The Walking Dead ride! Norman Reedus’ Indian Sport Chief
The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus has collaborated on an Indian Sport Chief ‘Forged’ custom build
HE might be better known for yeeting the heads off Zombies with his crossbow, but what you might not know about The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus is, he’s also quite a big motorcycle fan.
So much so that one of the bikes used in The Walking Dead some seasons ago was partly designed and built by Reedus himself. Well, he’s at it again now, and this time has charged Indian Motorcycle and Powerplant Motorcycles to create the machine, and this ‘Forged’ custom Indian Sport Chief is the result of the work.
It’s the first of three big builds from the American brand and was built specifically for Reedus by the Hollywood-based bike builder. And this isn’t some off-the-shelf custom created with bolt-on parts and aftermarket accessories, from reading the list of work completed, there seems to have been quite a bit of fabrication work going on under the skin.
In an attempt to slim the bike down a little and give it a sleeker and more streamlined look, Powerplant repositioned the rear shock mounts and relocated the swingarm mounts. Powerplant also lifted and narrowed the fuel tank, and outfitted the tank and the side covers with three-inch louvres. The result of all this work is a much lighter and more svelte-looking bike, something that is helped massively by the neater and more custom-looking exhaust system. A custom-made rear fender fits the narrower seven-spoke Morris Mag replica wheels, while custom eight-inch risers complement the Sport Chief’s four-inch round touchscreen display powered by RIDE COMMAND. A complete list of modifications can be found below.
Parts List: The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus Indian Sport Chief 'Forged' Custom
- Repositioned the rear shock mounts and relocated swingarm mounts to reduce the rear section’s width.
- Narrowed and lifted the fuel tank, outfitted it and the side covers with 3-inch louvres, and custom-made a fender inspired by old-school Indian style to fit the narrower wheels.
- Modified seven-spoke Morris Mag replica wheels to fit Indian Motorcycle axles, brakes, rotors, sensors, and bearings. Lyndall Brakes made matching chrome rotors and a sprocket to complement the wheels.
- Narrowed down the front fork system to accommodate an 11.5-inch rotor instead of a 13-inch rotor, due to the narrow wheel used.
- Designed custom 8-inch risers to imitate the Indian Motorcycle display gauge engagement system and created handlebars that were narrow with lots of pull back to suit the bike’s needs.
- Fabricated a one-off stainless steel exhaust pipe with a RedThunder cone from the bike’s Italian partners.
- Crafted a fully custom cobra-style gunslinger seat with a stainless steel seat pan and upholstered it.
- Applied a custom paint job with a mix of root beer colors that was darkened to fit the Indian Motorcycle style.
- Paint and bodywork were done by Walt at WW Cycles, while Pacman added custom pinstripes.
- All work conducted in-house except for the bodywork and chrome/powder coating, which were done by Garett GAS Powder in Simi Valley
Next in the Forged series, Barnstorm Cycles unveils its custom Sport Chief on May 10 with Carey Hart unveiling his build on May 18.
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
