J&D Plating took care of the rest to get them looking like new. They were able to dig up some original cast fender tips and Roadmaster fender emblems. To assemble the collection of vintage parts, Alex worked with Bob Stark, of Perris, California. After two weeks of sanding the tires down, painting, and some sore hands, he had himself the only 18-inch whitewall in the country, to his knowledge.
#INDIAN 2001 HOW TO#
You'll notice that both tires are white-walled and at the time, Alex couldn't find anyone who made an 18-inch whitewall, so he went to work researching how to make them himself.
#INDIAN 2001 TRIAL#
It took a little finessing to fit the tire inside the front fender trial and error eventually gave way to proper fender positioning. That's because of the 21x3.5-inch-wide rim in front and the 18-inch in back. You'll notice this Chief sits a little different than others on the road. What the Roadmaster also had was the big valanced fenders and the lines that served as inspiration for Nightmare throughout the project.
That's right, left side, and it's not a mistake but a tribute to Alex's favorite Indian of all time, the '51 Roadmaster. Next, it was time for the reigns: 18-inch Carlinis made from 1-1/2-inch-diameter tubing dipped in chrome.Īs if riding a bike this size with 18-inch apes wasn't challenging enough, Alex decided to complicate things even further by adding a left-side jockey shift with a foot clutch. His first stop was Smitty's Saddlery in Riverside, California, for a fully custom seat with tan saddle leather and Indian embossing that looks like it was made with an old western saddle from the 1800s in mind. With his eclectic approach to customization, Alex went to work assembling the parts to make this Chief truly one of a kind. Alex had lots of ideas for the Chief, but what he really wanted to achieve was modern gangster flair while maintaining the historical integrity of a '50s Chief. It didn't take long for the bliss and excitement to wear off and the real work to begin.on the bike that is.
Like any efficient military man would do, Alex took advantage of the fact that the dealership was right next to the hospital, and traded in his Scout for a Chief the day his youngest daughter was born. That bike lasted a year before he realized that nothing short of a Chief was going to scratch the itch. This is a long held sacred place for the Dakota Indians and a fitting backdrop for this classy Indian Chief.Īlex fell in love with Indians at a young age, and his first purchase was an '02 Scout. We decided to shoot it at an old encampment where two great rivers meet, the Minnesota and the Mississippi. I couldn't wait to get back to work with Alex and shoot this bike that was so captivating the first moment I saw it. Eric remembered the bike from Sturgis and asked me to shoot it, and submit the story. While it might not be a classic in the sense that it's an old or vintage bike, it does have a very classic look, so I shot some photos of Nightmare for my own personal collection, and we got back to business.Īfter the story on Strutter was published, I asked Eric Ellis if he'd consider running a feature on an Indian. What stuck out from that meeting had nothing to do with my assignment it was the Indian Chief he had in the garage he calls "Nightmare." It was "his" bike-the one he rode, loved, and said the most about what he values in a motorcycle. When Alex and I first met, it was to take a look at Strutter and discuss locations for a shoot, he went over the Sportster in detail and we talked bikes for a while. It was the bike that was willed into existence by insisting that a Sportster would accommodate an HD springer frontend. If you've been reading this magazine for a while, you'll remember builder Alex Brooks and his custom Springer Sportster "Strutter" that was featured a little more than a year ago.
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