The answer seems to be that we're there. It looks like a new trend among Indian parts suppliers is going to be more or less complete kit bikes, and pretty much all the parts you would need to build your own Indian now seem to be available. Often in several versions from different souces. How much influence the VI - directly or through the general networking it has encouraged - has had on this is debatable, but at least one of the new kit bike efforts would not have been possible without the VI. 

99% new Chief from IPE.
One of the main reasons for the longer intervals between VI issues is, as some may be aware, that I started up an Indian parts business a few years ago and this has left little time over for the producing the VI magazine. Using contacts and resources from within the VI network, I am about to finish one of the first "99% New" replica Chiefs here in Denmark. The work is far from all mine, though. Chassis parts come from Jurgen Hecker and others, and most of the engine and transmission parts are from Kiwi. Other parts come from Michael Breeding, KING clutch, James Gaskets and Cycle Electric (as well as some of my own IPE parts). All of these suppliers were among the first to take the VI seriously, and without them it would not have been possible to get this far this fast.

The 1% or so of the parts that aren't new have become available after I started on the project, or will be on the market soon (clutch parts, engine sprocket, shifter top and oil pump), so actually a complete 100% new rigid Chief can be built - and probably will be next time. Not a replica of any particular year but a nice, classic looking and usable bike that is unmistakably an Indian.
 

"99% New Chief" from IPE.
  
In addition to the commercially available new Indians of various kinds mentioned in this article, it should not be forgotten that you could build your own version by shopping around among the various parts suppliers - or combine new and old parts to suit individual tastes and budgets. I guess that is pretty obvious but, as I didn't have time to ask every possible source of parts relevant to this article what they have, there may well be a lot of other interesting stuff out there that should be taking into consideration by those wanting to build a new Indian.
 

The other is that many newcomers to Indians may not have the historic focus of the typical older enthusiast, but tend to view Indians as just Cool Bikes to which mild (or radical) customizing isn't a sacrilege - or as bikes like any other where you can come up with solutions which will get you an improved (or at least personalized) Indian on the road within a limited budget.

Tim's chopper columns on the VI have no doubt played a part in the latter trend, and while I am not sure where the actual inspiration for the first comes from (insofar as these are seperate trends), the fact that the AMCA has instituted a "period modified" judging class (read "bobbers") confirms that it exists. Of course, there is nothing new in modified Indians - people have always tinkered with their bike to improve performance or appearance - but it seems to me that a larger part of the general body of Indian enthusiasts are becoming interested in them.

What does the custom stuff have to do with the new Indians? Quite a lot, I think. The two first kit bikes, Kiwi's and IPE's Chiefs, are not 100% replicas of any particular model from the Wigwam. For economical reasons it has been necessary to use parts already in production but meant for a different model or year. Also, it has been to great a temptation not to take the opportunity to update some things that sort of begged to be updated! Things that improves function (better brakes, electronic ignition) or just plain looks better (stainless parts). When you are building a bike and have an idea to make things better it is hard not to do it.
 

Geoff Ringlé's Bobber Chief.

Matt Blake's Bobber Scout.

Jim Mosher's Bobber Scout
(sort of in the Warpath spirit!)
  

Price for the basic rolling chassis kit, with Kiwi's welded rigid frame and Aerodraulic telescopic forks is US$12,500 and, depending on options, a complete powerplant less carb is available from US$13,999. When ordered as a complete kit, there is a $500 discount. Chassis kits and other parts are available to order in Europe from IPE, and European pricing should be in place in the beginning of 2004.

Mike asked me to mention that they are now doing quite a few custom modifications to stock bikes at Kiwi's, and that "many are fitting our forks and disc brake set up to their stock bikes or just fitting our disc brake set up to their forks". For those wanting to read more about Kiwi and their engine there is an article by Jay Leno in the latest issue of Popular Mechanics Magazine.
 

Pricing for the complete bike is not final yet, but the basic chassis kit starts at US$17,500, and the complete powertrain starts at US$13,999. As with the rigid bobber there is a discount of $500 if you order a complete bike.
 

12V generator by CE, electronic ignition in new aluminum distributor, carb not finaly decided but probably Keihin CV or Dell'Orto. King clutch, Moto Valve and James gaskets, of course.

I like stainless steel, and there will be a "stainless" page on the IPE website when it is updated in January. Some of the stainless parts on the new Chief are: Exhaust (modified 1946), pushrod guides and valve covers (see VI #11), brake and clutch pedals. I couldn't resist a few other mods; cable operated rear brake for one - so the great big original brake rod doesn't disturb the view of the engine. There is also a stainless jockey shifter, by the way, and the shifter top has been cut, turned around to the left side and rewelded. Apart from the nicer shifting, this is pretty much for the same reasons as the brake, and to move some stuff to the less busy left side of the bike.

As I mentioned about Jurgen Hecker above, my little Indian shop is also pretty much a one-man operation (although I now have a very capable part time helper in the fabrication department, thanks Peter!), so while I would like to build more new Chiefs, I don't have the capacity for more than a few every year. If you are interested in one of these bikes - or a rolling chassis - it is a good idea to contact me some time before you need it.

What does it all cost, then? I'm afraid I don't know. I will get down to pricing everything in the beginning of 2004 (this is almost as big a job as building the bike) and have no real idea at the moment where small-scale production versions may end up, but the prototype, painted and run-in, will be for sale in the spring or summer of 2004 for EUR 25000. At the current exchange rates, that is around US$31000, but who knows which way the rates go before then (a couple of years ago the same price in EUR would have been more like US$21000).