The Spotted Thread
- Thread starter supkylesup
- Start date
Yes, IT IS. 1950-51 Indian Chief, 80 cube motor, The tank emblems were changed in '50 to reflect the cid of the motor; the black ball barely visible in the pics has "Eighty" written in it in script. After that, it has the new hydraulic front end that was introduced for the '50 model year. They are upside down to the Harley version; the valving and baffles are in the tubes instead of in the sliders or lower legs ala HD. Also came with a 4 spd transmission. Although rated at only 50 BHP, that was good enough to be able to cruise at 80 mph plus. The Indian motors were very torquey and were quite capable of ignoring first when they pulled away from a stop.
This is still a tank shift with the lever on the right, meaning a left hand throttle. The cops preferred this setup on their bikes because it left the right hand free to access a holster and fire a service pistol if necessary. Both Indian and Harley offered kits to swap the shifter from left to right and vice versa as a way of attracting customers.
In the last two years of official production, '52-53, the front end gained a cover between the fork tubes and the triple trees as well as one to hide the oil pump.
Fun factoid. In 1958, the New York Police Department issued a purchase order stipulating that they wanted to replace heir existing bike fleet with a new one composed of Indian motorcycles. Officially the factory was closed and defunct, but the dealers stepped up and literally stripped their shelves bare of NOS parts that, cumulatively, were enough to build and complete the order. Not sure how the titles would have read. The cases and frames would have had '53 vin and date codes on them but the titles would have read as the year of issue; supposedly that being '58.
Nice Ride. Even comes with a comfy place to stash your beer cooler! 😀
Nick
This is still a tank shift with the lever on the right, meaning a left hand throttle. The cops preferred this setup on their bikes because it left the right hand free to access a holster and fire a service pistol if necessary. Both Indian and Harley offered kits to swap the shifter from left to right and vice versa as a way of attracting customers.
In the last two years of official production, '52-53, the front end gained a cover between the fork tubes and the triple trees as well as one to hide the oil pump.
Fun factoid. In 1958, the New York Police Department issued a purchase order stipulating that they wanted to replace heir existing bike fleet with a new one composed of Indian motorcycles. Officially the factory was closed and defunct, but the dealers stepped up and literally stripped their shelves bare of NOS parts that, cumulatively, were enough to build and complete the order. Not sure how the titles would have read. The cases and frames would have had '53 vin and date codes on them but the titles would have read as the year of issue; supposedly that being '58.
Nice Ride. Even comes with a comfy place to stash your beer cooler! 😀
Nick
yes, he's actually towing the trailer behind it!
old Mercury Montclair
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