On paper, the below Jay Leno’s Garage video shouldn’t exist. Leno lists so many drawbacks to his restored 1940 Indian Chief (with sidecar) that it makes you wonder why he still has it. But as we all know, people love what they love, even if it’s not immediately obvious why.
Leno bought the bike — which was previously owned by NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana — about 20 years ago. According to the comedian, the bike had been crudely restored at some point before he bought it. In 2023, while riding the Chief, Leno (almost) entered a parking lot that had an unmarked wire spanning the entrance. After hitting the wire, Leno was thrown from his bike, which continued forward and ran into a building. The bike was damaged and so was Leno, who broke his collarbone and both kneecaps.
That traumatic event didn’t deter Leno from having Kiwi Indian and his in-house expert crew restore it. Leno’s Master Fabricator Jimmy Hudson redid the bodywork and trim. In the process, Leno and his team discovered plenty of body filler and poorly chromed trim. Hudson made a few alterations, such as shortening the windshield and shaving off the sidecar’s rear-mounted spare tire carrier. Master Painter Per Blix laid down the blue and cream two-tone paint job.
Lead Mechanic George Swift rebuilt the 40-horsepower engine, which is paired with a rebuilt three-speed transmission with a shift lever and a foot-activated clutch. Despite all the updates, Leno’s Indian is a heavy bike (he guesses 750-800 pounds) and, hence, underpowered. It also throws off a lot of heat.
To sum it up: This Indian was badly restored before Leno bought it, he almost got killed on it, it’s not very powerful, and it gets really hot. It also lacks the agility of a motorcycle because of the sidecar. What made Leno want to resurrect it?
Well, start off by looking at it. The curves are great, especially with the color scheme and the chrome accent highlights. Then there’s the on-road experience — Leno says his motorcycle is in its sweet spot between 65 and 80 mph. Though not fast, it doesn’t need to be for him to just enjoy the ride. That makes a whole lot of sense.
