2008 Indian Chief Deluxe 'Power Plus' 105ci Motorcycle

Description

Drawing on a rich heritage and proud tradition, the revived Indian Motorcycle Company relocated to Kings Mountain in North Carolina in 2006 and for five years produced bespoke Chiefs in tiny numbers. The original Indian Chief was a huge 61-cid model introduced way back in 1922 as the largest motorcycle in the Springfield Company's line-up and a genuine competitor for arch rival Harley-Davidson. By 1940, all Chiefs wore the signature skirted fenders and the immensely powerful V-twin engine gave effortless performance, with 85 mph possible on the open road and even more with the right tuning. Prodution of the original Chief ran until 1953 and they remain some of the most collectible American motorcycles ever made, fetching huge sums. There were several ill-fated attempts to revive the Indian brand in the 1970s but it took until 1999 before serious production resumed at the former CMC factory in Gilroy, California, lasting just seven years before financial difficulties intervened in 2006. Under the direction of Stephen Julius and Steve Hees (who previously revived both the Chris Craft and Riva boat brands) and with backing from a UK-based private equity firm, Indian production resumed at new production facilities in Kings Mountain. These Indians have been described as the Bentleys of motorcycles, each being virtually hand-made. The focus was on exclusivity and few were made before Polaris Industries bought the brand in April 2011.