1947 Indian Chief

By now, many of you know that I am extremely fond of the post war Chiefs. It was the first motorcycle that I rode on and my personal obsession dates from that day in 1956. I just love the valanced fender Chiefs.

In 1939 Indian went to Bonneville Salt Flats to set LSRs with Chiefs and Scouts. Out of that effort came a ‘Bonneville’ edition with cam and carb upgrades. The Bonneville motor was available until the end for the Chiefs, but it was a rare option.

Introduced in 1946 the Chief was the only model offered by the Motocycle Company in the years after WWII. Based on the prewar model, there were some differences. The fender profile was most obvious, but the front suspension was changed. The buggy spring was gone, replaced by a girder and coil spring setup that worked. In 1947 the Chief was arguably technically superior to the Harley Davidson.

Controls for the 1947 Chief were right hand throttle, left hand spark advance, right hand lever shift with left foot clutch and right foot rear brake. Front brake was part of the right grip.

The 1947 Indian Chief came in three trim levels. Clubman, Sportsman and Roadmaster. This example is part Clubman and part Sportsman. The chrome single headlight and handlebars should also mean chrome crash bars to be a Sportsman. The bike comes with a rear seat setup that was a Roadmaster trim option.

Though listed as a ‘no expense spared’ restoration, this bike has some variation from stock. The ‘47 Chief had a chrome exhaust this one is flat black. The motor is said to be 93 CID when stock was 74 CID. I’d guess my question would be: When is a restoration not a restoration?

This particular 1947 Indian (Bonneville) Chief (VIN# 3474781) is in Beaverton, Oregon and is listed as a ‘no expense spared restoration with slight paint defects’. Reading the listing carefully, it says it has a Bonneville Carb. The motor may or may not have started life as a Bonneville edition (The stamping below the motor number would tell). The bike has a Buy It Now price of $38,500