Royal Enfield's big Chief looked the part

Royal Enfield motorcycles badged and sold in the United States as Indians in the 1950s were based on the firm's British products. They mostly just took on Indian model names: Tomahawk, Woodsman, Westerner, Lance, Fire Arrow, Hounds Arrow and Trailblazer. But one model, the Chief, was significantly different in appearance. More than the others, it really looked like an American motorcycle.

Like other Royal Enfield Indians, the Chief did without the headlight casquette, giving it a real U.S. style dashboard and separate headlight. The aluminum Indian Chief mascot on the deeply valenced front mudguard identified it as a true Indian.

But the big difference was its squat appearance. On the Chief, the wheelbase was extended and smaller diameter, 16-inch wheels used to provide the long, low look Indians made in America had featured. It had the heavy, menacing, fat tired appearance of a police motorcycle. Those tires were 4.5 inches wide.

The 700cc Royal Enfield Constellation motor gave the Chief the required authority, too; top speed was almost 115 mph and it could cruise at speeds above any posted limit.

A 1960 Chief for sale on eBay will soon go back into slumber unless it finds a buyer.

The seller advises that: "The owner told me that if it doesn't sell he was going to drain all the gas and put it in storage for a few years until the market comes back. He asked me to put a Buy It Now option for $9,500. The reserve is at $8,500.00."

He says the owner "finally got around restoring it about five years ago. I understand that there were about 300 of these built in 1960 and a total of 700 for all the years of production of the Chief model. This bike uses the 700cc Constellation Enfield engine, but the frame is different from all the others by having a longer wheelbase. Everything on the bike works and works well; this is a very easy starter, and a very pleasent riding motorcycle

"The bike has been used and there are a few chips and dings from use. I guess you could just say it's begining to develop some patina."

Found: Royal Enfield Indian Chief

Charles Todd has found his Royal Enfield Indian Chief. He wrote me, in December, asking if I would place a "Wanted" ad on this blog, seeking a Chief, at a reasonable price, that he could have shipped to him in Australia.

As it turned out, he found the motorcycle he wanted right here in my home state, Florida. It is a lovely red 1960 machine. It was advertised on the Walneck's Classic Cycle web site, at an asking price of $7,500.

The contact didn't come through this blog, but putting out the word helped. It was one of those "somebody who knew somebody" connections that so often works out in life.

Congratulations, Charles. Please update us on your experience when the motorcycle reaches you.

Royal Enfield Chief is a fond memory

Charles Todd's search for a Royal Enfield Indian Chief, mentioned on this blog, apparently inspired "Stefan" in Sweden to send me these pictures of his 1959 Chief.
He even enclosed a video clip so we can hear the 700cc engine run. "Hope you can open the film and listen to the sound coming out from this 50 year old bike; you just have to love it," Stefan writes. I agree.

Stefan sold his Chief in 2008 and says it is now in Great Britain.

The entire motorcycle is terrifically eye catching. Just as nice are the small details. I am particularly taken by the "Police Special" speedometer. Why "special"? No doubt it was especially accurate for clocking speeders.

You can just hear that police officer telling the judge "I had to go 100 to catch him, Your Honor!"

1959 would have been the last full year for the Chief, which was akin to the Royal Enfield Meteor but with a lengthened wheelbase and 16-inch wheels. This gave it the low-slung, chubby-tired look of the American-made Indians of the past, beloved by police departments.

Caught by an officer on one of these things, you may as well have pleaded guilty. It just had so much AUTHORITY.

Royal Enfield's Indian Chief looked classic, but one owner made his look older still

Two fascinating Royal Enfield motorcycles are owned by Don McMahan, of Lino Lakes, Minn. (it's just north of the twin cities).

He was kind enough to share with me the story of his 1967 Royal Enfield Interceptor, stolen from him in the mid-1970s, recovered three years later, and then rebuilt for him by the legendary George Helm.

More about that next time. But first, the story of McMahan's 1959 Royal Enfield built Indian Chief. Looks different, doesn't it? Well, it is.

Royal Enfield twins were being rebadged and sold as Indians in the United States in the 1950s. With the Chief, Royal Enfield went the extra mile, stretching the wheelbase and using smaller diameter wheels to mimic the heavy, fat-tired look the Indian had when it was built in the U.S.

McMahan decided to go farther, using his skill with fiberglass to create a Royal Enfield Indian Chief that really does look like the classic "Big Indians" of the 1930s. He explains:

"George Helm was a dealer in the Chicago area at the time and his version of the story of the creation of the Chief went something like this: The Indian Sales Corp. was using the old Indian dealer network to sell British imports after the manufacture of Indian motorcycles stopped in 1953. The dealers were strung along with promises of new Indians next year, next year and so on.

"By 1955, to quiet the unhappy dealers, Indian Sales Corp. started badging Royal Enfields as Indians, but the dealers still wanted a 'big' bike to sell to compete with Harley in the police market and touring segment. Finally, with much dealer input, the 1959 Chief was created. There were a few left over in 1960 and even though the badging of Enfields as Indians had stopped, some dealers sold the leftovers as 1960 models.

"George's opinion was that there were probably more Chiefs now than there were sold new, since so many people had recreated them with some combination of old parts, like this one.

"It's a bit'sa, put together by a past owner with a lot of original parts and George Helm's advice. I bought it without George's help and he kind of rolled his eyes when I told him what I'd bought. Never admitted to him what I'd paid for it. The constructor had tried to make it original and after some introspection I wasn't happy with that.

"As purchased, you can't see how cobbed together it was and the Matchless tool box never looked right on the Chiefs that had it. Also it doesn't have the correct Chief tank, which is larger; this is a Trailblazer tank.

"Since it was a bit'sa I didn't have any regrets making it into what I wanted (although I am thinking of having the stock saddle redone so I can put the seat rail back on — it has a solid cast plaque that reads 'Indian' facing back that was an accessory created by the Chicago area dealers).

" I've been in fiberglass all my working life, so I provided fiberglass fenders of my own design that I built to suggest more of the look of the '30's Indians (gave the originals to George; hope they found a good home); fiberglass toolbox that fits into the frame curve; and real Indian saddlebags that were with it when I bought it.

"The light bar is a real Royal Enfield accessory on a bracket I built to fit the Chief, and the driving lamps are modern reproductions. It's still a 6-volt system. The handle bars are Yamaha Royal Star touring bars.

" I just couldn't resist the Sparto tail light, but since that's not enough light out back I recessed a reproduction '39 Ford tail light in the fender. 1959 — you have to have shark fin tips!

"The paint is an off-the-rack color, an aqua metallic that reminded me of the '50s and went well (I think) with the cream two-tone. The pattern of the two-tone design is lifted right from Indians of the '30s, as I said. Boy they built some beautiful bikes then

"George didn't have time, or maybe I didn't have the time, when I needed to have this one gone through. As it turned out, it took 10 years after the rebuild to get all the mechanicals sorted out. It doesn't wear my leg out either, running on the magneto — starts with one kick.

"I could go on, and on. Nothing like a Royal Enfield to start a conversation."

Addendum: McMahan had this interesting tidbit to add:

"One thing that I didn't mention before: the Chief's engine and transmission are from a 1961 Constellation (as I said before, it's a bit'sa put together by another fellow) however it is registered and licensed as a 1959 Indian.

"As I remember, George Helm had some original paperwork that allowed him to get it titled as a '59 and provided that and a lot of the pieces in the bike for the guy who originally put it together."

Royal Enfield Super Meteor Chief has new owner looking for information

A motorcycle called a "Super Meteor Chief" recently showed up for sale in an eBay ad listed on this blog. I didn't know anything about it except that a Super Meteor was a pretty special Royal Enfield twin, and a Chief was a pretty special Indian motorcycle built by Royal Enfield and sold in the United States in the 1950s.

The owner, in New York, seemed to possess documentation of what he had, so I didn't question why an Indian Chief would have "Royal Enfield" on the tank.

The motorcycle disappeared from eBay, but the new owner has now brought it to my attention in an email. Jaak Eijkelenberg of the Netherlands wrote that he had been inspired to seek out an Indian motorcycle by a visit to the museum and workshop of Tony "Indian" Leenes, in Lemmer, the Netherlands.

Leenes' passion is customizing and restoring Indian motorcycles. He builds custom Indians to order; projects can take a year to complete but the goal is getting "that last detail" perfect.

Eijkelenberg wrote:

"My name is Jaak (Jack). I'm 53 and live in the Netherlands, close to the borders of Belgium and Germany. I’m married and we have one daughter. My hobby is the '50s and '60s, so we own a ’62 T-Bird, ’65 Corvair, and a Harley Road King. The house we live in includes jukeboxes from the '50s. I’m lucky because my lovely wife Linda likes these things too.

"A few months ago we drove the Harley to Tony 'Indian' Leenes' museum in the Netherlands. He has restored a Royal Enfield Indian Woodsman. On the way home the bike was still in my mind. Looking again and again at pictures of that Enfield over the next few days I made myself a promise to buy just such a bike.

"The chance to buy one came very quick. I was looking on eBay USA and saw an Enfield that was good for such a project. The owner wrote on eBay:

"'Up for bid is a 1959 Royal Enfield Indian I've owned for 28 years. This bike ran up 'til day I parked it in the garage some 15 years ago. Not running now; did not even try. I do have a full front fender but no correct rear. No gauges but everything on motor, brakes and drive train are there. Title is clear. I have info on the correct dating of this bike: it was a late 1958 early '59 Chief sent to Brockhouse, England, engine number SM9196 and frame number 7550. This bike is one of only eight Super Meteor Chiefs and is the last model number of the batch.'"

The eBay ad even included a photo of documents clearly referring to a Super Meteor Chief, but not laying out what the difference may be between a Super Meteor Chief and any other Chief.

Eijkelenberg, it turns out, has the same sort of question I did about the Super Meteor Chief:

"I would like to see an original picture of what it looked liked from the factory in 1959," he wrote.

Based on what he finds out, he hopes to have Tony Leenes rebuild it for him with a little of the Old School bobber look.

I asked Chris Overton, a close observer of Royal Enfield twins, about the bike. He replied:

"The Enfield logo on the tank is custom painting and as Enfield as the headlight bracket.  Over the last 50 years the identities of many bikes has blurred.  After all, without the tank badges it is hard to tell.  A fellow in Michigan recently bought a Trailblazer that turned out to be a Chief from the serial numbers. I bought an Indian Westerner and found from the Club's records it is an even rarer Enfield Fury."

Can any of you readers provide some guidance?

Royal Enfield-built Indian Chief packs power, authority

1959 Indian Chief was a Royal Enfield with a difference.

Photos of a 1959 Indian Chief configured in New York Police Department markings popped into my email recently from Hans van Heesch in the Netherlands.

I don't think Hans has been a slave to historical accuracy here. For one thing, note the Minnesota license plate.

Police like a lot of white on motorcycles, for visibility.

The National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, U.K., has a Royal Enfield-built Indian Chief in NYPD markings, and it is dark like this one but has a lot of white on it, presumably for better visibility at night.

An online source on Indian motorcycles says that New York City police insisted their Indians be painted red, at least in the years when they were made by Indian in Springfield, Mass. instead of by Royal Enfield in Redditch, England. So this might not apply to Indians made by Royal Enfield.

Indian stopped making motorcycles of its own in 1953. Between 1955 and 1960 Royal Enfields were imported to be sold, re-badged as Indians. The Chief was intended to compete for police business in the heavy-weight end of the market.

Smaller, wider tires, stretched wheelbase and heavy fenders transformed the appearance of Royal Enfield's big twin.

Hans describes himself as a rider and collector of Indian motorcycles. He says he often buys them in the United States. 

"I'm going to have to write you a ticket, sir."

Pictures of Hans' machine show the image of power and authority conveyed by these motorcycles.

Somewhere underneath is a British sporting motorcycle.

At a time when most British motorcycles, including Royal Enfield, were sporting machines at heart, the Chief effectively conveyed seriousness.

In any country, the sight of this in the rear view mirror would be heart stopping.

Photo of Royal Enfield's Indian Chief police motorcycle

Royal Enfield built the Chief for sale in the U.S. as an Indian motorcycle.

Here's a photograph of one very hard-bitten motorcycle officer riding a 1960 Royal Enfield Indian Chief.

Hans van Heesch of the Netherlands shared the picture with me after I wrote about the 1959 Indian Chief  in New York City Police Department markings he owns.

Indian catalog photo.

The same police officer appears in the Indian catalog photo I used recently in an item about Royal Enfield's big Chief and its role as a police motorcycle.

That catalog picture is often seen, but I had never noticed this view of the other side of the motorcycle (and the officer). Hans said in his email that it was an official Indian company photo and that makes sense, since a version ended up in the catalog.

The motorcycle is magnificent, with all the authority thick tires, extra lights and massive fenders confer.

Is that patchy snow on the ground in the picture? And no windshield!

But it is the officer I keep looking at. Something tells me he's not an actor from Central Casting. For one thing, he's packing a lot of hardware (and some weight of his own) as well.

Authority? You wouldn't argue with this guy.

Or that motorcycle.

Real officer rode Royal Enfield Indian Chief for ad photo

Officer John Barkman demonstrated the Royal Enfield Indian Chief .

I was delighted when Hans van Heesch of the Netherlands shared a picture of a police officer riding a then new 1960 Royal Enfield Indian Chief. It's obviously an official Indian advertising photo. A different photo of the same officer is familiar from the Indian catalog of the era.

I never dreamed that we would learn the name of the stern looking officer pictured in the photo. Then this email arrived from Sgt. Andrew Fullerton of the Longmeadow, Mass. Police Department:

"Recently I found your article from June 17, 2012 which contained two photographs. One I recognized as an advertisement for the 1960 Indian Chief. A fellow officer had shown me this advertisement which pictured his relative John Barkman, who was an officer with our department from 1951-1974.

Officer Barkman in the well know catalog ad for the Indian Chief.

"Officer Barkman passed away in 1975 but his relative told me how (Officer Barkman) was approached to pose for the advertisement. He was our last motorcycle officer, riding into the mid 1950s.

"Your article also showed a photograph of Officer Barkman given to you by a Hans Van Heesch of the Netherlands. I am guessing that this photo was taken at the same time the advertisement photo was taken but was not used. I recognize the location of the picture, which is in front of our high school, built in 1959. I am very much into preserving our department's history and no one here has seen the photo from Mr. Van Heesch until now."

Royal Enfield models of the late 1950s showed up in the U.S. labelled and sold as Indians. The Chief was the most altered in appearance, perhaps (as its name suggests) for sales to police departments.

Another photo of the same Indian Chief. Note the siren powered by the rear wheel.

It really looked the part. The motor was the 700cc Constellation twin, the biggest engine Royal Enfield offered at the time. Tires were 4.5 inches wide but only 16 inches in diameter. With its heavy fenders and lengthened wheelbase, the Chief had a squat, authoritative look ideal for a police motorcycle.

Officer Barkman had an authoritative look of his own and I guessed (correctly it turns out) that he was not just a model decked out in uniform for a catalog picture. Sgt. Fullerton sent two pictures of Officer Barkman, one of them showing him astride his made-in-the-U.S.A. Indian Chief in the early 1950s.

Longmeadow Patrolman John Barkman on duty in the early 1950s.

It turns out that Officer Barkman wasn't entirely the bulldog he resembles. Said to be a "beloved figure around town," he wore Longmeadow's Badge No. 1.

An avid fisherman, he volunteered his time to the spring fishing derby for children in Longmeadow's Laurel Park. With his death it was renamed The John Barkman Memorial Fishing Derby.

John G. Barkman,  as a patrolman in 1951.

Longmeadow is a suburb of Springfield, Mass., the longtime headquarters of the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Co. That famous American company went bankrupt in 1953. Rights to the name went to England's Brockhouse Engineering which, starting in 1955, began marketing Royal Enfield motorcycles in the U.S. rebadged as Indians.

Nearly the whole Royal Enfield line was available as Indians until the arrangement ended in 1960, but none of the other motorcycles were as impressive as the Chief.