Indian Chief CAV with Sidecar Full of History
The things you can find for sale on the internet never cease to amaze us. This week, it didn't take long to be "wowed" by the classic Indian Chief we found for sale here on eBay Motors. As this post is being written, only two days remain on the auction. So if you're reading this after auction close, we apologize, hopefully you can still see the full assortment of photos. Now, where to begin? As we opened up the listing, we realized the first photo of the bike has no one other than Mr. Classic Car himself, Jay Leno, on the saddle. Pretty cool if you're selling some old iron. But as you read the listing, what truly makes this bike 'cool' is it's history. see below.
The seller not only describes the condition of the bike, but elaborates a bit on its life:
Up for sale is my beautifully conserved and partially restored Indian Chief CAV with matching sidecar. The bike is all original except for the leather and rubber. The bike itself I picked up whilst living in the UK. It is an Ex French and Wehrmacht WWII veteran. Originally sent to France in 1940 as a sale to the French Army. When France fell, the bike was captured and put into service with the German Wehrmacht. I have owned the bike since 2006 and brought it back to the US in 2008. I have recently finished the work on the original matching sidecar rig. The sidecar is all original except for the tub which has been fully restored with new sheet metal. You can view the bike in more detail on Youtube. Just do a search for Indian CAV Chief. Also there is a clip of the Indian in use by the German Army, look closely and see the Chief in German service. See links listed below.
The bike is a museum piece and although not perfect, it is clearly one of the nicest historical Indians I have ever come across.
We can't argue, this bike is certainly Smithsonian quality. But never mind the museum, you just don't see many motorcycles like this any more - let alone a motorcycle with a sidecar. It makes us happy that machines like this still exist, teaching us about our past. We can only imagine what it must of been like to ride a motorcycle during wartime in Europe. We know its cliche, but if this bike could talk, imagine the stories it would tell.
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