Post Listing Update: This Velo did not get any interest at the opening bid of $14,000.
3-21-2020 Update: Almost 5 years later, this bike is back up for sale by a new owner on the other side of the country and it looks dramatically different. Since acquiring it, the current owner has been on a quest to bring this bike back to stock. “My long term plan was to return it to totally original spec but I have found that my enthusiasm lies elsewhere so it will still need the seat recovering, a chain guard, rear fender, locating and a right-hand side panel locating in order to return to original spec.” As you can see from the images below, it previously had a blue frame and that’s thankfully no longer the case – here’s an image of what it looks like now (I updated the feature image as well):
The new owner says that he’s “totally re-wired the bike so that everything works”, the charging system works and the engine “runs fine without leaking much oil.” It now seems that the bike “starts, stops, handles well, and looks good.” I’d say it’s an improvement!
Find this Velo for sale in Florence, South Carolina with an unmet opening bid of $14,000 here on eBay.
Post Listing Update: This Velo did not meet reserve despite 10 bids up to $11,100.
After Indian went out of business in 1953, it lay dormant for quite a while. But in 1967, former West Coast distributor Floyd Clymer bought the rights to the Indian name and tried to bring the company back. He initially tried to partner with a couple of German companies to create the ‘new Indian’, but that never got past the prototype stage. It wasn’t until he partnered with Velocette that he was able to release the Indian Velo 500 to the market.
You got a 499cc four-stroke single that put out 34 horsepower, but competition from the recently released Honda CB750 and Clymer’s passing in 1970 abruptly ended production. Some sources say that Clymer had sourced 77 Velocette Venom engines and 45 Velocette Thruxton engines, so no more than 122 of these bikes could have been produced. For more information on the Indian Velo story, check out this profile from the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
This specific Indian Velo 500 (VIN: VM6522C) has just 1,917 miles and is apparently equipped with ‘prototype’ colors. It was restored after being discovered in a basement – but note that the chain guard, horn, oil tank side cover, and side stand are missing. Ignoring that, the engine and gearbox were rebuilt and it’s claimed to run perfectly, plus it comes with documented history and the original sales receipt.
Find this Velo for sale in Oakland, Oregon with bidding up to $8,655 and the reserve not yet met
This bike-uriousity brought to you by John K!