Indian Pursuit Dark Horse 2024 — Specifications

When Americans dream of travel, they do so superlatively. The territories are immense, the highways endless, their Tourers enormous. The Indian 1800 Pursuit isn’t going to deny that. As wide as an American refrigerator and richly equipped, this mile-eating machine offers an alternative to the serene Roadmaster and Harley’s Limited.

What an alternative? With an S, please. Because with the Pursuit, you choose a different style and engine type. Indian built it on a Challenger, amplifying its body and desires. The machine impresses from the front and from the side.

Already, the Bagger cousin imposed its face generously… The appendices in front of the knees maximize the width of the Pursuit. They announce more than generous protection, unparalleled abdominal stature, and a few bonus features depending on the seasons. Additional headlights are embedded at the bottom of each side, themselves equipped with movable shutters to ventilate the legs during temperature increases.

Minor improvements have been added since 2023, but they are so discreet that they need to be detailed. Pursuit Premium Packages now offer storage compartments in the lower fairing as standard. The clutch is softened for less lever effort, and the front LED headlight is redesigned.

Two versions coexist, at almost the same price and convinced of the same possibilities. The Dark Horse likes metal to be black. The exhaust line, the outer protection tubes, the handlebar, the footrests, the engine casings, the top-case mounting plate… many parts are dark. Whereas on the Limited, they are all chromed.

With its large top-case, the Pursuit notably increases its predisposition for Grand Touring. The passenger will have ample room to rest their lumbar region against the wide backrest. The term “embedded” would even be more appropriate. Above all, luggage capacity is doubled with an additional 68 liters provided by this large box. In total, Indian makes 133 liters of cargo space available to its crew. Or even more thanks to the support installed as standard on the top of the trunk lid. For days of light pleasure, it is possible to remove the “Quick Release” and thus ride with an improved “Challenger” in terms of protection and comfort.

The Pursuit is equipped with heated grips and seat, a larger electric windshield, and an electronically adjustable Fox rear suspension. The preload can be adjusted from the Ride Command infotainment system. This treat can now be applied to the Challenger but as an option. From smaller to larger – it has been several years that Japanese and European GTs have offered semi-active suspensions as standard or as an option, acting in real time on several settings.

At Harley, choosing between the Ultra Limited or the Road Glide Limited is primarily a choice of fork head. The distinction between the Indian Pursuit and the Roadmaster goes far beyond. The latter is conceived with an engine in the most authentic American motorcycle tradition: a large air-cooled twin, with fins drawing a superb mechanical design, with disastrous efficiency but with torque as strong as an ox. The Pursuit is of a different breed, with it too a Twin (that of the Challenger) but smaller (1768 cm3 all the same), equipped with liquid cooling, a double overhead camshaft and 4 valves per cylinder. This PowerPlus produces 122 horsepower and more than 18 mkg of torque. A different soul compared to the Thunderstroke, more force and enough to shake up secular habits.

This Big Twin is governed by three riding Modes, Rain – Standard – Sport. Each Mode has its own settings for traction control and injection mapping. But the electronics are not limited to rear suspension, engine management and the 7-inch TFT color screen (with GPS, 200-watt sound system, Apple CarPlay, radio, Bluetooth, intercom, etc.). It asserts itself with ABS Cornering, the IMU inertial unit exerting influence on the riding aids, cruise control, keyless start and locking, deactivation of the rear cylinder to avoid overheating and limit consumption during short stops (traffic lights, congestion, crossing pedestrians), and tire pressure monitoring.

The Challenger/Pursuit family also includes a 43 mm inverted fork, Brembo radial brakes with 4 pistons on 320 mm discs, a lighter steering than on the Chieftain/Roadmaster since the fork head is mounted on the frame, an aluminum frame structure, and a profusion of weight. The Indian touring giant reaches 416 kilograms fully fueled – 39 more than the bagger.

With BMW, Indian and Harley-Davidson, there are no fewer than a dozen touring bikes at the boarding gates; in our regions. Cross the Atlantic and you can discover an enriched offer with the Yamaha Star Venture or Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager. Indian reinforces its position in the sector with this imposing Pursuit, capable of seducing mileage crushers.

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