The RSD team began the Track Chief project with a board tracker concept rendering, and from there deconstruction of the brand new Indian Chieftain began and its rebirth followed
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The RSD Track Chief began its life as a beautifully engineered American V-Twin powered, long distance touring oriented Indian Chieftain bagger from Polaris Industries
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The Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company made American Motorcycles in Springfield, Massachusetts from 1901 to 1953 until the original company went bankrupt. Indian Motorcycles were rocketed into fame by the company’s unique racing heritage. In 1903 Indian co-founder Oscar Hedström set the world motorcycle speed record, and by 1905 the company was building v-twin powered factory race bikes. In 1911 the Indian Motorcycle factory race team took the top three positions in the legendary Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. During those formative years leading up to World War I, Indian became the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer.
The Track Chief’s gas tank was handmade from titanium, capped off with a custom gas cap, stainless steel tank strap buckles, and a leather tank strap complete with Indian Head Nickel
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No Roland Sands Design custom bike build would be complete without K&N Performance Filters and the Track Chief features a RSD Blunt air cleaner assembly with a K&N air filter
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Many successors have attempted to revive the Indian Motorcycle name since the original company went bankrupt in 1953. It wasn’t until 2011 however, when Polaris Industries acquired the Indian Motorcycle brand, that a large player in the motorcycle industry was backing the once legendary brand. One of the new models designed since the 2011 buy-out is the Indian Chieftain. Normally considered a touring bike, with a full front fairing and hard saddlebags, contemporary bike builder and motorcycle visionary Roland Sands took one look at the Chieftain and decided to give the bike a new life.
On the RSD blog, the company stated “In our minds a proper Indian is a racer. Purpose built machines utilizing only the barest of necessities. And there lies the challenge.” The challenge being referred to is how does one strip down a well-engineered, technologically advanced, modern Chieftain and pay homage to the board trackers, hill climbers, and flat track racers of the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s? Roland Sands has effectively answered that question with the bike he calls the “Track Chief”. The RSD team began the project with a board tracker concept rendering, and from there deconstruction of the Indian Chieftain began.
RSD truly went back in time when they built their first-ever leaf spring fork bike, but the addition of a Fox DHX mountain bike shock, blends old school suspension with new school damping
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Exhaust for the Track Chief was constructed from carefully mandrel bent titanium tubing with the goal of keeping the pipes as close to the chassis as possible without sacrificing leg room
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After much determination the Chieftain was reborn as the RSD Track Chief. Roland Sands and his team paid attention to the details, and the results are stunning. The modern Polaris built engine is cradled in a custom single sided chromoly rigid frame. The computer, battery, and all the electronics were hidden in a custom belly pan. RSD truly went back in time when they built their first-ever leaf spring fork bike, but the addition of a Fox DHX mountain bike shock, blends old school suspension with new school damping. The gas tank is a handmade titanium work of art, and so is the mandrel bent titanium exhaust. Of course no Roland Sands Design custom bike would be complete without K&N Performance Filters. The Track Chief features a RSD Blunt air cleaner assembly with a K&N air filter keeping out the dust, bugs, rubber, or whatever else a modern board tracker might encounter.
The Roland Sands Design built Track Chief will be featured in the K&N Air Filters 2014 SEMA show booth, number 22943. If you can, make sure to come by the K&N SEMA show booth and check out this bike up close and in person.
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