a standard foot clutch – you raise your heel to go. The plunger rear suspension was a feature introduced in 1940, and the girder forks have a built-in steering damper. This feature was introduced on Indian Chief models in 1946, but it was used on the earlier 841 Indian military motorcycle models starting in 1941. The bike has been converted from its original right-hand shift/left throttle to the now industry standard right throttle/ left-hand shift. The left grip now operates the manual spark advance/retard functions. The ‘47 Chief rides on 16” wheels (an upgrade introduced in the 1941 model year) wrapped in the beautiful, iconic skirted fenders. The twin tanks split fuel and oil duties – the left tank holds two gallons of fuel, the right tank holds an additional 1½ gallons of fuel and 2 ½ quarts of oil. The tanks feature the Indian ‘script’ logo tank badges, first introduced in model year 1947. Optional accessories on this Chief include fender tips, a The Indian Motorcycle Company started in 1901 when George M. Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom put a 1.75 horsepower single-cylinder engine in a simple bicycle-style frame. They would have never imagined that motorcycle was the beginning of a brand that would grow to become a worldwide presence. The company’s original run lasted from 1901 until 1953. Indians from that period are highly prized motorcycles sought out by museums, collectors and dedicated riders. The model shown in the catalogue is a 1947 Indian Chief. It is from the collection of Fred Fox, the founder of LeMans Corporation. Mike “Kiwi Indian” Thomas, a long-time industry expert and restorer of these classic motorcycles, reviewed the bike and shared his knowledge to point out the Chief’s more notable features. It has a 74 cubic inch V-Twin motor and a three-speed transmission that is hand shift. The Rocker foot clutch is operated on the left side, and operates in reverse of ON THE COVER 1947 Indian Chief
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