Indian Roadmaster Dark Horse: Black beauty on the road

With its perfect shape, the right curves and creases, and a super-sized air-cooled V-twin engine, this Roadmaster is sure to steal your heart

The time is 6 am, and the sun is just about to rise from behind the horizon. There is a nip in the air that is unusual for this time of the year. I am seated on the super-plush seat of the Indian Roadmaster Dark Horse, as its massive 1,890cc V-twin chugs at a relaxed pace. The deep burbles from the twin-exhausts intermix with Coldplay’s riveting music playing through the quad speakers of the 200W music system. I am not sure about the American Dream, but riding a big, American touring machine is an incredible experience that will be etched in my memory for a long time. Here is the reason why:

To me, the first word that comes to mind on seeing the Roadmaster is ‘elegant’. The enormous fairing is beautifully shaped, with its curves and creases, and since this is the Dark Horse version, it does away with the chrome outline around the LED headlight and the twin aux lights that flank it. Instead, the LED aux lights are placed on the indicators, outside the fairing, which contributes to its cleaner design.

Below this fairing you will find the Indian signature war-bonnet ornament on the fender. While it adds a dollop of identity to the Roadmaster, it surprisingly does not light up as on the Indian Chieftain — you have to buy the illuminated one as an extra here. You will also notice the large plastic bodywork around the front leg guard, which has vents that open to channel cool air to the footboard and the engine. And while the front end looks captivating, it is only when you move to the side that you are left gob-smacked at the sheer length of this machine.

Shaped like a teardrop, the 20-litre fuel tank flows neatly to the sofa-rivalling seats. Beneath the tank, the new Thunderstroke 116 V-twin occupies a pride of place; and then there are the huge panniers and top box that add up to about 137 litres of storage volume. The top box doubles up as a pillion backrest and can swallow two full-size helmets without a hiccup.

The wheels look particularly nice, with the contrast cut finish on the spokes adding a touch of bling.

Moving to the tail-end, it is an equally good-looking angle, with the curved fender, the neatly integrated tail-lights and blacked-out dual exhausts peeking from the bottom of the panniers. The only issue I believe is with the top box being devoid of a light strip to improve visibility at night.

Now, with a motorcycle this big, dressed in this lovely satin white colour, and the fact you will find a needle in a haystack before finding one of these on our roads, the Indian Roadmaster is the epitome of being an attention magnet. Park the bike anywhere and people appear out of thin air and stand mesmerised at this otherworldly looking motorcycle. Camera phones are quickly fished out for photo ops and, in an instant, you have become a celebrity of sorts. In the few years that I have been testing motorcycles of all kinds, I have never seen such levels of admiration and curiosity.