were going to catch Hell from the Harley Camp. To my surprise you didn't. Great review! I feel the Love and Trust in what you are all about!
Adam, thank you for all you do for the motorcycle world. I love Harley Electra glide and street Glide. But I cannot afford one. So I wound up with a Honda VTX 1300 (used). I have been following you and have come to realize that the important thing is to get out and ride. I also realized that Indian bikes are also good bikes to have. Still cannot afford one of those either. Keep up the great videos and thank you for supporting the veterans. I retired out of the USAF in 2010. God bless you and Ashley and take care of scooter.
VTX1300 are solid bikes. I always rode Kawasaki. Had a ninja then got old and bought a Vulcan 1600. Road it for many years. Then last year spent 28K on a HD Road glide. Trust me HD is nice but not 28K nice.
Adam enjoy watching your channel but this was basically an infomercial for Indian. I'm definitely glad there's competition out there is it is good for everybody regardless of what you ride. Appreciate all the work you do for our veterans.
Totally agree with you, Adam! Great review & your description is spot on!! I added breaking lights around the rear fender that slide between fender & saddle bags (sorry don't remember name), I had gotten idea when You added rear lights to your HD for breaking & being seen - great riding at night too. Also got backrest too for long trips, but had to alter mine since I'm shorter (no $500tag -check Spirit Lake, IA) Another Fantastic vlog, keep them coming. Ride safe!
I’m so glad I picked this out of the many reviews. Excellent review. I need comfort and torque for the long distance here in Australia 🇦🇺 So many cool features.Just love wind shield cool design.
I'd urge you to also check out the challenger if what you're after is comfort and torque. here's a couple videos I've done, including comparisons, some racing between ashley and me, and some upgrades: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZQEHJnyLE3w.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AB_ZZll7qNE.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BxAihMV0sxU.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YpWt2FBgF6g.html
25k is just so damn much for a bike though. House, student loans, kid, wife, car, and truck notes don't really leave enough to justify spending that much on bike. Especially when a Vulcan 1700 is 10k cheaper, or a slightly used Star Venture for 10k less. Hard to buy American these days if you're not making 150k+ with a family, and since us teachers dont get paid jack i guess im stuck with imports. I went to the local drive event at my indian dealership, the roadmaster was phenomenal, maybe after my son is grown and out the house I'll be able to sell my soul for one.
Good & honest review from a trusted source. It seems to me that the pros outweigh the cons on this one. Thanks for sticking to plain English on this and making it so that a two year old can understand it. I love my Harley but can appreciate the beauty in Indian.
Thanks for the review. I've had a 68 Chevelle in my life for 26 years. I didn't think I would ever want to get rid of it, but I feel that the seasons are changing in my life, so to speak. I'm thinking I would like to sell it and get a motorcycle that my wife and I could enjoy. The Chieftain has me excited. I visited an Indian dealership the other day and man, they're nice. We'll see how it goes, but as of right now, that's what I have planned out in my head. Looking forward to adding a second bike in my rotation and possibly (more than likely) my first Indian.
Nice review Adam. If I were in the market for a new bike I would definitely be looking hard at the Indians. Some of their designs are a little over the top for my tastes but the Darkhorse is sweet. Give Scooter and Ash a hug. Thanks again.
Nice through review Adam. I hope this pushes Harley to pay more attention to their riders. The videos you did in the mountains were amazing and glad it made you smile. If you are riding a bike and are not smiling something is desperately wrong with the bike or the rider. When your next ride/gig coming up? Rubber side down and let the miles roll on
Great review! One of the most in-depth reviews I've seen. I was kind of meh on the previous Indian bikes but I could definitely see buying one of these.
One thing that makes me happy about indian is: the entertainment system. It looks good and simple yet useful and similiar to IOS template. By the way keep uploading good videos adam!
Glad to see you enjoyed these bad ass bikes! I love my Chief it’s 17 and I like the old handle bar assembly compared to the new one. Also, the rear brake on mine came with a big beefy pad not sure why they did away with that on the new chieftain lines? Either way bringing back the war-bonnet and that contrast rim was sick! Happy for you man and I’m excited to see you on all kinds of different bikes! Best of luck to you and your mission.
I have a 2015 Indian Roadmaster, and have to agree with this review; it's spot on for the 19s. My Indian has been the most reliable touring machine I've owned... it's never let me down or left me stranded; after 4 years plus of 12K mile years with the bike it's been nothing but tires and oil changes and grins. I have done the exhaust, intake, cams, and a tune. I liked this Indian so much, I ended up buying an '18 Scout Bobber for the stable as well. This iteration of Indian is really hitting it out of the park, for my tastes anyway. I'm excited to ride the FTR1200 in March!
WOW well done never knew this much about Indians at all. Just got home from our cruise getting caught up on you videos and waiting for our new Scooter book. Thank you Adam
I agree 99% with everything you said. Only difference is the handlebars. For my build, the handlebars are perfect. I love my Roadmaster, the way it handles, performs, comfort...everything. So...now Ashley knows what to trade her bike in on. 🤪🤣
Great review Adam! Appreciated the honest opinion and actually demonstrating how it affects you. I'm a newer rider and own a 2006 Yamaha Road Star. Absolutely love riding it on my 100 mile daily commute. I love the look of the Indian and its really making my next purchase decision tough.
Great review! After riding sport bikes my entire life, I bought a 2019 Chief Darkhorse. I love this bike! I keep mine in Sport mode--I feel the need for speed
On my 2018 Chieftain, I recently did a slip on exhaust with the Indian stage 1 intake and updated mapping. Makes a world of difference in the rpm range and allows the 111 to rev up to almost 5000 rpm.
Very awesome and honest review of a motorcycle. I wish you could review multiple Brands and multiple makes of motorcycles I think you give a good honest opinion. And that nowadays is hard to come by. Honest being the key word here.
Adam, great review. I started searching early this past spring for a new ride (had been riding a 2005 Yamaha Roadstar), I tried out the new Yamaha Transcontinental, the new 2018 Wing, and all the new Harleys. I was leaning hard towards an Ultra, until I rode the Indian chieftain dark horse. I fell in love with how the indian's handled. I finally pulled the trigger, and bought a new 2017 Indian Roadmaster out of North Carolina, traveled down with a friend, and rode the darn thing home to Indiana. What a tremendous bike it is. The ONLY bike I would ever trade my RM in for, would be a NEW Roadmaster DARK HORSE. Are you listening Indian? :)
Great review Adam. I sat on the dark horse at my local dealer and was really surprised how light it felt. That center of gravity is low and I see why you say it handles well in twisties.
I always thought they should go with having the blinkers on both sides as well. Other than that, I'm seriously considering an Indian for my next tourer. Also, don't see the big deal with the whole Polaris thing. Ride on, brother. Stay safe and thank you for everything you do for our fellow service members and veterans.
Teddy Mopar i could be 100% wrong, but didn’t harley patent the blinker on both sides? If i’m wrong my bad, i’m just noticing that every other bike i have ridden have always had the blinker switch vs having them on both sides. Other than harley i mean.
i rode metric bikes earlier in my life and have always like the blinkers fuction on the right side. opposite the throttle. it is to easy to bump the throttle when engaging the right turn signal. I guess it is all what you get used to.
They finally got the look right: the S&S engines looked like custom HD's, the Polaris engine.. well, but these now look like what an old 44 Chief would've evolved into.
25,000 on mine and the chassis still gets better everyday. I have never ridden a bike that is always waiting for me to rise to it's level, that really makes me a better rider every time out. I'm still blown away with my 1,000,000 warranty too, what a deal!
Excellent, honest and comprehensive review. Pretty much what I expected your likes and dislikes would be. I definitely am going to take a good look at one next spring. Riding season kinda coming to a close here in New York State.😠 I’m sure you will have the 116 kit on there real soon. Thanks.
I was really uncertain about the Indian until I rode one. It is extremely well balanced and a lot of low end torque. I don't know that I will ever grow to love the dash. But the size of those bags and the electronic lights won me over.
Another great video Adam ! I like the fact that you did actually log a bunch of miles before giving a review I like the fact that you were unbiased in your opinion ! And your right Polaris is a great company they build side by sides and atvs for our troops ! They are American based and the bikes are hand built in spirt lake Iowa ! At the end of the day it wouldn’t matter if it were a Yamaha as long as people are riding ! Keep on doin what you do and be safe and god bless !!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I will be honest and say at first I was not a fan of Indian motorcycles, but after test riding them I quickly changed my views on the brand. Great video Adam, a few of your dislikes can be easily remedied by aftermarket options available for the bike. Beautiful bike overall tho, and the performance is also there. The competition needs to open their eyes and see what Indian is doing.
Thanks Adam, I found out the same experience you did when visiting Maddies, in Dainsville, NY, I have a RK and love it, but when I took the Chieftain out for the day, it was a huge surprise of how responsive of ride it was. And like you I felt the odd feeling that I was on a bagger that performed much like a sport bike when pushed. Both my son and myself are considering these to replace our HD's, compared to the new FLH , the Indian just handled and performed better.
Outstanding review...pretty much dead-on my take after two separate rental experiences. The horsepower/short-shifting was, for me, the biggest negative and what will keep me from trading in my Street Glide. But, it’s a beautiful bike that I tip my cap to. Ride safe!
ChadYvette Heiman it’s interesting the vic shop just did a TS 111 upgrade to 116 and they were disappointed in the TS 111 design for performance, it requires a ton of internationals compared to the freedom 106 Polaris had in victory which can get 120hp with just cams. The Indian requires pistons rods cams jugs to get 100 hp. He also said the M8 is designed for performance better.
I think Indian needs to get that right. On the two Roadmasters I rented, I felt power loss well below 5K RPM. It often felt like a moped compared to my stock ‘15 CVO 110. It was disappointing after seeing that 111 on the A/C cover. Indian’s styling is superb, though, and their stock suspension is much better than HD’s.
It's a nice bike, but I'll always be a Harley guy. There's something about the history, legend and the 45 degree in-line twin of the HD. Indian looks great and I'm happy that you have a relationship with them! Ride safe brother!
I've never wanted an Indian for various reasons, but I'm in agreement with you, I'd be pleased to own one! Dash is really fun an windshield is something I talked about for years finally someone jumped on the action! Tim
Been on sport bikes for yrs now. I'm ready for something alittle more chill and comfortable. My attention is on indian and your review on this motorcycle just made up my mind. Thank you. I see your in Minnesota. So am I. (St.paul mn). So I subbed. Great review!!!!
Great video Adam! Pretty much sums up my thoughts after going to a couple of Indian demo events. In a lot of areas Indian knocked it out of the park versus a comparable Harley bike but I couldn’t get over the areas that seemed cheap and plastic on a bike that is essentially the same price as a Harley. The engine’s power band is hard to ignore as well, but I probably rev my bike out more frequently than most.....
Your killing me Adam I've been looking hard at the Harley 2019 Street Glide Special but I have been in the Indian dealer and these are great looking bikes. Your positive review and the fact some of my co-workers ride Indians and they love them has got me thinking strongly about going Indian.
@@adamsandoval I am new to the touring motorcycle world and will plan to buy a 2019 Street Glide or 2019 Indian Cheiftain Darkhorse in the near future. I just know the Harley culture is very prominant.I like the Tech on the Darkhorse but with me being new to the culture will I be looked down upon for getting an Indian. I am looking to go test ride one this week in the Woodlands Texas. help!!!!
Great video brother Adam glad you liked your new 2019 Indian Cheftian Dark horse love the hoodie and hat you got one badass bagger brother enjoy riding it and ride safe. Hey Roo how you doing my little four footed brother and hi to Ms Ashley. Dream Until all Your Dreams come True.
Great review Adam . Indian are definitely making some nice bikes . As far as the horsepower goes you know they have a 116 inch kit which I’ve read good things about. Enjoy the Ride ! Hugh
