It's constantly amazing how some custom builders have the vision to create something special from a stock product. This Indian Super Chief Limited was given a full makeover by Brat Style's Go Takamine
Go Takamine's Indian Custom Is The Business!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so they say and nowhere is this more true than in the world of custom bikes. Often you can see the artistry and work that has gone into their creation but you just can't bring yourself to call them beautiful. That someone will like it eases the guilt, but they're just not your cup of tea.
And then a bike like this comes up and you have to ask if anyone out there could find it unattractive!
One of the best things about surfing through motorcycling websites is coming across stuff like this, which I found on www.cycleworld.com. Straight away I knew it deserved to be shared far and wide and I have to thank Cycle World for bringing it to our attention.
The work of Go Takamine at his Brat Style workshop in Long Beach, California, it started life as a 2022 Indian Super Chief Limited and has ended up as a beautiful homage to post-World War 2 bobbers.
The Indian is question was commissioned by Indian themselves. “Rather than creating a flashy look, I wanted to create a simple customisation,” Takamine said. “I really like the design of the tank, so I thought to customise it around the design.”
He cut the tank in half and narrowed it by 2 inches and modified the mounting points. The rear fender is off a 1937 Ford and is supported by a small sissy bar, made possible by converting the rear end to a rigid design. Hand-fabricated header pipes end in Brat Style high and low megaphones. Custom handlebars sit in brass risers and use stock Indian grips.
The engine of the Chief is already a great vintage-looking unit and lends itself perfectly to the style of the custom job. It retains its belt drive, which is covered at the rear by a custom-made belt cover which makes it hard to see that a belt is used.
Takamine has even managed to integrate the original bike's round touchscreen incorporating the Indian Ride Command system without it looking out of place. It's mounted low down on the left of the tank, as it would have been in period.
The donor Indian Super Chief Limited is already a great-looking machine and while Takamine's version isn't a million miles from the original, it's a brilliant re-imagining that adds just the right amount of classic aesthetic, applied with impeccable taste.
You could argue that Indian could have built this bike themselves but, if it gives the likes of Go Takamine the opportunity to work his magic, then we should be thankful that Indian has the honesty to acknowledge that it can't do everything in-house. If this bike can even partially inspire future Indian models, then that's job done.
Images: Drew Ruiz