Jay’s Indian Chief is a three-speed bike with an 80 cubic-inch engine. While stock bikes like Jay’s are the real McCoy, restored Indians usually give their owners better reliability and more horsepower.
While most Americans born after World War II think of Harley-Davidson as the quintessential American bike, it’s hard to believe that Indian once competed with Harley – or that Indian came first. Both engaged in a heated rivalry. While Harley had a market presence, Indian was the most popular, which may be due not only to the quality of the product, but to its success at the race track.
One of Indian’s most popular models was the Scout, made prior to WWII. The only model to rival the Scout was the Chief, which saw a production run from 1922 to 1953. The first Chief had a 61 cubic-inch engine with plenty of pop. Improvements were made over the years and included a front brake and large skirted fenders.
