I have bought it in 1987, found in the ads of "La Vie de la Moto". At this time I was looking for an old (before 1960) motorcycle which would be capable to drive me all around France.
Look that it was not my first attempt to ride all around France : in 1980 I rode about1900 miles between Paris and Saint Jean de Luz (near Biarritz) and back with my moped (which one I still ride every day to go to work) ; the next year I rode from Paris to Paris via Saint Jean de Luz and Nice but with a Suzuki 125 ER, the only brand new bike I ever owned and which I don't miss : it was a calf (french expression meaning it was not rapid nor nervous) compared with my precedent 125 TSA Susuki (this one have had a lot of modifications : I convert it firstly to do motocross and after I ride it in a racing trim).
After I have got other 125, all half dead, then a 1972 350 CB - my first "big motorcycle" - good bike but too expensive to ride for the temporary worker I was. Then I had BSAs and the last and best bike I ever had (for town) : a MZ Trophy Sport250.
But, get back to the subject. 1986... the motorcycle I wanted was a Harley Davidson WL or a Panhead because I knew I can found lot of parts to make it run (I haven't heard about other american motorcycle in these days) contrarily to french motorcycles which are more difficult to restore. So I wanted a HD... the Wild One (I know it was a Triumph), Easy Rider... you understand what I was dreaming about !
So I "found" some money and began to read the ads. I found two interressing bike (for the money I had) : a Shovelhead and a Chief. The Shovel was for sale 8000 francs (+- $1200) higher than the Chief and was in parts and "may be" complete. The Chief was a rolling basket case, it was incomplete but when you try to start it it utters some "patapoum" which decided my two expert (you say that ! I'm their mechanic now !) friends - I came with them to keep me from make an error buying some crap - more than me to buy the Chief.
So I buy the Chief, putter it a little to make it run and get a riding license - yes before this bike I rode without a license, assurance, etc... I was real outlaw :-)))).
After about one month of infructous temptatives to tune *correctly* the motor I met - by chance - Jean Louis Welter, the boss of Vitry Motorcycles, the man who can put in parts a WL, reassemble and tune it without the eyes. He tune the Chief in less time I roll my cigarette...
Since I have learned mechanical - the real thing, not tinkering, even if you look close at my Chief now ;-) - with the same Jean Louis Welter and right now I can targue to be the king of the 1/2 wrench... I'm even "at my count" since soon.
So, the big bike was running but after breaking twice the rifght plunger, I saw the frame to make a it rigid ...
So, the photo has been taken in 1990, it was a 1940 military Indian Chief.
The only parts which is from the 40's is the motor, the rear hub and the front of the frame.
The front fork is from an Harley Davidson Sportster & is 5 centimeters longer than the origin ; the saddle & pipes are home made ; the silencers and gas tank are accessories treasured up from the 70's ; the rear mudguard is a Harley Davidson copy (fat bob model) widened about 3 centimeters to let the passage for the rear wheel (6" x15") the tyre (175x15)is from a delivery van - "Estafette Renault" ; the handlebar is from a 1953 HD Panhead.
At the time i write the bike is near to be restored in its original configuration with leaf spring front fork, dual gas/oil tanks and other original parts. The only parts which will be not original will be the rear wheel with its breaking system (compo HD hub, disc, Dutch extra wide rim(5x15), BREMBO brake caliper and the electrical system (alternator from a R5 Renault, regulator from a CX Citroen) for more viability. I will put a side car on it.
