1928 Indian Four

This 1928 Indian Four is powered by a 77ci F-head inline-four equipped with a rebuilt Schebler DLX carburetor and a four-into-one exhaust system with a one-piece aluminum manifold/muffler. The bike wears a weathered red finish with Indian 4 graphics and features a hand-shifted three-speed transmission, a leaf-spring fork, 18″ wire-spoke wheels, an expanding drum front brake, and a contracting band rear brake as well as a cross-braced pullback handlebar, a double-sprung solo seat, a headlight, a taillight, and an electric Klaxon horn. This Model 401 was acquired by the seller in 2022 is now offered with a clean California title in the seller’s name. The bike wears faded red paint and features a 3.75-gallon in-frame fuel tank with “Indian 4” graphics as well as a front-hinged black leather solo saddle with dual coil springs. Additional equipment includes a headlight, a taillight, an electric Klaxon horn, a valanced front fender, a frame-mounted toolbox, footboards, and a rear-wheel stand. Faded black wire-spoke 18″ wheels are mounted with Coker Classic Motorcycle Diamond Tread tires that show sidewall cracks. The bike’s sole suspension consists of a leaf–spring trailing-link fork. Braking comes from an internal expanding drum up front and an external contracting band acting on the rear hub. A pullback inline handlebar equipped with a bolt-on cross-brace features through-the-bar cable routing for the a twist-grip throttle on the left and a twist-grip timing advance on the right. An Indian-branded Westinghouse Type BT ammeter and a light switch are mounted on a dash panel attached to the back of the handlebar, and a U.S. Gauge Co. oil-pressure gauge is mounted on the engine adjacent to the foot-brake pedal. The dashboard light has been removed, and there is no odometer, therefore true mileage is unknown. The 77ci F-head inline-four features an inlet-over-exhaust valve design and is equipped with a Schebler DLX65 carburetor, a pressurized oiling system, a kick starter, and a four-into-one exhaust system with a one-piece aluminum manifold/muffler, a heat shield, and a fishtail finisher. Ignition duties are handled by a Splitdorf magneto while electric current for the lights and horn is provided by a separate Splitdorf generator and a battery. The bike is titled using the last three digits of the engine number (153) which are all that remain after an older weld repair was made to the portion of the transfer case on which it is stamped. Though the first two model-defining letters of the engine number are absent, the bike is believed to be a Model 401 which came with a three-main-bearing engine and was produced through June 1929. This is based in large part on its single-downtube frame, as opposed to the double-downtube Scout-based frame of the five-main-bearing Model 402. Power is sent to the rear wheel through a helical bevel-gear-driven primary, a wet clutch, and a three-speed transmission with a right-side hand shifter and a left-side heel/toe clutch pedal that features a disengagement lock. The bike is currently registered as Planned Non-Operation in the state of California.