The idea of building a custom Indian started with Bryan’s fascination with the Chief’s front fender. “I’ve always liked the look of the Indian front fender, but wanted to do it better,” said Bryan. A love it or hate it feature of early Indians, the heavily skirted fender design has been redrawn and tweaked until it follows the wheel as Bryan feels it should. The skirting flows and doesn’t weigh down the front end like the original, while the lines compliment the wheel and show it off instead of covering it up. The lack of any visual points of attachment has it seemingly floating between the reproduction Harley springer forks (which Bryan modified considerably) that are a much cleaner design than Indian’s leaf spring forks. Hey, no offense to you original Indian Chief and Kiwi Indian owners, but clean is clean.

Speaking of clean, Bryan’s choice of an Independent Cycle Inc. HARDLIFE frame was a good one with the springer jutting out at a 35-degree rake and the flowing fabrication reaching way back to a fender that brings Arlen Ness to mind. The drive belt pulley is the only thing breaking up a ground-hugging fender that almost looks like a raw fender blank, but with a lot of style. An Art Deco-style round cover on the left hides the PM brake. If they removed the rear fender, I’d almost feel like I had to avert my eyes, as it would look naked without this covering. All in all, quite a contrast to other builders that seem to take a huge fender blank to start, and chop away until there’s just the tiniest vestige of it left. The nice part of this is how it splits apart for brake or belt maintenance. Simple complication.

Sheetmetal is possibly Brain’s forte, and years of working with the best in the hot rod and custom car business gave him skills that are only beginning to dazzle. The tank was made from a wireframe buck and shaped by Brian, then finished by VC instructor, Mark Prosser. It makes the top tube disappear into the tank that organically flows fore and aft. Three hidden studs hold it on and rubber runs between it and the frame to cushion and support the weight of this vessel. It’s topped with a cool flip cap and a subtle, yet classy pair of emblems straddling the sides. There’s a hell of a lot of sheetmetal on this bike, but it somehow doesn’t feel that way at all.

Paint prep involved ten students, instructor Clyde Spangle, and Bryan, spending ten solid days of sanding the bodywork alone. Upwards of twenty people worked on getting the PPG On-The-Go Blue Pearl ready for graphics. Bryan chose a fire truck-style gold leaf, which Mark Prosser not only had to learn to do, but do it well. Mark then laid on pinstriping, which you have to look closely at to notice. “The color just pops in the sun,” said Bryan.

Rolling stock was originally planned to be wire-spoked wheels, but circumstances led Bryan to pick ICI Wagon Spoke wheels, which delicately fill that front fender in a large 23” diameter. Vee Rubber was chosen to protect them and a 260 is somewhere in the rear fender. A single PM front brake leaves the ten-spoke wheel dramatically exposed.

Bryan and Mark collaborated on the handlebars which seem like they casually reaching back to the rider who’s perched comfortably on a saddle made from a 40s exercise bike seat pan Bryan found at a garage sale years ago. VC Tech’s Jerry Price took on the job of covering it in rawhide leather, which was unlike the usual pliable automotive style leather he’s used to. A hidden seat shock provides a decent modicum of butt comfort.

So what’s an Indian without Indian power? Well the best part of the last Indian, a basically stock 100” Power Plus, was shoehorned into the frame and its torquey goodness blasts this bike down the road. The stainless 2-into-1 Fuller SS pipes bellow out through the huge curved down collector after the Mikuni carb which was transplanted to the right side to clear the tank (on a manifold that was one of the very first things they started to fabricate and one of the last things to finish) does its job.

Bryan and VC Tech did a spectacular job on creating a new vision of an Indian motorcycle and to Stellican Limited, I have Bryan’s cell number.