By 1953 Indian had expired. All that was left was to put out the last Chief and close the doors. The Chief was introduced in 1922 and was the staple of the Indian line until the very end. There can be little doubt that the 1953 Chief was the finest motorcycle that Indian built, but it wasn’t enough to save the company from it’s own bad decisions.
The 1953 Indian Chief featured an 80 CID (1300 CC) four stroke side valve air cooled V-Twin motor that made 40 HP. Addition of an Amal Carb in ‘52 improved the reliability, and with a weight of 575 LBS top speed was 85 MPH. Hydraulic front forks and a plunger rear with a three speed transmission that was tank shifted (toe clutch) completed the package.
This particular 1953 Indian Chief (VIN # CS6178) is in Fresno, California and listed as having 1,000 miles on a restoration from 25-30 years ago. It looks to be incredibly complete and in pretty good shape. Starting bid is $30,000 in an auction that ends Tuesday, October 4 in an auction