Indian Pursuit Dark Horse
Indian Pursuit Dark Horse Review (Baujahr 2024)
Full-dresser in full regalia - more is not possible!
Photos: Motorradtest.deThe Indian Pursuit Dark Horse is a so-called "full-dresser", i.e. a touring machine with a voluminous front fairing, integrated panniers and a removable top case, which also serves as an armchair or backrest for the front passenger. Volker and Dietmar have taken the Pursuit for a ride and describe their (massive) impressions here.
A tanker will come.
Although we've ridden a lot of bikes, there are always machines that we have respect to test. The Indian Pursuit is such a bike. The sheer dimensions alone make you stand in front of the load with your mouth open: 416 kg fighting weight, 2.16 m length and a wheelbase of just under one-seven. Insanity!In addition, the expansive front fairing with integrated speakers, the massive running boards and the whole TopCase & pillion seat scramble at the rear including a high antenna make it clear to every other road user: I don't brake - at least not especially for your sake! The Indian Pursuit costs 35,790 euros (phew!) and is available in three colors.
Colors: Black, gray and blue.
Dimensions and seat test
"Seat test" is actually the wrong word here, "snoring test" would be more appropriate. The whole affair is actually subject to entertainment tax. You sit so comfortably on the Pursuit that you don't really want to get off. This is especially true for the passenger, who will probably nod off after a short time and want to spend the rest of the day in his pillion chair after the ride.
The passenger also lowers his shoes on running boards and leans on leather bedded in the back like in a dormitory. More is not possible. However, the load is so heavy that manoeuvring quickly becomes a torture - especially if you have parked the thing unluckily. Unfortunately, there is no reverse gear, which would be really desirable here.
That's what it's like to sit on the Indian Pursuit. Give us coffee and pastries and then rest, please.
360 degree tour around the Indian Pursuit
Technique of the Indian Pursuit
Guys, now it's getting exhausting. The Pursuit is not only a full-dresser visually, but also technically. Everything is on board here and the 250-page manual quickly makes it clear to its owner that you should familiarize yourself with the features a little before you start.
On board is a 7-inch TFT color display with touch function, plus two analog instruments for speed and revs, plus two LC displays that always show gear and remaining range, etc. There is integrated navigation, smartphone connectivity, an IMU for lean angle sensors, multi-adjustable traction control, cornering ABS, three driving modes, cruise control, heated seats for driver and front passenger (separately adjustable via button), heated grips, an electrically adjustable windscreen, Apple Carplay and a 200 watt audio system...
The four manual ventilation openings at the front are also funny, providing your legs with cooling airflow in the heat. The light comes completely in LED including the turn signals and of course the Pursuit also has extra LED fog lights, which can be adjusted via extra button or touchscreen. The operation is okay, you can set pretty much everything via the touchscreen, but for many functions such as cruise control there are also numerous switches, so that you don't always have to tap (with gloves!) on the display while driving. All well done, but actually needs a little time to get used to. No wonder, with so many features...
Now that's an engine: V2 with 122 hp and 178 Nm of torque - at 3,800 rpm!This is how it drives
Before we start scootering, we first do the soundcheck. Even when stationary, the Indian Pursuit sounds befitting its status - even with the standard rear silencer. During the journey, the Pursuit is also clearly audible. If you step on the gas, you will be offered appropriate acoustic accompaniment. The V2 is bassy and full of character, which sounds really monumental. The soundcheck can be found above, have fun.On the first few meters, I spontaneously think of a ride on an Indian Challenger, where the Indian dealer at the time gave me the following on the way: "Drive it, you'll see, it's totally little and smooth". Puffcake folks, the Challenger was neither agile nor smooth - and that's the same with the Pursuit. Presumably, the dealer meant the following at the time: "It drives easier than you think!" That's more likely to happen, because of course you can imagine that such bikes ride differently than a naked with 170 kg.
Nowhere do you prefer to sit as a passenger than on an Indian Pursuit.And indeed: The Pursuit rides great, but it is still heavy and therefore of course not for beginners. Nevertheless, we felt very comfortable after just a few meters and enjoyed every meter. What a majestic feeling to tile the Pursuit over country roads! The comfort is outstanding. Potholes and the like can neither be seen nor felt. Like a flying carpet, you almost float over the asphalt. And that is only possible with such a tanker, because: weight + size + mass = awesome-o-mat. At least as far as comfort is concerned.
And then this performance! The V2 pushes forward from 2,000 rpm in such a way that your mouth becomes dry. On top it gets less, but who drives such an engine at high revs?? I'd rather enjoy the torque of 178 Nm and shift gears early. Even if the power of 122 hp at 5,500 rpm is quite high for such an engine, you don't really need that. Anyway, it all feels very confident and really puts you in a good mood. But beware: Depending on your own weight, you drive around about 500 kilograms in the area. An old Fiat 500 is not much heavier either - so beware of the wild cornering, the Pursuit is not made for that, especially since the lean angle does not allow it at all.
There is a better way: The Brembo brakes at the front lack bite.This brings us to the brakes, which in our opinion unfortunately do not quite fit the otherwise impressive appearance of the Pursuit: They neither brake particularly hard, nor can they be well modulated. For a strong deceleration, you have to squeeze hard into the brake lever, although we have a good Brembo 4 piston caliper on a 320 double disc. This is probably pure physics and the weight also leaves its mark here. The rear brake, on the other hand, we found surprisingly good, especially the "brake pedal" allows you to reach in forcefully if necessary.
The storage options for the suitcases and the top case are also really cool. A total of 133 litres of storage space is available. The inside also shows that nothing was put together in a hurry, everything looks well made and made with love. By the way, this applies to the entire motorcycle, which doesn't surprise us at the price. By the way, if you want, you can treat the machine to 16 speakers (!). As with an Indian Elite, some speakers are then also integrated into the cases, which should please the passenger.
There is still a lot to tell about the Indian Pursuit, but this test report cannot replace a test drive anyway. If you are seriously interested in such full-dressers, we can only advise you to do so! It's just a wonderful experience, especially on the highway, of course, where the ship is sealed off at 175 km/h. The wind protection is also excellent there thanks to the electrically adjustable windscreen.
Result
Is this actually still a motorcycle or already a two-wheeled car? Something in between, we would say. In any case, the Indian Pursuit has little to do with "normal" motorcycles, you can see that even when stationary. Cruising around with such a device is a wonderful affair. We have rarely experienced this combination of power and comfort like this. But beware: You should be a seasoned biker for this, the Pursuit is not for beginners!The test machine was provided to us by Powersport-Nord for this test. Thank you for the trust! It stands there as a demonstrator and can actually be test driven. If you want to experience Easter and Christmas in one day, you should do so. Let's go to Appen near Hamburg - have fun!
Price/availability/colours/years of manufacture
- Price: 35.790€
- Availability: since 2022
- Colors: black, blue, gray
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