Sport Chief Test Ride, Better Than My Bike? 

The good thing about the Dark Horse is that you rode it prior to purchase so no surprises, the sports you would have bought blind and hoping you liked it as much as the dark horse. Both great looking bikes.

I have found that after a test ride it’s when you get back on and ride your own bike that you finally realize what is better (or worse) about both bikes. But you have to be careful, I’ve sold perfectly good bikes because of a test ride, then soon regretted it. A test ride is not the equivalent of owning a bike for awhile.

Fantastic review. I have a Scout now and looking that this model and the Chief Dark Horse. I'm certainly leaning towards this model.

With bike's sometime the grass is always greener ...,but your choice was right 👍, the grey colour is better i reckon

20:45 Reassuring to know you've made the right choice. That exhaust sounds wonderful. (edit) I agree. That Sport would get me into trouble, empty my wallet and shred my licence.

For me if i will want to buy cheif, would be the sport cheif. It has: Better suspension, better brakes, small fairing installed You can buy forward footpegs, risers, higher windshield., seat for 2 people. . Its overall better package. And if really you want light bike then scout has 50-60 kg minus from cheifs.. The real difference of kgs between Dark Horse & Sport Cheif is only 7kg. 311 & 304. Now with the new Scout 101...Indian must upgrade whole line Chiefs especially Sport Cheif.

Thanks for the shout out BIL! Great comparison! I was super curious about your thoughts having ridden both models.

G'day Paul. So in essence brother, what your saying is that the Sport Chief promotes the rider to allow the "hooligan" inside them to come out and play. Lets be honest and admit that most seasoned riders love it when that happens, regardless of the age of said rider. I actually sat on the Sport Chief today at our local dealer and I must admit that i thought it would feel too small for me, but the ergonomics were just perfect! I will have to have a test ride on both the Sport and Chief dark horse in the very near future, thats for sure. Had planned to buy a Harley cruiser for my 65th at the end of this year as I had never owned one in the 50 years that I have been riding, but your video's have certainly shifted my thoughts over to the Indians, making my decision somewhat more complicated than it bloody should be!! Thanks a bunch mate!! LOL. Really appreciated the videos of both models brother, and I do like the screen you fitted to your Dark Horse. Ride safe, but have fun. Cheers from up north.👍

Paul, overall you made the right choice. At our age we want a motorcycle that we can ride for hours on end and not finish the ride feeling like we just finished a wrestling match. That is why you picked the motorcycle you own and why I keep my Victory Vision. Also motorcycles are intimate. While a man might occasionally wonder what it might be like to sleep with the sexy young thing, he finds far more pleasure with the woman that he loves. Many riders are to fast to ditch the motorcycle they know to foray into another motorcycle that they end up disappointed with.

That check engine lite is noctorious on the Sport chief when Brand new, mine took over 100 miles to go away.

The color and graphics favor the regular Chief Dark Horse. I don't really like the matte paint jobs but the grey is okay.

I would prefer the next size screen up with heated bars and seat as I feel the cold 🥶 these days. For the type of riding you are doing with your bike, I don’t think you need twin discs. You’ve got a very nice bike you’ll get a lot of happy use out of.

Good job with remembering all those weight figures

Love my Sport Chief. Glad you have no regrets on your earlier purchase. Excellent run down, as always from you. I love the firmer ride for the times i want to be sporty. For those times i don't, i have a Roadmaster and a wife on the back... I didn't like the higher risers/wind screen during a demo day. The front fairing, etc. is just cosmetic. Love the way it looks, but it's not a bike I want to do hours on anyway. The times i do, i just wear a full face and ear plugs and enjoy the wind. I bet your error codes would point back to the front O2 sensors/bank. That's what mine had and rode out within the first few miles after i checked into it. One of the great things about RideCommand, you can pull up the issue on the fly and determine next steps. Not a money grab, not over-engineered, great components on a great chassis for a great deal. Looking forward to many more years on mine!

It was November 1987 when I stayed in Ballarat! My ride is a Triumph Scrambler 900, which is great for the hills and bends of the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire. Would love to try an Indian. Your bike is a beaut!

Lovely motor it's definitely got soul

Hi there nice man, cheers from Canada... I'm in the market to get back into biking after over a decade away but I've ridden for about 28 years. I've been to the Indian dealer for a peek at some but man I'll watch you for a bit and see and hear you.

Riding the Sport Chief made me love my Scout Rogue even more lol it wasn’t for me. Didn’t feel right, but that’s my personal experience only. I think the best thing to do is test drive a bike.

Great comparison and happy ending.

Love your reviews 👍 Remember, preload only adjusts ride height. It doesn't affect the spring rate...

The only reason IMO to go with the Sport chief is if you must have the fairing and suspension... The risers are meh... I'd rather have the standard drag or ape bars.

Great honest review, thanks for sharing. 👍

The science of choosing the best bike is fun and necessary, I`m doing the same with choosing my next kTm, and I`m spoilt for choice, life is good when you ride for fun and sanity😁😛.

I hadnt realy realised that the Chief was tubed until I saw this :o Sounds so weird to hear of a motorbike being tubed as all of mine have always been tubeless. Amazing how much you end up assuming through experiance I think the only thing I'm nervous about moving from sports to Cruiser (Chief is my ideal world right now) is the single front brake disc.

I guess as the name suggests this bike is better for people who want a more sporty stiffer ride but less comfort. So for u the right choice was your dark horse and i think for most people..

The plus factor of buying used. Less initial outlay and easier to let go of, should another steed catch your eye later down the road.

I think you bought the right bike

The longer travel shocks seem like a good idea. Aside from that, it's another money grab. Charging people for race parts to ride around on the street, on a croozer no less, just makes the ride less comfortable unless you happen to near roads that are as impeccably maintained as European race tracks...and a big upcharge margin for the mfg. Could have been the fairing, but when you were talking while riding the "sport" I heard quiver in your voice. Didn't notice it when you rode yours. Sounded like a voice might tracking over bumpy terrain. Given its the same terrain, I have to conclude the Sport soaked up less road imperfections even with its longer travel. I'd find longer shocks designed for riding on real roads rather than race shocks. Then again, it could have been wind coming off the smaller windscreen hitting you in the chest causing it too. I do like the symmetry of dual front disks, but again, wholly unnecessary for this type of bike. That's done to shed heat from hard braking into corners over and over again from high speed on a track. Nothing a road bike will likely ever experience. I do like that Indian puts both single front and rear disks on the same side. HDs have always put them on opposite sides which has always looked peculiar to me. One thing for sure, the engine in those things sound like gold. If they can find some nice paint next year, I'd consider one of those in the Springfield livery.

I always make a point of watching your videos several times, as there's always something to learn. I have to ask how do Harley davidson riders treat you do they acknowledge you or ignore you.

Great review. How do you net out the shorter screen more wind on your upper chest but less turbulence (if I understood correctly)?

What riding mode where you in on both bikes? Did you try the sport chief in sports mode? Or you not allowed yet, mileage wise I mean

Isn't +300kg and feet forward a bit dodgy if you have back issues? Motor sounds good though.

Have you ridden suzuki hayabusa gen 2023 or 2022 Yamaha xsr900 i hope you'll test ride those bikes u should check your close Suzuki and Yamaha dealership see it they let you test ride theses two amazing bikes

What windshield is that ? Looks great!

Well I am surprised he has made the right decision for him self . So it appears that I can not CROW to you about it . And that by itself is a great disappointment to me. Enjoy the bike.

ciao Paul mi scuso se non parlo inglese sono italiano io ho ordinato i sport chief dopo i 45 giorni promessi per il ritiro invece somo passati oltre 100 giorni 2 gioni fa mi ha chiamato la concessionaria per dirmi che vi erano dei poblemi e mi abrebbero consegnato la moto a settembre. non so se questo poblema è solo una scusa perchè mi sono lamentato per i tempi d'attesa. da poco che ho visto il tuo bel video e ho visto che si accessa un spia motore volevo sapere se hai parlato con tuo concessionario per sapere perche si acessa la spia e da cosa dipendeva non mi sempra rilevate dato che ti dato l'ok per continuare il tuo giro se se mi puoi fare sapere ti ringraziono Omero

Polaris quality?

Nah, like your's better!!

Give me slow comfortable riding as I'm old and frail

Check engine light….. Ride ruined……

I just bought this bike and love everything except the reach to the handlebars.

Not so much get a Honda REBEL 750 CC YOU WILL HAVE HAPPY MILES TRY THEM YOU WILL LIKE THEM GET OVER IT EGO LEMAY