Freedom Performance 'Sharktails' for 2000 'Gilroy Chief'
Here's something you don't see very often these days - a vendor with a fitment for a 'Gilroy' era Indian Motorcycle model. Indeed, the bike itself is not something that you see very often either - a rare survivor.
My thanks to Freedom Performance Exhausts (Corona, CA) for news of a gentleman by the name of 'Mazen' and his 2000 "Gilroy Chief".
This is one of the Gen 1.0 'Gilroy Indians' that were based on the 88 ci, 1,442 cc S&S V-twin. The Chief was followed in 2001 by new Scout and Spirit models, before the iteration of the 'Powerplus' engine made its debut in 2002 (the 1,600 cc Powerplus 100 ci; aka the "bottlecap" engine) - a design that was much liked but reliability and performance were not great; it was widely regarded as having been rushed.
That pre-Carolwood, pre-Polaris, Pre-King's Mountain era Indian Motorcycle Company of America (IMCOA) was based in the former California Motorcycle Company (CMC) facility at Gilroy, CA. It was the first real volume come-back for the brand since the company went broke and the iconic 'Wigwam' factory at Springfield, Mass., was shuttered in 1953.
The IMCOA holding company was created to bring together competing and disparate name and rights ownerships but, itself, entered bankruptcy in 2003. That was when Stephen Julius (UK based Stellican), acquired the rights from IMCA. It was Julius/Stellican who had brought Chris Craft back from the dead, so they had form where famous brand turnarounds were concerned. They acquired a facility at King's Mountain, NC., fixed the (still admired) "bottlecap" engine and ran production there from 2006-2011.
That gave new long-term hope to Indian fans worldwide before Julius passed the torch to Polaris Industries in 2011.
Meanwhile 'Mazen' and his 2000 "Gilroy Chief" are enjoying a new set of Freedom Performance 33" Softail 'Sharktails' - and long may he continue to do so.
FREEDOM PERFORMANCE EXHAUST