Sport Chief Test Ride, Better Than My Bike?

[@louislopez55]

I have found that after a test ride it’s when you get back on and ride your own bike that you finally realize what is better (or worse) about both bikes. But you have to be careful, I’ve sold perfectly good bikes because of a test ride, then soon regretted it. A test ride is not the equivalent of owning a bike for awhile.

[@BikesILike]

100% agree Louis.

[@oneononehiggo7921]

With bike's sometime the grass is always greener ...,but your choice was right 👍, the grey colour is better i reckon

[@BikesILike]

Thanks Higgo, I'm a big fan of the Quartz Gray but I really like the Stealth Gray on the Sport Chief too.

[@itskyb]

Fantastic review. I have a Scout now and looking that this model and the Chief Dark Horse. I'm certainly leaning towards this model.

[@BikesILike]

Thank you!

[@bobbylee3567]

Just brought my Sport Chief home yesterday. I am trying to find the same shape bars that are on the super chief. I don’t like to have to reach for the bars.

[@tpv59]

THANK YOU. I REALLY ENJOY watching your vid's. They are 'very real' and simple and down to earth. Thank you again.

[@bigchief113]

Thanks for the shout out BIL! Great comparison! I was super curious about your thoughts having ridden both models.

[@BikesILike]

Cheers mate!

[@likeaflash-b2i]

That check engine lite is noctorious on the Sport chief when Brand new, mine took over 100 miles to go away.

[@TheEmpiredown]

If it's like mine, it's the front O2 sensor/bank. Rode it out and no reoccurrence either.

[@farracuda]

The good thing about the Dark Horse is that you rode it prior to purchase so no surprises, the sports you would have bought blind and hoping you liked it as much as the dark horse. Both great looking bikes.

[@BikesILike]

Good point Farracuda, I hadn't looked at it that way. With the Chief Dark Horse I knew exactly what I was getting. When I was waiting to see which would appear first, my head kept saying Sport Chief but my heart said Chief Dark Horse. As good as the Sport Chief is, I'm glad I went with my heart on this one.

[@andyedmond248]

G'day Paul. So in essence brother, what your saying is that the Sport Chief promotes the rider to allow the "hooligan" inside them to come out and play. Lets be honest and admit that most seasoned riders love it when that happens, regardless of the age of said rider. I actually sat on the Sport Chief today at our local dealer and I must admit that i thought it would feel too small for me, but the ergonomics were just perfect! I will have to have a test ride on both the Sport and Chief dark horse in the very near future, thats for sure. Had planned to buy a Harley cruiser for my 65th at the end of this year as I had never owned one in the 50 years that I have been riding, but your video's have certainly shifted my thoughts over to the Indians, making my decision somewhat more complicated than it bloody should be!! Thanks a bunch mate!! LOL. Really appreciated the videos of both models brother, and I do like the screen you fitted to your Dark Horse. Ride safe, but have fun. Cheers from up north.👍

[@BikesILike]

Thanks Andy and sorry to throw a spanner in the works. :) There's no harm at looking at both brands, it's always good to have options. And the good thing is, it's much easier, I find, to get test rides on both Harley and Indian in Oz. Take them both for a spin and find the one that works best for you. ;)

[@MikMech]

20:45 Reassuring to know you've made the right choice. That exhaust sounds wonderful. (edit) I agree. That Sport would get me into trouble, empty my wallet and shred my licence.

[@BikesILike]

It's a temptation I think a few could resist Mik.

[@MrAndrew1953]

I would prefer the next size screen up with heated bars and seat as I feel the cold 🥶 these days. For the type of riding you are doing with your bike, I don’t think you need twin discs. You’ve got a very nice bike you’ll get a lot of happy use out of.

[@BikesILike]

Thanks Andrew. Yeah I agree, I'd probably go for the taller screen too on the Sport Chief. I was actually thinking about the heated grips after a bitterly cold ride the other day. :) They might make an appearance on my Chief at some point.

[@RogerDiotte]

Hi there nice man, cheers from Canada... I'm in the market to get back into biking after over a decade away but I've ridden for about 28 years. I've been to the Indian dealer for a peek at some but man I'll watch you for a bit and see and hear you.

[@HairlessBiker]

I’m looking at the new 2024 Scout as the 300 kilo weight compared with 260 kilo of the scout. Is the weight manageable when in loose ground or turning the bike from a stop on the Chief?

[@BikesILike]

All bikes can be challenging to manuvoeure on loose gravel if your legs struggle to reach the ground. So it will depend on your height. For me on my Chief at 6'1" I've not had a problem. But I always park with my front wheel on higher ground than my rear wheel.

[@HairlessBiker]

@@BikesILike thank you for your reply very kind of you

[@tinman3586]

The color and graphics favor the regular Chief Dark Horse. I don't really like the matte paint jobs but the grey is okay.

[@vincenttarquini4235]

Paul, overall you made the right choice. At our age we want a motorcycle that we can ride for hours on end and not finish the ride feeling like we just finished a wrestling match. That is why you picked the motorcycle you own and why I keep my Victory Vision. Also motorcycles are intimate. While a man might occasionally wonder what it might be like to sleep with the sexy young thing, he finds far more pleasure with the woman that he loves. Many riders are to fast to ditch the motorcycle they know to foray into another motorcycle that they end up disappointed with.

[@BikesILike]

Too true Vincent.

[@mstave]

Great review. How do you net out the shorter screen more wind on your upper chest but less turbulence (if I understood correctly)?

[@BikesILike]

Thank you! I think it's the shape of the screen. I find flatter, more upright screens like the one on my Chief Dark Horse to cause more turbulence by the time the air stream reaches your helmet. Whereas the Sport Chief's screen is rounder in shape and I feel gives a cleaner airflow.

[@TheEmpiredown]

Love my Sport Chief. Glad you have no regrets on your earlier purchase. Excellent run down, as always from you. I love the firmer ride for the times i want to be sporty. For those times i don't, i have a Roadmaster and a wife on the back... I didn't like the higher risers/wind screen during a demo day. The front fairing, etc. is just cosmetic. Love the way it looks, but it's not a bike I want to do hours on anyway. The times i do, i just wear a full face and ear plugs and enjoy the wind. I bet your error codes would point back to the front O2 sensors/bank. That's what mine had and rode out within the first few miles after i checked into it. One of the great things about RideCommand, you can pull up the issue on the fly and determine next steps. Not a money grab, not over-engineered, great components on a great chassis for a great deal. Looking forward to many more years on mine!

[@BikesILike]

Thank you! I think there's no losers when it comes to the Chief range EmpireDown. ;)

[@peteratherton897]

What riding mode where you in on both bikes? Did you try the sport chief in sports mode? Or you not allowed yet, mileage wise I mean

[@BikesILike]

I typically ride my Chief around in standard mode. Much more manageable. Sport mode is too much of a handful around town, too aggressive, so I save that for the open road. Acceleration wise, the Sport Chief will perform the same as all the 116 Chief's in Sport mode. Same engine engine, same tune.

[@serjezati4244]

Good job with remembering all those weight figures

[@BikesILike]

I had to think for a minute there. :)

[@martinhorton4967]

It was November 1987 when I stayed in Ballarat! My ride is a Triumph Scrambler 900, which is great for the hills and bends of the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire. Would love to try an Indian. Your bike is a beaut!

[@BikesILike]

Hey Martin, thank you and awesome to hear you've stayed in Ballarat! The Triumph Scrambler 900 is a great bike, nice choice.

[@bobz1736]

Love your reviews 👍 Remember, preload only adjusts ride height. It doesn't affect the spring rate...

[@BikesILike]

Thanks Bobz! This is the way I see it. Yes the spring rate or the speed at which the spring compresses will stay the same, but a compressed spring will offer more resistance than an uncompressed spring, which will affect the firmness or softness of the ride.

[@SilverIndian]

For me if i will want to buy cheif, would be the sport cheif. It has: Better suspension, better brakes, small fairing installed You can buy forward footpegs, risers, higher windshield., seat for 2 people. . Its overall better package. And if really you want light bike then scout has 50-60 kg minus from cheifs.. The real difference of kgs between Dark Horse & Sport Cheif is only 7kg. 311 & 304. Now with the new Scout 101...Indian must upgrade whole line Chiefs especially Sport Cheif.

[@guyfuller1369]

Great comparison and happy ending.

[@BikesILike]

Thanks Guy!

[@Rambiker2023chief]

What windshield is that ? Looks great!

[@BikesILike]

That's the standard Indian Sport Chief fairing and screen. It is available to buy for other Chief models.

[@Rambiker2023chief]

@@BikesILike thank you! Is it the quick connect model ?

[@Rambiker2023chief]

Or quick release or whatever it’s named

[@BikesILike]

@@Rambiker2023chief I'm pretty sure the Sport Chief fairing is bolt on only, not quick release.

[@Rambiker2023chief]

@@BikesILikeoh I completely missed the fairing. Guess I’ve been watching too many chief sport reviews lately. Your bike is a bobber right? So you added these? How involved was the install and do you get decent wind protection at speed?

[@davidcoleman4941]

Lovely motor it's definitely got soul

[@His_Scout_Sixty]

Riding the Sport Chief made me love my Scout Rogue even more lol it wasn’t for me. Didn’t feel right, but that’s my personal experience only. I think the best thing to do is test drive a bike.

[@BikesILike]

I get it. I reckon I could be equally happy on a Scout too.

[@sedatblk8816]

hi, I really like what you're doing. I'm considering buying this bike in 2-3 weeks, I've had a lot of bikes before, even a low rider s from 2021, I hope I liked this Indian sport chief .this motorcycle is selling poorly here in France. what made me decide was the aggressive and old look of this bike. I hope I don't regret my choice..... greetings from France, my friend.

[@BikesILike]

I think you'll like it. ;)

[@sedatblk8816]

@@BikesILike I am convinced of it ;)

[@kalaharimine]

Isn't +300kg and feet forward a bit dodgy if you have back issues? Motor sounds good though.

[@BikesILike]

Yep, it kinda rules out the Chief Bobber for me.

[@davec5237]

Great honest review, thanks for sharing. 👍

[@BikesILike]

Thanks Dave!

[@mr.solitude3352]

The plus factor of buying used. Less initial outlay and easier to let go of, should another steed catch your eye later down the road.

[@BikesILike]

Very good point there Mr.Solitude. Commonsense has always been a bit of a struggle for me over the years. :)

[@jonomasonILoveU]

The science of choosing the best bike is fun and necessary, I`m doing the same with choosing my next kTm, and I`m spoilt for choice, life is good when you ride for fun and sanity😁😛.

[@BikesILike]

100% Jono! I find the researching part of any purchase to be highly enjoyable.

[@the13th]

I hadnt realy realised that the Chief was tubed until I saw this :o Sounds so weird to hear of a motorbike being tubed as all of mine have always been tubeless. Amazing how much you end up assuming through experiance I think the only thing I'm nervous about moving from sports to Cruiser (Chief is my ideal world right now) is the single front brake disc.

[@BikesILike]

Depends which model. The alloy wheeled models, like my Chief Dark Horse and the Sport Chief are tubeless. Only the spoke wheeled Bobber and Super Chief Limited have tubes. I have no concerns about the single disc on my Chief. But if you're a racer and really wring your bike out from corner to corner, then I'd recommend the Sport Chief's twin disc front end. If you ride normally like me, then the single disc is perfectly fine.

[@the13th]

@@BikesILike I've never been a super aggressive rider, currently/formally on the original MT-09 and loved it but I just rode is in a relaxed manner, its just how I am. Sadly someone ran a red light through me, its hopefully repairs but I have my doubts. So im researching my options as I like this direction. Chief is my ideal world. -finegrs crossed- and ive found your content intensely helpful I ahve a feeling i might have met you at a petrol station once, you just feel familiar but probably wrong.

[@bertsbike]

The only reason IMO to go with the Sport chief is if you must have the fairing and suspension... The risers are meh... I'd rather have the standard drag or ape bars.

[@davidcoleman4941]

I always make a point of watching your videos several times, as there's always something to learn. I have to ask how do Harley davidson riders treat you do they acknowledge you or ignore you.

[@BikesILike]

Actually, most Harley riders have always given me a nod back when riding, no matter what brand of bike I'm on. Interestingly, I find BMW riders the least likely to return my nod or wave.

[@davidcoleman4941]

@BikesILike that's very true there's an elite mentality. Love your website

[@BikesILike]

@@davidcoleman4941 Cheers David!

[@Kevin97587]

I guess as the name suggests this bike is better for people who want a more sporty stiffer ride but less comfort. So for u the right choice was your dark horse and i think for most people..

[@nbowling10trio]

Polaris quality?

[@BikesILike]

If this is how Polaris makes motorcycles, I'm very impressed.

[@ImMorpheus-ng1dm]

Have you ridden suzuki hayabusa gen 2023 or 2022 Yamaha xsr900 i hope you'll test ride those bikes u should check your close Suzuki and Yamaha dealership see it they let you test ride theses two amazing bikes

[@BikesILike]

I would love to test ride both those bikes but Japanese bike dealers in Australia don't keep demo bikes anymore.

[@ImMorpheus-ng1dm]

@@BikesILike oh I see that's bad i mean really bad huh i wish someday u got chance and test ride those bikes those bikes are amazing and spectacular

[@BikesILike]

@@ImMorpheus-ng1dm For sure. I know I'd like them. ;)

[@marcusgeorge1825]

I just don’t understand why people who obviously have experience (as you do) still turn their bikes off with the kill switch. To prolong the life etc, turn them off with the key (or with this one) the engine button or proximity key.

[@BikesILike]

I think it's unwise to make comments like this when you clearly don't know what you're talking about, especially using this tone. The power button I used in this video is the button you use to power on and off the motorcycle.

[@MegaBailey67]

I think you bought the right bike

[@saddle8bag]

The longer travel shocks seem like a good idea. Aside from that, it's another money grab. Charging people for race parts to ride around on the street, on a croozer no less, just makes the ride less comfortable unless you happen to near roads that are as impeccably maintained as European race tracks...and a big upcharge margin for the mfg. Could have been the fairing, but when you were talking while riding the "sport" I heard quiver in your voice. Didn't notice it when you rode yours. Sounded like a voice might tracking over bumpy terrain. Given its the same terrain, I have to conclude the Sport soaked up less road imperfections even with its longer travel. I'd find longer shocks designed for riding on real roads rather than race shocks. Then again, it could have been wind coming off the smaller windscreen hitting you in the chest causing it too. I do like the symmetry of dual front disks, but again, wholly unnecessary for this type of bike. That's done to shed heat from hard braking into corners over and over again from high speed on a track. Nothing a road bike will likely ever experience. I do like that Indian puts both single front and rear disks on the same side. HDs have always put them on opposite sides which has always looked peculiar to me. One thing for sure, the engine in those things sound like gold. If they can find some nice paint next year, I'd consider one of those in the Springfield livery.

[@BikesILike]

Yeah I reckon it was riding firmer Saddlebag. I think too I was getting more air coming in under my helmet with the lower screen which was causing some odd reverberations inside my helmet at speed. I could hear it was different than usual and I felt like I had to speak louder on the highway to overcome it, although weirdly my audio was not clipped. Thinking back now this might have been the cause of the distortion in my recording at highway speeds.

[@omeroguerra8521]

ciao Paul mi scuso se non parlo inglese sono italiano io ho ordinato i sport chief dopo i 45 giorni promessi per il ritiro invece somo passati oltre 100 giorni 2 gioni fa mi ha chiamato la concessionaria per dirmi che vi erano dei poblemi e mi abrebbero consegnato la moto a settembre. non so se questo poblema è solo una scusa perchè mi sono lamentato per i tempi d'attesa. da poco che ho visto il tuo bel video e ho visto che si accessa un spia motore volevo sapere se hai parlato con tuo concessionario per sapere perche si acessa la spia e da cosa dipendeva non mi sempra rilevate dato che ti dato l'ok per continuare il tuo giro se se mi puoi fare sapere ti ringraziono Omero

[@BikesILike]

Ciao Omero! Congratulazioni per il tuo nuovo ordine di Sport Chief. Nessun problema posso tradurre con Google. Non ho scoperto quale fosse il problema della spia del motore di controllo. È stato sicuramente qualcosa di minore, anche se la motocicletta non è stata influenzata negativamente in alcun modo. Non mi preoccuperei per la tua bici, questo caso è stata un'eccezione.

[@omeroguerra8521]

@@BikesILike grazie Paul per la tua risposta veloce io avevo indian scout icon del 2019 quando ho visto che era era uscito lo sport chief me ne sono innamorato subito con i doppi dischi, forcelle roveschiate e ammortizzatori posteriori migliori era quello che cercavo pensavo di essere in paradiso e invece sono + di 120 giorni d'inferno.comunque grazie di nuovo ottimi video che servono veramente a far capire le cose come i video sull'altezze .se ti capita di parlare con il tuo concessionario per saperne da cosa dipendeve te ne sarei immensamente grato al tuo nuovo vedeo.. dal Italia Omero

[@BikesILike]

@@omeroguerra8521 Non preoccuparti Omero. Lo so, l'attesa è dolorosa, ma vale la pena aspettare il Capo. La prossima volta che andrò in concessionaria farò la domanda e ti farò sapere.

[@BikesILike]

​@@omeroguerra8521Ho appena chiamato per vedere i ragazzi della Indian Motorcycle a Ballarat e ho chiesto a Mark quale fosse la spia del motore Omero. Era un guasto generato a causa di una batteria scarica. La ricarica della batteria ha spento la spia. Apparentemente questa è una cosa comune con il capo, una batteria scarica può generare un codice di errore e accendere la spia del motore. Mettere la bici su un caricabatterie risolve il problema.

[@omeroguerra8521]

@@BikesILike grazie tanto Paul sei stato molto gentile speriamo bene alla prossima e buona strada .

[@stephenseymour6023]

Well I am surprised he has made the right decision for him self . So it appears that I can not CROW to you about it . And that by itself is a great disappointment to me. Enjoy the bike.

[@BikesILike]

Lol, thanks Stephen. :)

[@rogerwilliams2629]

Nah, like your's better!!

[@stephengrainger7586]

That's a lot of money

[@BikesILike]

It certainly is

[@davidcoleman4941]

Give me slow comfortable riding as I'm old and frail

[@jamesthomson9843]

Can you give me the recipe for that, David....please? I'm 78 and (they tell me) "frail", but try as I may I can't seem to achieve that "steady as she goes/bimble/cruise state. There's always this rush of blood, sometimes red mist thing that makes me want to push on. Gone from a sports bike to a naked modern classic too. What's the formula? Good vid Paul, your bike is stunning! Cheers fella! Popeye.

[@BikesILike]

Thanks Popeye! It took me many years to get that red mist under some sort of control, but I'm yet to be 100% successful. :)

[@davidcoleman4941]

@jamesthomson9843 the trick is take your time why rush

[@ronalddauro563]

Check engine light….. Ride ruined……

[@bobbylee3567]

I just bought this bike and love everything except the reach to the handlebars.

[@BikesILike]

Yeah, I found the I was reaching for the bars a bit too. I would install the taller risers if I owned this bike. in addition to lifting your hands and arms up a bit, this will also bring the handlebars closer to you.

[@jackienelson5804]

Not so much get a Honda REBEL 750 CC YOU WILL HAVE HAPPY MILES TRY THEM YOU WILL LIKE THEM GET OVER IT EGO LEMAY