The electric system also deserves mention. Power is supplied by a 6-volt, 29-amp battery of heroic proportions: it’s big and heavy and expensive ($80.00+). Remember that at 6 volts it takes twice as many amps to do the same work as a 12- volt system. It also leaks acid regardless of what you do to prevent it. The reason is that the tar used to seal the individual cells inevitably cracks and allows acid to leak from around the terminals, corroding the contacts and anything else it touches: like the rear fender! I can’t understand why internal improvements haven’t been made on the original design to prevent this. In desperation I wound up hollowing out the old battery case and inserting a new sealed gel 6-volt 14-amp no- maintenance battery on the inside. It worked like a charm and no more leaks but it brought its own problems with it. Such sealed gel batteries can become a very expensive fuss, if there is ever a problem with the electrical system.
The only time I’ve ever been stranded is when the gen
erator field wire brushed up against the armature and shorted out. Not only did it cut the ignition, but it fried the gel battery instantly! Now I’m back to using modern lead acid batteries in the old cases. They are much more durable and able to take some abuse and still provide enough current to get home in an emergency. The charging system uses a 6-volt generator with a movable 3rd brush to control current output and a cutout to control voltage. It’s simple and must be adjusted to get just the right balance of voltage and amps so you don’t discharge the battery or boil it off. Originally these generators were placed right up against the rear cylinder, the heat from which greatly lowered output. In later models the generator was placed behind the seat post away from the engine but output was still puny: about 19 amps cold and 10 amps hot which is barely enough to run the lights and ignition.
Maintaining the Chief takes some dedication. At last count I noted 17 grease fittings and oil caps: I’m sure I missed at least a couple. Do you know where all that grease and oil wind up eventually? Right! On you clothes…that’s another reason for wearing leathers. Additionally you have to periodically set primary chain tension, drive chain tension, valve lash, point gap, ignition timing, idle and high speed needles as well as the obligatory oil changes for engine, transmission and primary case which come every 1000 miles if you want the Chief to last. You’ll also periodically check and tighten up all the bolts and nuts if you want to prevent stuff from falling off the bike. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this means you have to become a mechanic and do the work yourself. You can’t take this to your local Indian dealer for the 1000 mile check up!
Owning a Chief is no different than owing a horse or other live (large) pet. The “face time” you spend maintaining the Chief will bring you closer together and you’ll gain an appreciation for your trusty steed. It also may get your butt out of trouble should you break down on the road. By the way, there is only one-way to work on an Indian: that is the Indian way. You will quickly find out that there is often only one way to do things, the “Indian way” if you will, and any “short cut” or “unauthorized detour” will lead to frustration and the necessity of starting all over again from scratch. That’s the way they built them and that’s the way you have to work on them.
To date, with about 9000 miles on the clock, I’ve had only a few problems and most were not directly related to the Chief itself but rather peripherals that failed. For instance, the spark advance internal control wire broke (worn out) but I was able to get home by reaching down with my right hand and rotating the distributor to advance the spark. I now have a spare internal control wire in my saddlebag. The ignition coil shorted out but I was able to pick one up from a local NAPA dealer: I think it’s a VW coil but works fine. I had a short in the ignition switch and was able to bypass the electrical system going directly from the battery to the coil. I now carry a wire with alligator clips on both ends to do this.
The vent on a gas cap became plugged and prevented the flow of gas from one of the tanks. I simply swapped it out with the other tank and got home. A brass carburetor float developed a crack and filled with gas causing the carburetor to overflow gas down my left leg. Fortunately that occurred near home and I was able to open and shut the petcock while riding (quite a feat) to keep the engine running. The generator developed a short: a zip tie internally separated the offending wire from the armature. Point is you are going to have to know how to work with what you have and pack tools and spare parts. I had one suspicious character ask what I’d do if someone took the rotor out of the distributor to immobilize the Chief with the intent of coming back later to steal it. I told him “No problem! I have two spare rotors in the saddle bags, a cell phone and a Washington State concealed weapons permit” and then promptly rode away.
The big draw for Indians, besides the name, is the styling. My 1939 Chief was the last year for the smaller fender skirts but I like the long, low, lean look of the bike. In some ways it more resembles a “Sportster” version of the Chief than later full- valence models. I think it also handles better, is lighter, less affected by cross winds, and faster than later models. My Chief never fails to draw a crowd, even when only Harley buffs abound. I recently pulled into a gas station in Packwood, Washington during “Packwood Days," kind of a mini Sturgis flea market, and was approached by a biker gal who asked to take a photo of my Chief. Her grandfather rode Indians she said and she wanted to send him a photo. I did her one better: I put her on the bike and took a photo of her! That made her day! The previous year, while returning home from “Packwood Days”, I gassed up in Morton, Washington and was approached by a group of Harley riders. One asked me almost reverently “Is that a real Indian?”
I told him “You bet!”
He replied “I’ve been riding these back roads for 25 years and that’s the first one I’ve ever seen out on the road!”
We went inside the mini-mart and shared a cup of coffee recounting my love affair with Indians and our love affair with motorcycles.
My Indians aren’t the only bikes I’ve ridden: I’ve also owned vintage Honda, Suzuki, BMW, Yamaha and Kawasaki’s. However I can honestly say that the Chiefs are a world and era apart from the rest of them. While I can appreciate anyone who rides, regardless of what they ride, nothing can replace an original and that goes for the “new Indians”. They may be modern, fast, capable, bikes but they aren’t truly Indians (1901-1953) and never will be and that’s OK with me.
It’s tough to say what Indians would have been like had they survived beyond 1953 so modern Indians can only reprise some of their original physical appearance. For most riders, an original is out of the question due to performance, cost and maintenance issues. But for those who move at a more leisurely pace and have the mechanical inclination (or failing that, have a ton of money!), there is no substitute.
