The new Indian 2022 Chief Bobber Dark Horse Cruisers offers a smooth riding experience where attitude, power, and minimal bulk come first. It harkens back to the prime of the American V-twin when going on road trips with just the necessities and good company was the stuff of legends. The new Chief Bobber is another. The Chief Bobber pays artistic homage to the iconic V-twins of the post-war era, driven by military veterans and blue-collar rebels determined to break the mold, with fat tires wrapped around spoked wheels. A muscular front end and a solo bobber seat. Finally, the Indian Motorcycle provides the Super Chief, which offers more adaptability and urges riders to travel farther and attempt even more daring escapes. It is equipped with a saddle bag and windshield.
Indian 2022 Chief Bobber Dark Horse Cruisers – Features and Specs
116 Thunderstroke
In all six gears, the air-cooled Thunderstroke produces 120 ft-lbs of raw torque for overtaking 116 power. It will appeal to the attention of passers-by and shake your soul off the saddle.
Design for a Blackout Bobber
Go from blacked-out fenders to bobbed fenders, packed with attitude. Homage to classic bobber design can be seen in the welded steel tube frame, large headlight bucket with groove, covered forks and rear shock.
Screen with Ride Command on Touch
Appearing as an analog gauge, the 4-inch touchscreen retains its traditional look. One can use it as a speedometer and tachometer, but it also offers turn-by-turn directions (with real-time weather and traffic), manages ride modes, and lets you accept and reject calls. Is, and controls your music from any Bluetooth.
Miles of Style
Wherever Chief goes, his iconic Indian motorcycle styling will turn heads.
Blacker than Black
Deep in design, fender to fender, with a classy gloss black finish.
Build a Road
The front poles and short monkey bars keep your feet forward and your fists in the air, while the low solo seat gives you a dominant feel.
Classic Style
Historical foundation, modern design. The recognizable Indian Motorcycle headgear logo honors the first chief.
Advanced Technology that is Invisible
Less of what you don’t need and more of what you do need.
Advantages of Features
Each Chief Bobber Dark Horse is equipped with keyless ignition, a USB connector for charging devices, cruise control, and the most attractive Pirelli Knight Dragon tires.
Light your way
The road ahead is apparent thanks to full LED lighting.
Choose your Ride
Choose Tour, Standard or Sport to select the riding mode that suits your riding preferences.
Dark Horse Chief vs. Fate Bob 114
Like the Indian Mount, the Fat Bob has a post-war look that draws from its rich historical heritage and features a faux hardtail rear end that gives riders of this second-generation Softail a contemporary ride. Like the old bobber, the sheet metal is stripped down to the minimum necessary for functionality. Giant donuts front and rear add to the vintage look. Unfortunately, MoCo chose cast wheels for a car that calls for laced rims.
Aside from the exhaust, which sports bronze and drilled heat shields and a brushed metal silencer, the Milwaukee spares little of its blacked-out finish to make the Fat Bob as dark as its Indian counterpart.
The 1,868 cc Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine from H-D pushes its entry but is just short of Indian-produced grunt at 118 pound-feet. ABS is a universal feature, but Harley’s electrical prowess only goes so far, leaving the H-D without a counter to the Indian Ride Command and Ride Modes feature.
Rethink whether you expect the price to sell. The Fat Bob 114 has a starting price of $18,799 in Vivid Black and a sticker price of $19,199 for its color option variants.
Indian 2022 Chief Bobber Dark Horse Cruiser: Ride Review
The air-cooled American V-twin has a natural charm. The engine’s rumble can also be heard, along with the room it has to move inside the frame. It is sincere. It should be like that. Personalizing a rider requires being able to see the possibilities of a bike. It was essential to maintain this clarity and openness. According to Stenegärd, the frame is where it all starts. No pressed steel is hidden or unsightly visible when the tank is lifted. The structure itself should be a work of art.
Every component of the frame is curved or has flowed in some way. Welds are neatly polished and clean. Recessed engine mounts are just one example of how much thought has gone into even the most minor details. Although it’s not directly related to anything with an Indian pedigree, the front of the frame is more of a nod to V-twin customs with the gooseneck forming behind the steering head and the window-retractable gas tanks. Nevertheless, it works. It performs admirably. As Christoph mentioned, the gas runs from the tank, down through the seat, and then down through the shocks to the rear axle. And, as planned, the fact that I can see so much of the tubular steel frame makes me consider the possibilities for custom work.
Every component of the frame is curved or flowing in some way. Welds are neatly polished and clean. Recessed engine mounts are just one example of how much thought has gone into even the most minor details. Although it’s not directly related to anything with an Indian race, the front of the frame hints more towards V-Twin customs with a gooseneck behind the steering head and window-retracting gas tank. Nevertheless, it works. It performs admirably. As Christoph mentioned, the gas goes from the tank, down the seat, and then through the shocks to the rear axle. And, as planned, the fact that I can see so much of the tubular steel frame makes me consider the possibilities of custom work.
The engine spins at a smooth 2,500 rpm while cruising at 70 mph. Shifting is smooth and firm. As the Big Twin rumbles along the freeway, it’s clear where the Thunderstroke originated: on the open road.
The 49-degree air-cooled V-twin pulses inside the frame, giving the rider that sense of community that’s so important to the cruiser riding experience. However, the ride-by-wire system and the location of the throttle sensor produce an unsatisfactory faint throttle sensation. It got some getting used to before I could perform powerful launches in the Standard or Sport settings without spinning the tires because the clutch feel is non-existent.
The Chief, Chief Bobber, and Super Chief models make up the new Chief family. Each model comes in base trim with the Thunderstroke 111 engine and is also available in Limited or Dark Horse trim, with the Thunderstroke 116 engine in chrome or black frame respectively. With 16-inch spoked wheels, swept-back bars, a plain seat, soft saddlebags, floorboards, and a quick-detach windshield, the Super Chief is India’s more touring-oriented model. The Bobber features 16-inch wheels, forward foot controls, and smaller monkey handlebars for riders who want a more traditional cruiser seating position.
The base model Chief and Chief Dark Horse offer the most aggressive, minimalist aesthetic and ergonomic package of the collection, with drag racing-inspired handlebars, a seat, and mid-mounted foot controls.
An all-new new, circular, 4-inch Ride Command Display serves as the bike’s control panel and is located in the center of the Chief’s handlebars. The touchscreen is used to navigate and displays information such as navigation, gear indicators, speedometer and tachometer, Bluetooth music, caller ID, and more. Best of all, when the bike is not in use, it shows a standard round gauge instead of a big screen.
An all-new Pirelli Night Dragon tires are standard equipment on every Chief model, significantly improving over MetzelerCruisetecs on earlier models. The Dark Horse ethos encourages you to live each day as it comes and throw caution to the wind, even though they trade high mileage for grip. With 120 pound-feet of torque on the 672-pound bike (measured ready to ride on our scale), the increased grip is greatly appreciated because, like all air-cooled Indian models, traction control isn’t an option.
The suspension on the Chief was by ZF and performed admirably. With minimal brake dip and smooth rebound, the fork is comfortable but stays stiff and consistent even during our most arduous testing. The Chief cut-up feels rooted even when quickly navigating canyon roads thanks to the excellent performance of the shocks, despite their limited travel of 3 inches, which effectively dampens the most significant bumps.
Despite being relatively small for the class, the solo seat on the Chief is incredibly comfortable. In testing, I brought it up multiple times and never experienced any pain or discomfort. I got into this model at 6-foot-4 but only experienced minor hip flexor stiffness on extended highway trips.
Indian 2022 Chief Bobber Dark Horse Cruisers – Price
The new Indian 2022 Chief Bobber Dark Horse Cruisers is available at $18,999 only.
Indian 2022 Chief Bobber Dark Horse Cruisers – Technical Specifications
Engine & Drivetrain
Bore x Stroke | 4.063″ x 4.449″ (103.2mm x113mm) |
Compression Ratio | 11.0:1 |
Displacement | 116 cu in (1,890 ccs) |
Drive/Driven Clutch | Wet, Multi-Plate |
Electronic Fuel Injection System | Closed loop fuel injection / 54 mm bore |
Engine Type | Thunderstroke 116 |
Exhaust | Dual Exhaust w/ Crossover |
Gear Ratio (1st) | 9.403: 1 |
Gear Ratio (2nd) | 6.411: 1 |
Gear Ratio (3rd) | 4.763: 1 |
Gear Ratio (4th) | 3.796: 1 |
Gear Ratio (5th) | 3.243: 1 |
Gear Ratio (6th) | 2.789: 1 |
Peak Torque | 120 ft-lbs (162 Nm) |
Peak Torque RPM | 2,900 RPM |
Transmission/Final Drive | 2.2:1 |
Transmission/Primary Drive | Gear Drive Wet Clutch |
Dimensions
Fuel Capacity | Four gallons (15.1 Liters) |
Ground Clearance | 4.9inches (125mm) |
GVWR | 1,160 lb (522kg) |
Lean Angle | 28.5-degree |
Overall Height | 53.1 inches (1,349mm) |
Overall Length | 90 inches (2,286mm) |
Overall Width | 36 inches (915mm) |
Rake/Trail | 29° / 5.2 inches (131.5mm) |
Seat Height | 26 inches (662mm) |
Weight | 670 lbs |
Wheelbase | 64 inches (1,626mm) |
Brakes
Front Brakes | Single / 300mm Semi-Floating Rotor / 4 Piston Caliper |
Rear Brakes | Single / 300mm Floating Rotor / 2 Piston Caliper |
Tires / Wheels
Front Tires | Pirelli® Night Dragon 130/90B16 67H |
Front Wheel | Wire Spoke 16 in x 3 in |
Rear Tires | Pirelli® Night Dragon 180/65 B16 81H |
Rear Wheel | Wire Spoke 16 in x 5 in |
Suspension
Front Fork Tube Diameter | 46 mm |
Front Suspension | Telescopic Fork |
Front Travel | 5.2 in (132 mm) |
Rear Suspension | Dual Shocks w/adjustable preload |
Rear Travel | 3.0 in (75 mm) |
Features
Color / Graphics | Black Smoke, Sagebrush Smoke, Titanium Smoke |
Factory Warranty | 2 Years, Unlimited Miles |
Gauges | Speedometer, Tachometer, Odometer, fuel gauge, compass, ambient temperature, Gear indicator |
Infotainment | 4″ Round Ride Command® Display with connected services such as real-time traffic weather and traffic overlay included for a complimentary 1-year trial for connected features from the vehicle sales date (after which fees apply). Touchscreen display includes real-time clock; ambient air temperature; heading; audio information display; map/navigation with real-time traffic and weather; Bluetooth status for phone and headset; vehicle status (voltage, engine hours, oil change); vehicle info (speed, fuel range, RPM, gear position); current ride data (distance, moving time, stop time, altitude, altitude change); trip meters; ride mode selection; screen brightness; and vehicle trouble code readout. |
Lights | LED Headlight, LED Tail/Brake/Turn Signals |
Standard Equipment | ABS, Ride Modes, Keyless Ignition, USB charge port, 12V Charge Port, Rear Cylinder Deactivation |