Indian Motorcycle Forum banner

New 2023 Chief Dark Horse Bobber - I have some questions for the community

1 reading
5.4K views 31 replies 21 participants last post by  cyber_monk  
#1 ·
Image


Hello Friends,
I bought my Indian Chief less than three weeks ago and let me tell you, I love it! I am amazed at its beauty, classic clean look, blacked out look, the motor (man.. that motor!) and the tech. I have a little bit of a beef with the ride command always losing the ability to play music without re-pairing, I can't figure it out. If anyone has a work around, let me know?

My main question for other chief owners is this: My motorcycle, while in cruise control and moving my hold on the handlebar to a very gentle hold shows me the motorcycle is inclined to lean/pull to the right. I tested this for a long time and concluded that it is consistent. I brought it in to Indian and they confirmed, she pulls to the right if/when you are not holding the handlebars (or barely holding them, like I did while testing). The tech's told me this seems to be the same experience with other chief's and that they think it is the massive heavy exhaust creating the extra weight that does this. They didn't have a chief to compare to but they promised as soon as they get a new bike in that they would see if it is consistent. So my question is, do you have the same experience? I guess it is not a huge deal but made me curious if I had some alignment issue.

My thanks in advance!
-D
 
#8 ·
Yes...there is just enough of a weight imbalance to the right due to the exhaust system that you can shift around and get it to track straight...but the actual solution would be for INDIAN to take into account centerline tracking/weight distribution when in the design phase. I KNOW they can, 'cause my FTR was neutral tracking. The exhaust system on all the Chiefs just seems overly huge and cumbersome in design, and it forces the imbalance everyone feels when they ride.
 
#12 ·
Hi Everyone, I wanted to truly thank you all for responding and reassuring me as well. I think that as long as I know it is "by design" I am not troubled by it. Under normal circumstances no one would have noticed it. All in all it is pretty subtle but the more I think of it, the more I realize it does feel like a weight distribution issue since the bike wants to "lean" in the direction of the imbalance but tracking seems to be OK.
 
#15 ·
Same here. Switched from the stock pipes to the Dean Speed rampage with the same results. I've redone the front fork alignment and tried to compensate with the rear wheel alignment without success unless the rear wheel was waaaaay out of whack.

Sitting further left does help a bit, but at this point I just deal with it for the most part and assume the same as everyone else. Bike is just built with a right bias.
 
#24 ·
My '23 Chief Dark Horse leans slightly to the right when I fully let go of the bars to stretch, even after switching the exhaust to Freedom slip ons. Not a big deal and easily corrected with a little weight shifting. But it certainly pulls right when you don't hold on.
 
#28 ·
Hello from Bavaria,
also my Chief BDH 24 drifted to the right, quite massive! I couldn't ride free-hands at all. But I played and tuned my belt with position and alignment of the rear wheel. Now it's still not perfect, but much better. Also tyres should indicate this problem, if they were worn out one-sided.
 
#30 ·
My new Indian Chief Darkhorse Bobber 2024 do also pull slightly to the right.. I ran the OEM exhaust while waiting for my Dr Jekill and Mr Hyde exhaust and I did not notice any pull to the right when riding but after trying cruise control on a dead straight road I did noticed a slight pull to the right if I almost let go of the handlebar, it was very slight .. I could scoot/move my butt/weight to the left a bit and it would go straight.. I mention this to the dealer and they just told me as long as everything was in line (wheels and such) there was nothing to do about it.. they told me that there might be more weight on the right side and that could be the "issue" .. Fast forward and I got my new exhaust fitted and I tested again .. now it is less then before, almost gone and nothing I noticed when riding .. even with cruise control (I like to hold on my bike so I dont throw off) ^^ .. I think the OEM exhaust are pretty heavy and the dr jykill and mr hyde exhaust , witch are a full system are lighter ..
 
#31 ·
Not an issue on my 2023 Chieftain Bobber DH. I got 18K on the original Night Dragons. I rarely use the cruise control, so taking my hands of the bars to test this isn’t going to happen. As a matter of fact, I generally keep a firm grip so I don’t fly off the back with the acceleration.
 
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.