1930 Indian Chief - Jay Leno's Garage

How to drive an original 90 year-old motorcycle with a suicide clutch, or, how to drive a motorcycle that wants to kill you
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A new video every Sunday! Visit Jay Leno's Garage, the Emmy-winning series where Jay Leno gives car reviews, motorcycle reviews, compares cars, and shares his passion and expertise on anything that rolls, explodes, and makes noise. Classic cars, restomods, super cars like the McLaren P1, sports cars like Porsche 918 Spyder and Camaro Z28, cafe racers, vintage cars, and much, much more.
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1930 Indian Chief - Jay Leno's Garage
• 1930 Indian Chief - Ja...
Jay Leno's Garage
/ jaylenosgarage

[@doct0rnic]

Best car show ever! No dramatic music, no guy in the back making sparks, no unrealistic promises, just straight to the point and always with rare one of a kind machine!

[@claytonroot806]

I also appreciate that Jay is not a "Potty Mouth". Famous comedian Red Skelton once said, "If you have to use profanity in your routine, your material is not funny". Jay appears to subscribe to this notion.

[@joeybaseball7352]

I agree. But the same can't be said about his CNBC show though.

[@papasteve215]

I agree completely

[@ScottoftheSahara]

No Fake time schedules

[@RickY-gp8gf]

Super rare! Excellent

[@sablesaber5930]

You sir are a national treasure. A pure definition of American dream, spirit, pride, and intelligence.

[@RamblinAround]

I love it exactly how it is.

[@certified68crazy3]

I am right there with you Jeff , love the patina and can only imagine the stories if only it could speak .

[@bendermi]

Yes that’s a very cool motor it’s just a shame that the brakes not deserve their name .

[@brian5o]

So cool seeing you here, buddy. I just watched one of your videos from a few years ago a few hours ago. It was a beautiful F250 that you made a video of at Gateway Classic Cars- aka a business that will eventually part me with some of my money. The video I watched was this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZWyZWx9paqHeLM Damn Gateway has some very nice, very interesting cars. I always love your videos, too. Keep up the great work, my friend! By the way, my favorite videos of yours were the Cobra R videos you made many, many years ago. I especially love the 2000 Cobra R video. That is one special car!

[@Marauder252]

Original and unrestored is the best.

[@bendermi]

@ Marauder252 Brakes don’t count ? Life is too short and with this motor you can have a shortcut. If only the brakes could be upgraded with no visible signs . But anyhow very good looking bike from way back then . 👍🏻

[@user-tb5ns7hc5i]

Never thought I’d say this, but thanks for showing me your junk Jay.

[@ghoulbuster1]

very nice junk

[@vmbrister3278]

Best Comment Award

[@pauldigga5419]

Please. You fans boys are drooling for jays junk. If he pulled it out you’d all kill each other for a sniff

[@Mico605]

Something so majestic hearing this 90 year old beat up machine roaring back to life and blazing down the road like no tomorrow.

[@bobhaehn5470]

Love it. I'm a magneto believer too. Had a bartender who would nearly always have my drink waiting on me when I walked in so I asked him "are my pipes that loud?" He said "Nope. The TV reception goes absolutely nuts"

[@Mrkevi123]

Jay, you are my favorite all time comedian amongst other things. You definitely had a long lasting impact on this world.

[@20alphabet]

He's still alive... fyi.

[@TheKnightsShield]

@@20alphabet Phew, thank goodness!! Not going to lie, he had me worried for a second. X(

[@20alphabet]

@@TheKnightsShield Lol, a premature tribute I guess..

[@TheKnightsShield]

@@20alphabet Or someone who has seen the future. Maybe he knows when Jay will upload another video of a classic motorcycle?

[@20alphabet]

@@TheKnightsShield Well he said Jay _had_ a long lasting impact on the world, that's past tense. So maybe he's speaking of future events prior to their fulfilment. Which makes me wonder... is Jay intact after impact, or is he compacted upon impact? And what is the exact impact, in fact?

[@Duude333]

Thank you Jay, the glint in your eye and the grin on your face can't be faked. I feel this was a great episode in part for those reasons. Your appreciation for all types of motor vehicles is infectious, this coming from a humble air-cooled Volkswagen guy. Thank you again for sharing.

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

Well, that was one of the cooler episodes in a long time! I wish I had the resources to fix up that sort of old junk, as I LOVE the 'looks like you pulled it out of a treetop, runs like new' aesthetic and philosophy. Keep keepin em runnin, Jay, and thank you!

[@Spaceman_Spiff_74]

"if youre not dead or bleeding when the rides over, then it was a good day on one of these" thats how my pan makes me feel every time i ride and its 20 years younger than that old chief! super cool to watch that thing rip along

[@rwburdett]

Classic Jay Leno's Garage - this is the sort of thing that made me subscribe a few years ago. Infectious enthusiasm that comes across superbly.

[@jackson187]

Jay, what you've done for the collector car and even bike hobbies is immeasurable, please keep making this videos as long as you can...you are the one person capable of reaching and educating millions, something Petersen and Nethercutt always dreamed of.

[@mikewysko2268]

Love that v twin sound. Fun to look at as well. A real time machine..

[@davidfernandez3554]

These kind of videos with just Jay are the best. You can just see and feel all the passion he has.

[@herdfan697278]

I watch you ride your old Indians and remember the dirt and gravel roads of my youth in Kentucky and Virginia in the late forties and early to mid fifties and I think I bet that was fun motorcycling back then. The traffic was so much lighter then. Today I don’t feel safe cycling in all the modern traffic anymore. Thank you for the vicarious ride you have taken me on as I ride along with you!🤠🇺🇸👍🙏

[@spaert]

Great video. I love it when you do your own vehicles, and this old Indian is really special. Nicely done. Really enjoyed it.

[@michaelb1761]

Thank you for saving this bit of history. I don't know what year it was, but my grandfather had an Indian back in 1938 and 39 when he was a teenager. It would probably have been even older than this one, but I like to think this was his motorcycle. He stopped riding it when he was hit by a truck between Westminster and Huntington Beach. He had a huge lump on his knee from that day until he died.

[@bikkiikun]

Being this comprehensively worn out is actually quite Impressive.

[@TRDPRO312]

I’m so glad you can still ride jay! Enjoy it man.

[@TheMissendenFlyer]

Yay a bike vid!! Brilliant fun that Jay, what a potential death trap and I love the way you up the anti by not wearing gloves and having an open face helmet....can't accuse you of being a pansy rider!! Great stuff Jay, more bike vids please!!

[@gopherholehotel]

These kind of shows from Jay are my favourite. It's what mechanics is all about. Getting something broken to run again so that it can be enjoyed some more. The stories that must have happened with this bike would fill a good book. Thanks Jay :)

[@kentlarsen5834]

Jay your the Chief, you and your friends astonished us and brought this 2 wheeled corpse back to life to ride once again, we're all smiles.

[@gimmethecarkeys]

Def not a piece of junk! Glad you had this restored to its current glory! Awesome to see this beautiful piece of history on the streets!

[@shadowgattler]

Finally, another old indian showcase. I love them!

[@VTECheart]

Jay, you're a mad man for riding this thing without gloves and a full face. Would've loved to hear more about the bike. These videos are so cool and I love learning from them. Thank you!

[@mikewysko2268]

The 'More Money than Brains Club" saved another classic from the scrap yard. Thanks Jay!

[@fonce9965]

Good video. I gave Penney Marschiarelli a ride home from a nightclub on my Flathead 45 Harley chopper with a 12" extended Springer with no front brake at all. It had a real Suicide Clutch without the "Rocker" pedal that stayed disengaged. Worse yet it had a Jockey shifter & no extended kickstart pedal. Even though I never weighed over 145 pounds, after priming the carburetor, it started with only one kick. Your video brings back memories from the good ole' Days!

[@jamesdunn9714]

I really enjoy Jay's videos. He owns and drives/rides many cars and bikes. But if you own just one car or motorcycle and enjoy that ownership you're blessed.

[@73F100]

Thank you Jay for making these videos. They are not only very informative historically, but also very funny at times. All in all a winning combination and I look forward to every episode!

[@chas4life]

We all know what happens when you get that thing to 88mph... You go back in time! I have always dreamed of riding an old Chief... definite bucket list.

[@druidofthefang]

Probably the best bike episode of JLG

[@dennissts]

Was that a Mick Jagger walk after the kick start ?

[@johnpossum556]

Either that or Jay's impression of a transgender Prom Queen.

[@ricardomierz8467]

Naw, I see Sr. Elton John in that Kingsman movie dressed in that over the top, multi colored feather costume with the white gay glasses walking away from his piano.

[@cedricpieterse7280]

Those bikes are from an era when the men were men, and the sheep were nervous...

[@notthebannerboys]

I thought I recognized it!

[@ajsmotolife5641]

Been missing videos like this, much more enjoyable than watching you talk to the owner of a million dollar supercar for 30 minutes.

[@Waxxumus]

Of all the vehicles you own, I admire this one the most. I have been building motorcycles for 12 years now, and this satisfies something so primal in me. Its a bike that you really have to know well to drive efficiently. And it is beautiful.

[@jimtomstimpson1477]

that exhaust note is the most pleasing sound on earth.

[@vangoodwin7335]

I'll take it Sir! Before my 14th birthday I picked up my uncles 47 Chief off the garage floor. A requirement in my family, if you can't pick it up you shouldn't be riding it. My first ride down the gravel road to the hard ball county road and I was hooked. Thanks for sharing. I'm happy so few know how to ride them. My 65 Panhead with "64" bars and distributor still has folks telling me my left grip is loose. I don't let them even sit on her! Hoka Hey

[@JohnComeOnMan]

The preferred ride of the octopus, apparently.

[@jamesstepp9982]

No harder to operate than the average old school backhoe...

[@Dilip122S]

That bike is perfect: mechanically as on-point as it's ever going to be, built to ride and cosmetically original. Best of all, there's just something of the night about it: primitive, dark, old and powerful.

[@jerryjb]

This is by far my favorite video from this series, and I'm not usually into old bikes that much

[@MGBranco]

Oh Leno....Thank you so much to make this piece of history alive again! That's one of the reasons I watch your show! All the best from Portugal!! Please visit Leno! We have the finest car museum in the Word!

[@rtydingco]

……".Your always just waiting for something to happen"....Jay Leno 2019

[@flatlandwatch]

This is the d-e-f-i-n-i-t-i-o-n of cool. Jay, many thanks, you just satisfied my need for old bike reviews on your channel!

[@johnpossum556]

It's too bad they don't make a helmet that fits Jay's chin!

[@diaspo]

Also too bad they didn't make a johnny small enough to fit your dad...

[@dallas8703972001]

John Possum yes they does, a motocross helmet

[@stevesmitherman5757]

I love this bike. Thanks to Jay I now am a big fan of original and un restored .

[@Danzilly]

Jay thanks for not parting it out nice to see it live again I think it will give you many miles of joy since you showed it some love wonder if you have any more projects like this

[@istvanburuzs9843]

Jay looks so authentic on/in these old machines...

[@NatureRecycleFlorida]

awesome Jay !

[@RacnJasn]

BOSS! 👏 Wish this episode was twice as long. Not enough “o”s in cool for Mr Leno.

[@manny75586]

My God the sound of that bike is heavenly. Wow

[@jeffreywagner672]

I agree about these episodes, Jay is very good at showing all his toys.

[@kdssap01]

Mike fixed my 1950 Indian Chief which was only a box of parts. Mike thank you very much.

[@alansimpson2647]

I had a 1978 indian royal enfield broke down almost every day! the gears were on the other side then i was used to, and down gears than up a lot to remember but i adapted!

[@Redmenace96]

Have watched a hundred JL vids. This is one of his best! Just finished the 101 Scout vid. Both of these motos sound like aircraft. Also, in both vids he avoided talking about the front suspension. Wish he would have enclosed more details on the engineering.

[@mrmohitmathur1]

Amazing. I am flabbergasted. Thank you Jay for this wonderful episode. This motorcycle is a joy to watch.

[@hack2it]

It amazes me that this is a $45-50,000 dollar motorcycle. Yes it was rode hard and put up wet. You brought it back from the graveyard. You ought to be proud steward of the Indian. You have what others are just dreaming about to own one day.

[@74beeper97]

About time we got some more antique bike action!!! We need another shop projects update!!!

[@pbdaytona]

Lovely lines-Lovely handlebar bend

[@moparedtn]

Another example of what I believe to be the best sort of JLG episode. No guests hawking anything, no flashy bazillion dollar customs or restomods - just Jay and one from his own past. There's always a point in these types of episodes where I catch myself grinning to nobody in particular. This time, it was when he let go the bars. Magic. :-) I'll bet he's as proud of that old bike as he is anything else he owns.

[@liamchapman605]

Mafia 1 definitive edition anyone

[@68peterbilt68]

Thank you Jay for being you. You make more people happy than you know. Truck on. 🤟😎👍🚛🚛🚛

[@grahamlittle2768]

I'm not a bike guy, but this is a brilliant brilliant video, Jay riding that perfect looking bike and loving every minute is one of the best things I've seen in a long time. Please more stories of your own stuff. You've got enough for another 50-100 videos. It's great that you can get the brand expert for the latest supercar or the designer of the next NSX etc. The difference you can give is the insight and passion into your own collection. That's why I will always wait for the next episode on a Sunday, hoping it's about on of Jay's vehicles.

[@johntheman2006]

Leno is the reason video was invented. Is there a person alive more relaxed in front of the camera? Could watch him all day.

[@rzorNvme]

Mr Leno please wear gloves next time if anything.

[@stirlingfromla]

This video made me smile from the beginning to the end.....awesome bike. Thanks Jay!

[@ericb252]

Yes finally a Leno motorcycle video!! Love these!!!!

[@lpd1snipe]

I wish my 49 EL started that easy. I love it when you do the motorcycles Jay, awesome episode as always!

[@mcjitsu]

The front brake on my '46 Chief is 1 inch wide. It was not actually designed to slow you down. It was more there to keep you from rolling backwards on a hill ;-) It really doesn't have a suicide clutch, all those guys who modified theirs like that, are dead. It has a friction plate and stays where you put it. You will never wear out an Indian clutch. Ever. Police used to just slip the clutch during parades instead of changing gearing sprockets. Most of us put the shifter on the left, so we can keep our hand on the right side throttle. It has a nice steering dampner to help on the highway, that you can loosen in parking lots. The throttle on most of them had a very weak return spring, on purpose. If you were at a stop light on a hill going up.. you can give it some throttle and slip the clutch until the bike "balances" itself, and put your feet on the ground and take both hands off the handle bars. Oh and the front and rear wheels and tires are identical, and held on by lug nuts. You can swap them back and forth easily. On mine I can unbolt the rear wheel with taking the chain off.

[@rogersmith9808]

Talk about a survivor!! Excellent choice on doing the minimalist "repairstore"! 👌

[@rustlebruxz0013]

Wonderful exhaust note. While I don't wish for a suicide clutch, I do long for the days when bikes were this simple.

[@deckerhand12]

What a great bike. I committed yesterday about more older bikes wow kind of make me feel I am listened to lol. I am willing to bet him and buzz kanter from American iron magazine would get along great they both know old bikes in and out. Jay Leno has the number one Indian restorer work on this bike. I read many many story’s about the guy

[@lwclark]

Jay Leno, in addition to being a hilarious genius, is a true badass.

[@davidhinson8210]

It's a keeper. Love the way you kept it's character.

[@martinberry1040]

What a great video - Jay is riding a museum piece. Well done for rescuing it.

[@chipleach]

I like the way Jay keeps everything down to Earth. Great episode!

[@johncavar2914]

Epic build Jay !! Basically restored that bike from scratch that bike was beyond kaput ..congratulations and people involved 👍🏼🏍

[@Nvt13]

Man that's just awesome...love early bikes.

[@yamahonkawazuki]

if i could give more than one thumbs up my friend i would. i was riding tail of teh dragon on my suzuki gs500e, ran into a friend on his 41 harley it had a jockey shift. we traded bikes for a few runs . it was awkward at first but after 5 minutes. all went smoothly

[@kbjerke]

Great bike! Thanks, Jay. Also, I've dealt with Kiwi - their service is superb.

[@gasparini76]

I check every day if there is a new video from Jay Leno!

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

My congratulations on being able to jump onto an old machine and use the crazy controls. It's a cool bike. Ride safely.

[@georgepauldemos-cdot2665]

Class Act!! I miss Late Night with Jay..

[@aeror115]

That’s a time machine! Love it !!!! Enjoy the bike life 🤙

[@55ill87]

Only original once. Nice I love old Indians. Thanks for the video.

[@jmdudley3859]

It' is a work of art ! Smart in keeping in it's beat up looks , great sounding bike 👍

[@jmsaltzman]

Such a great bike, riding it looks terrifying! I love how you care for your pre-war collection. I'll watch any show you post, no matter the subject, since I can always just enjoy gazing at your Bugattis in the background :) More shows on them, please?

[@jessebrown1400]

Awesome Leno, keep showing off these amazing originals! Stuff like this is Soo damn cool!!

[@Roshake77]

This thing looks so incredibly cool

[@TBullCajunbreadmaker]

That's an awesome old bike. My Uncle had one but it was a 1936 model I believe. It really does have a lot of power for as old as it is. I would love to have it, I would never sell it. I'll trade you an original model 1873 Winchester rifle that still shoots like it did back in the day. It works as well as the motorcycle.

[@20alphabet]

Thanks for the ride Jay!

[@RaytheonNublinski]

I’d be surprised every time I hit the brakes and they actually worked. Amazing machine.

[@ssboot5663]

I have NEVER seen one of those! Its quite interesting! Thanks for the tour!

[@coloradoprofessionalinspec720]

I think thats the best episode yet.

[@colehara]

It's got a great sound and a great look.

[@Kemoswavvy]

This actually takes some serious skill to ride properly.

[@groovyhippie1165]

Jay you make me nervous when you take your hands off the handle bars, especially around parked cars and driveways. Please stay safe, your videos are entertaining and educational and we don't want to lose you.

[@RjIONAz]

I was 13 when I brought home a 51 Glide, damn I love that noise.

[@GETUPANDGO]

That thing is awesome, and it sounds old school in the best of ways

[@christianjohns7701]

Glad you kept it honest

[@bills48321]

I like the sound of the engine; like no other bike.

[@OnBelayClimbOn]

What a treat! Thank you so much Jay😎!