At the 2022 Custombike Show in Bad Salzuflen, Germany, the Indian Motorcycle Bike-Farm crew were awarded the top prize in the European Biker Build-Off final for best original customisation.
It took nerves of steel and lots of talent to pull off building a real chopper, based on the Chief and its Thunderstroke 116-cu inch engine, in front of a huge audience and in only three days at this international show.
A further challenge was doing it in competition with another team that was working on a Harley Davidson. From the Friday until noon on the Sunday, visitors could watch the two extraordinary custom bikes being built on their respective stands.
At 1pm on the Sunday, these two original creations were hoisted onto the stage so the votes could be counted. The Indian Chief Purple Haze won the battle of the bikes with 529 votes to its rival’s 179.
Ola Stenegärd, Director of Industrial Design at Indian Motorcycle, said with deep admiration: “A classic long fork chopper motorcycle based on the 2022 Indian Chief! It’s absolutely stunning what the Bike-Farm crew has created here. This bike radically brings to flower the seeds that are at the core of the current Chief lineup: the spirit of the past combined with the technology of today.”
The frame, with a full 48° rake, was manufactured by the Dutch experts VG Motorcycle Specials, and all other components are custom-made by the Bike-Farm crew: sheet metal parts such as the tank cover with integrated gauge and GPS transmitter to the fender were created in-house, as well as the sissy bar, seat, wheels, handlebar, final drive, intake, and exhaust system. Even the seal-less, oil-free fork with its Teflon-lubricated sliding tubes incorporating Progressive Suspension Cartridges were created by Bike-Farm. Finally, Lange Metallveredelung took care of the chrome, while Vossi Lackcenter Melle handled the paintwork. Other core components were also adapted from the original bike, such as the footrests and brake systems – but Purple Haze still features all the electronic features of the original Chief, from ABS to Ride Command via the touchscreen.
“The entire bike was created within just eight weeks,” recalled Tristan Frische, Workshop Manager at Bike-Farm. “Working with four guys we machined, turned and welded day and night. We then had to build and assemble this machine here for three days. We are delighted with this title. Not only have all the electronic features been retained but the bike is fully road legal, even meeting the strict Euro 5 standard!”
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