2016 Indian Chief Dark Horse Revealed in CARB Documents
New certification documents from the California Air Resources Board reveal a model name for Indian Motorcycle apparently in the pipeline for the 2016 model year: the Chief Dark Horse.
The CARB executive order certifies the new 2016 Indian Chief Dark Horse, indicating it uses the same 1811cc Thunder Stroke 111 V-Twin engine powering the Chief Classic, Chief Vintage, Chieftain and Roadmaster. The emissions test results are similar to those of the 2014 and 2015 models, suggesting no major engine updates.
The document also lists the Dark Horse’s “equivalent inertial mass” (EIM) at 470 kg (1036 pounds), or 10 kg lighter than the Chief Classic. The EIM approximates the fully loaded inertial weight of the vehicle and is not to be confused with the dry or wet weights. Still, at 22 pounds lighter than the Chief Classic, we can expect the Dark Horse to have a fully-fueled weight of around 800 pounds.
Based on Indian’s recent history, we expect to hear official details about the Dark Horse at Sturgis this summer, if not sooner. The Dark Horse may not be the only new Indian coming soon. Indian Motorcycle filed a trademark application for the name “Indian Springfield“, a reference to the company’s original home in Springfield, Mass.
[Source: CARB]
Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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