2022 First Look: Indian Pursuit Limited & Pursuit Dark Horse

2022 Indian Pursuit Design

What we have here in the new Pursuit is the logical evolution of Indian's fixed-fairing Challenger platform with the touring aspects pumped up to the max.

“Touring bikes are one of the ultimate expressions of freedom – enabling unforgettable experiences through longer escapes and epic adventures on the open road,” said Mike Dougherty, President for Indian Motorcycle. “With Pursuit, we’ve expanded on the unparalleled sophistication of the PowerPlus motor to deliver a class-leading, fully-loaded touring machine that combines top-tier performance with unparalleled comfort and advanced tech features, delivering an American V-twin touring experience unlike any other.”

The new Pursuit models are much more than just a Challenger with a topcase. Adjustable windshields and additional fairing lowers make for a tunable wind pocket, and the lowers can be set up as storage or with sound drivers for your tunes. The topcase combines with hard sidebags for a total of 35 gallons of secure dry-storage capacity. Heated grips and saddles – standard with the Premium package and optional for the standard models – expands the comfort envelope downward for a longer riding season.

A seven-inch touchscreen bundles the electronic controls and infotainment portal with dual analog gauges for the speedo and tach. The S-curve in the flyline remains the same as before, and the Dark Horse variants carry all the same gear as their counterparts, the only difference is in the paint. All lighting is LED, and there are lots of places for upgrades with Adaptive Headlight technology and spotlights to be had from the accessories catalog.

2022 Indian Pursuit Chassis

The Pursuit is built to deliver an eagerness in the corners not unlike Honda's famously maneuverable Gold Wing.

Looks like the frame for the Pursuit is the same as well with a full downtube/cradle structure and hard mount for the sharknose front fairing, plus it carries stock engine guards front and rear for a little extra protection. Suspension components are fairly mundane on the base models, but the Premium Package adds an electronic suspension control feature to the mix, and like many of the Premium items, it can be added at sale al la carte as an upgrade for the base model.

Additionally, Premium models rock a Bosch inertial measurement unit that adds dynamic control over both the ABS and traction control features. Basic ABS comes stock on the base models, as does the slipper clutch that adds another layer of insurance for the rear contact patch.

Cast rims and sporty Metzeler Cruisetec hoops round out the rolling chassis. Brembo brakes come with dual, four-bore calipers that bite 320 mm front discs with a twin-piston anchor and 298 mm disc out back.

2022 Indian Pursuit Drivetrain

The PowerPlus engine is all about the performance with none of the curb appeal of its Thunder Stroke stablemate, but it delivers a sporty riding experience.

The beating heart on the Pursuits remain the same across the board. Indian’s water-cooled PowerPlus, 60-degree V-twin delivers the goods with a whopping 122 horsepower at the redline with 128 pound-feet of torque at 3,800 rpm for a top speed around the 125 mph mark.

The engine-control electronics were tuned a tad to suit the greater bulk and heft brought on by the extra gear and luggage. Displacement mics out at 108 cubic-inches (1,768 cc) and compression is middling at 11-to-1. Traction control comes stock. You can further boost performance with the accessory air cleaner and camshafts with 10-percent more power and three-percent more torque to be had. On the downside, this engine is all about the performance. It has none of the curb appeal of its Thunder Stroke stablemate, but delivers a sportier riding experience.

2022 Indian Pursuit Price

MSRP starts at $30k for the base-model Limited and runs up to $35.5k for the Dark Horse with the Premium Package.

The new Pursuit Limited rolls for $29,999 MSRP to start with, and you can add the entire Premium Package for another three grand. The Dark Horse starts at $30,999 with a $33,999 sticker on the Premium version.

As for paint, the Pursuit pair roll in a choice between Black Metallic, Deepwater Metallic, and the two-tone Maroon Metallic over Crimson Metallic. For the Dark Horse version, you can go with Black Smoke, Silver Quartz Smoke, Spirit Blue, or Ruby Metallic over Black Metallic.

2022 Indian Pursuit Competitors

So right out of the gate, the Pursuit steps into the fray with competition from all quarters.

Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited

The first, and perhaps most obvious, is Harley-Davidson with its own top-drawer fixed-fairing tourer in the Road Glide Limited that makes a direct competitor to the Premium Pursuit models in general, and the Dark Horse Premium specifically with a $28,299 starting price.

Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager

Representing the Asian market is Kawasaki’s Vulcan 1700 Voyager that delivers almost the same level of touring prowess with a much more attractive base price of $18,299 to put the pressure on America’s oldest motorcycle maker.

BMW K 1600 Grand America

Straight outta’ Bavaria, BMW fields its own sportier version of the classic U.S. tourbike build in the K 1600 Grand America, though it hits many of the same design points to include baggage, fixed fairings, and electronic goodies. Beemer even has its own blackout version in the Option 719 Midnight that represents the actual visual starscape that rolls for $30,495 MSRP.

Read our full review of the Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited
Read our full review of the Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager
Read our full review of the BMW K 1600 Grand America.

He Said

“Am I the only one who sees more than just the suggestion of the now-defunct Victory in these models? Maybe in the Ness-like swoop on the gas tank and S-curve in the flyline? Kudos to Indian for turning out a tourbike that’s more performance-centric than the prettier engine.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “Well, you knew this was coming, yeah? Indian put together a nice dresser in the Pursuit stablemates. The Premium packages include the electronic suspension – which you can get as an option on the base models – but the whole package makes for a nice tourer. Attractive options include LED adaptive headlight, upgraded audio system, performance upgardes and a really nice touring bag and rider backrest. I do see the swoopiness my husband mentioned. You had to know Polaris was going to put those old Victory designers to work, didn’t you?”

2022 Indian Pursuit Specifications

Further Reading

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