Motorcycle Details:
Year: 1930
Make: Indian
Model: 402 "Police Edition"
Color: Black
Engine Size: 1265cc
Cylinders: 4
Transmission: 3 Speed
VIN Number: EA 1097
Frame Number: No frame numbers on 1930 Fours until 1931 year
Motorcycle Currently Registered: Yes
Ownership: Clear Title in Owners Name
Location: Northern Washington
Motorcycle Conditions:
Sheet Metal:
The conditions of the sheet metal could be described as decent considering that all the sheet metal on the bike is 95 years old. The fenders, tool box, battery box and chain guard are in clean condition. The original tank has a small dent below the speedometer, but does not detract from the overall presentation of the bike.
Paint Condition:
The paint appears to be scratched on every surface to some degree or another as the undercoating and or the bare sheet metal is exposed in places where the original paint has flaked away.
Chrome / Nickle / Misc. Plating Condition:
The original chromium plating is still seen on the shifter, but it appears that the shifter has been cropped short and rotated 90 degrees away from the tank, so that the shifter knob points toward the right. The plating on the intake manifold, cylinders, nuts, etc. is flaking in some spots due to the elements, but is largely intact. The gas tank has a syringe attached (possibly from a 1920's Chief) so that you can siphon some gas into the syringe and inject it into the cylinders. This might not be original to the bike as I don't see a way to inject it like you would on a 1920's Chief where the spigots are attached to the cylinders. The plating on this has a nice patina.
Wheel and Tire Condition:
Front Wheel Size and Make 18 drop center
Rear Wheel Size and Make 18 drop center
Rear Tire Size and Make 400x18 Coker "Indian Script" tires
Rear Tire Size and Make 400-18 Coker "Indian Script" tires
These are not the original tires as the originals were rotted and the tubes did not hold air. The rims are in decent shape. You can see scratches on them from road debris and wear. They are the original black paint that would come standard from the factory.
Mechanical Condition:
The engine kicks over easily and you can feel the compression as you follow through with your foot. Nice and loose, it should be easy to start with the original correct carburetor and new float. A new copper fuel line has been provided from the tank to the carb.
Additional Descriptions of Motorcycle:
This motorcycle was special ordered from the Indian Factory in Springfield, Mass. by Detective James Stevens of Rensselaer, NY.
It has an unusual feature in the casting at the end of the transmission case that I have not seen on any other Indian four that I have owned, it has a dash switch which is unique to the motorcycle that operates the HI & LOW of the headlight with a button in the middle to activate a siren. The original muffler that came with the motorcycle was custom made at the Indian factory. I have never seen any other Indian four with any of these features on them.
From my research, I believe the following to be true:
On Thursday, May 29th, 1930, Detective Stevens arrived at work. As he was going through his case files, someone called in that the Rensselaer Bank was being robbed. The 70-year-old was the first to respond to the call and instead of riding his Indian Four to the scene, he ran the two blocks to the bank. He cautiously entered the front door of the bank but found the lights had been turned off and the inside of the lobby was empty. Detective Stevens, probably believing he should wait for back up, turned to step out the front door just as Leonard Scarnici, who was hiding in the shadows inside the bank, stepped out and shot the Detective in the back of the head.
In 1950, a junk dealer happened to be at a motel near Rensselaer, NY and he called the police because someone was trying to get into his covered trailer he had parked out on the street. The police arrived, but the man was long gone. They asked the junk dealer what it was that he had in the trailer, and he opened it up and showed them. The inside of the trailer was full of old Indian and Harley motorcycles, but mostly Indian fours. One of the officers said, "Hey we have one of those down at the station." The junk dealer asked if he could take a look and followed them to the precinct. The junk dealer made an offer right on the spot and picked up this 1930 Indian four police bike shown as seen in the photos.
Not much is known about who owned the bike after that, but over time a man in Mukilteo, Washington had acquired it along with dozens of 1936 & 1937 Chiefs. He passed away in 1999 and his friend offered his widow a place on his farm to store all of the bikes just south of Tacoma, Washington. They sat there quietly for over 20 years before they were discovered and purchased.
