This big, blacked-out motorcycle is a ferocious road warrior

Indian

The Indian Motorcycle Company has been undergoing a revival in recent years, with the support of corporate parent Polaris.

The idea is to provide Harley-Davidson with some competition on the traditional all-American front.

To the that end, Indian's new "Dark Horse" version of its large Chief cruiser is an impressive step.

"It is understated with only a flash of chrome and adds a healthy dose of matte black paint to create one of the most confident silhouettes on the market," Indian said in a statement.

"By all but eliminating chrome from the motorcycle and swapping to cast wheels, the Dark Horse conveys an aggressive pose, and being the lightest in the series, is the quickest model in the Chief family."

The Dark Horse Chief isn't an especially cheap bike, but at around $17,000, it's a lot of motorcycle for the money.

Indian

All blacked out.

Plus, it just looks cool. A departure from Indian's throwback style (the Chief looks as it was transported by time machine from 1955), the Dark Horse is meant to appeal to buyers who might not go for that Harley-esque retro vibe.

This new bike has a Batman/Dark Knight vibe and a considerable amount of street presence.

It also shows that Indian (and Polaris) is quite serious about making the brand a contender.

Indian

Looks good at night.