The 1935 Indian Chief wasn't agile around town, but came into its own as speed increased. It has a sort of brutal beauty born of purpose.

The 74-cubic-inch Chief was anything but graceful in slow-paced maneuvers, its suspension design, long wheelbase, and 480-pound curb weight conspiring to make it feel clumsy around town.

Once up to speed, however, these same features provided exceptional stability. Buyers of a 1935 Indian Chief motorcycle were faced with a wide variety of options. Color choices were reduced that year to 13, though an extra $5.00 would buy any hue DuPont offered.

Even the fuel and oil tanks were available in three different trim variations. An optional "Y" engine featured 56 aluminum cylinder heads, heavy-duty valve springs, and a modified muffler.

A four-speed transmission could be ordered to replace the standard three-speed. New to the 1935 version were redesigned fenders with larger valances to smooth out the styling, and a rebound spring for the ungainly front leaf suspension that helped smooth out the ride somewhat.

Chiefs still lacked any form of rear suspension, though they did offer a spring-loaded seatpost.

Go to the next page to see pictures of the 1935 Indian Chief motorcycle.

For more great motorcycle articles and pictures, check out:

• Classic Motorcycles
• How Motorcycles work
• Indian Motorcycles