To some, cannibalising a 1929 Indian Four to turn it into an electric powered bike might seem like sacrilege but, to this guy from Detroit, it's just another cog in the wheel of history.

Electric 1929 Indian Four

There are some old bikes that you just don't mess with and the Indian Four from the 1920s is one of those. Unless you are called Randy 'Detroit' Hayward and you have a way-out sense of what is acceptable and what is not.

That Hayward is into his classic machinery is evident: he owns a 1929 Harley Davidson DL45 and a Henderson Board Track racer, among other classics. Founder of the Traveling Black History Museum, he didn't just want to add another machine to his collection, but create something different. And what is more different than converting an Indian Four into battery-power?

The bike, built by “some friends and secret wizardry,” has earned the nickname “The Endian.” The video was created by Indian Motorcycle and is one of four videos "celebrating four industry 'first movers' who have made their mark in motorcycling, each one getting their own special vignette to showcase their machines."

While no details about the power-train are given in the video, the patina of the bike along with the original engine block has been retained and somehow perfectly reflects Hayward's personality and ethos.

If it seems like sacrilege, then you have to remember that electric power was very popular in the late 1800s so Hayward's Indian conversion does hark back to the motorcycling pioneers, even if Detroit is better known for the internal combustion engine.

If electric power is to be the future, then what better way of looking forward than by looking back?