Background: A 1974 Mark Morris High School graduate, Marc Mattila was born and raised in Longview. He and his wife of two years, Susan (Holland), live in Longview. He has a daughter and one grandchild and works at Longview Fibre.

His wheels: A 2000 Indian Chief motorcycle he got in 2003.

Marc, always wanted an Indian cycle. After finding this one in Prineville, Ore., he traded a drag boat for it.

“When I first saw it, it was in a guy’s shop and it looked like it had been running up and down a logging road,” he said.

As he began wiping it down, layers of dirt sloughed off and revealed a pristine surface.

“In Prineville, nothing rusts,” Marc said. “It just needed a really good bath.”

Even though Marc has ridden motorcycles since he was 10 years old — dirt bikes and road bikes — his street versions have always been of Japanese origin.

He longed for an American-made Indian and is glad he was able to acquire one.

Marc has done some work on the bike, including installing some factory Indian tool tubes and some other parts that didn’t come on his model but that were made for Indians.

“The Indians come out of the factory with all the add-ons that the Harley guys have to pay extra for,” he said. “The Indian already has all the extra chrome on there.”

His bike, which boasts a blue paint job, is one of 12 made in that color.

“So it’s pretty rare,” he said.

When it came time for the bike to get a new motor, Marc replaced the original with a larger 107 cubic inch version.

“I had trouble with the other motor, so it gave me an opportunity to put the larger one in,” he said.

Marc said he plans to keep the bike “pretty much original.”

“They (Indian motorcycles) went out of business in 2003, and they started again in 2009,” he said. “I was fortunate to find a guy who bought a whole bunch of parts for my particular model. In case something ever happens, I have a direct replacement.”

Marc said he is the only person who will ever work on the Indian. He knows the bike inside and out.

“I’ve taken every nut and bolt apart,” he said. “I like doing that. I take things apart so I know how they’re built.”

The motorcycle even worked its way into the vows that Marc and Susan shared during their wedding ceremony and played another role in the nuptials.

“We got married here at the house, in the yard,” Marc said. “We rode the bike up the aisle.”

The classic look of the motorcycle draws a lot of eyes.

“There are only couple around town that I’ve seen,” Marc said. “It stands out in the crowd. You can put it in a line of Harleys, and everybody will walk over to look at the Indian.”

So far, he’s entered it in three different bike shows and has won first place every time. Most recently, Marc’s Indian was chosen to be featured in a calendar produced by local radio station Rocket 107. The calendar is the Hot Bods and Hot Bikes edition for 2010.

“It was chosen and should be in the month of July,” Marc said.

Marc takes the bike out any time it’s not raining and makes a couple of long trips each summer.

The motorcycle has a permanent place in the Mattila home.

“I will probably never sell this bike,” Marc said. “If I need another bike, I will go buy one, but I will never sell this bike.”

Its impact on his life has been immeasurable, Marc said.

“It’s my stress reliever,” he said. “It’s been said you will never see a motorcycle parked in front of a psychiatrist’s office.”

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