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Our Bikes – Indian Chief Vintage 2009 (MT #304, Jan 2016, updated June 2020)
King Vintage by Guy ‘Guido’ Allen; pics by Ben Galli Photography Adding a Kings Mountain Indian Chief Vintage to the shed – and a little drama along the way… Every now and then someone will come to me looking for advice on buying their next motorcycle. I suspect this is a little like asking Dracula for a few tips on setting up a blood bank, but it happens. If what they have in mind is a little obscure or specialist, I’ll usually advise they join a marque club to get an insight into what to look for and, more importantly, get a heads-up on the bikes that often never hit the open market, as they’re sold by word of mouth. However there are dangers. I joined a local Indian club (ironindian.com.au) some years before Polaris revived the marque. That resulted in the acquisition of one Indian – which is enough for most people. Then there were three in the shed. I may have to leave the club before it causes bankruptcy. Our latest addition is a 2009 Chief Vintage, bought and sold by word of mouth. The new transport of delight was built at Kings Mountain – the factory bought out by Polaris. Indian at Kings Mountain was actually trading pretty well at the time (2011), building low volume to a high standard – some 1134 bikes in all. In a contemporary interview, we asked former company President Stephen Heese how the firm had been travelling just prior to the sale. “Brilliantly,” he said. “We were blessed to have recruited a terrific group of people – passionate motorcycle enthusiasts with real experience in the industry. In two-and-a-half years we had a bike on the road. In a year-and-a-half we had a bike in testing, and started producing a year after that. “We created a lot of happy customers, didn’t have a lot of warranty claims. We attracted a lot of attention. The company wasn’t for sale, and Polaris made us an offer we couldn’t refuse.”
SAME BUT DIFFERENT So what’s a Kings Mountain? Essentially it’s a Gilroy – which itself was a clean sheet design circa 1999-2003 – with a lot more development put into it. The bikes were hand-built, with total production volume said to be around the 1100 mark (see list below). Of those, 500 were Chief Vintage, individually numbered with a plaque riveted to the steering head. (Gilroy did the same with its Chief Vintage.) Like the Gilroy, this toy has an incredibly long wheelbase at 1737mm, compared to 1625 for the equivalent Harley-Davidson Road King. The steel frame is pretty solid, running Paoli front suspension (41mm shrouded conventional forks) and Fox rear shock – Gilroys ran a KW rear. Tyre width at the back was bumped up from 130 to 150 to give it a more current look. However the big change for the chassis was a much-needed upgrade from a single to twin floating brake discs up front, running four-spot Brembo calipers. This was a welcome improvement on a machine weighing 356kg with a load of fuel on board. Its heart is a Powerplus 45-degree air-cooled V-twin with two pushrod-actuated valves per cylinder, and self-adjusting hydraulic tappets. Capacity is 1720cc (105 cubic inches), up from 1638cc (100 cubic inches) on the original. Both the ‘bottlecap’ motors are dry sump. Where Gilroy went wrong on the original Powerplus was with the supplier of its crankshafts. I’m told they went for the cheapest quote, but can’t confirm that. In any case they started failing, breaking crank pins by 5000km at the very latest. This was one problem too many for what was then probably a cash-strapped company and it closed down. Fixes quickly became available and you can still buy replacement cranks and even entire engines for a project bike. Properly built, they have proven to be capable of decent miles. But the damage to their reputation was too much. The approach of the Kings Mountain factory was to take the bike and move it up a level. Externally, lots of details were fixed such as some simplistic design of engine cases, particularly for the timing side of the crankshaft. Everything was smoothed and lots of chrome added. Internally, the quality control was lifted. In addition to the capacity jump (I suspect for bragging rights and branding rather than necessity), the engine gained fuel injection. That replaced the simple and effective Mikuni HSR42 carburettor, a common fitment to Harleys over the years. Last, and far from least, was the upgrade from a five to six-speed transmission by Baker. It’s debatable whether the extra cog was necessary. Put the two bikes together – I’m one of the few people who could at the time – and you quickly understand how much Kings Mountain invested in its upgrade. Changes such as paint, instruments, general finish, motor, transmission, brakes, acres of additional chrome, seat, luggage, screen and even little ‘easter eggs’ like branded handlebar end covers abound. They went to a hell of a lot of trouble to make the owner feel good about the purchase. As a quick example, the perfectly functional if basic leather saddelbags on the Gilroy bike were replaced with a set that has bigger capacity, pockets for incidentals, quilted linings and the whole lot is held on by one of the best quick detach/remount systems I’ve come across. The investment in build quality and exclusivity was reflected in the price, which was around US$35,500. Despite that, the reviews of the day were positive – more so than for the Gilroy.
BETTER WOMBAT TRAP With under 300km on the odo when I collected it, the new gizmo qualified as NOS – new old stock. I’ve yet to crack the 3000 mark (hey, there are other toys that need attention too!) but at least have some sort of handle on the plot. It’s smoother than the Gilroy, though the solid-mounted engine still vibrates. Starting is a little simpler (though has never been an issue on the Gilroy) and the general fuelling is smoother and more tolerant of any clumsiness from the right wrist. Ride and handling is good, for what it is. We’re talking land-yacht when it comes to steering (look for wide lines in corners), but the suspension rates are well chosen and tend to be firm rather than the floaty experience you get on a lot of equivalent cruisers. Braking is very good for this class – plenty in reserve with decent feel. The extra rubber on the rear is a bonus in this department, given the typical rear-heavy weight distribution on a bike like this. There’s a multi-function display built into the speedo dial, with battery charging, trip meters and tacho included, all of which are accessible from a button on the left switchblock. Performance is decent for the class but hardly head-spinning – we’re talking about 72 horses in a heavy stock package. In reality, what you have is a heavyweight touring cruiser that has some urge, proper brakes, predictable handling and a very nice level of finish. On the highway it’s bumbling along at about 2000rpm for legal speeds, well below its peak torque and power numbers. So you can drop it down a couple of gears and get something happening when you need to. The trick is to ride the midrange, rather than looking for peak revs. While the ultra-long chassis makes it a yacht in corners, it allows a huge amount of room for the rider. It fits tall people – yay! Given my usual grumble about how the world is designed for midgets, this is a refreshing change. Oh, and its sheer size gives it enormous presence. So, good decision? Yep. I really like riding the Gilroy and have done a lot of miles on it. This, the Kings Mountain is another level again. It is a better mousetrap. Given its size, maybe that should be a better wombat trap… *** JUNE 2020 UPDATE – BCM DRAMAS
One of the dubious joys of owning a limited production bike is there will inevitably be issues and not many people know how to fix them. For me, it was the day the bike stopped running. We had some, but not all, lights and no starter or ignition. Back home in the shed, it was simple enough to check the starter itself hadn’t failed, by removing the right-side electric motor cover (three bolts) and pushing in the mechanical contact switch with a screwdriver to engage it. This bypassed the starter relay. It turned, but no ignition. A lot of digging for info revealed there was a recall many years ago on body control modules (essentially an electonic control unit, separate to the one for the engine/injection) and the design had been updated. You can still buy them as a Polaris part, from America, and the cost is significant at around US$500. While there are local people who will repair body control modules for cars, they run away the minute you say “motorcycle”. Oh well…the new unit did the job and I just ordered a spare. (Call me a cynic…) The updated part number is, by the way, Polaris 2411878. I got mine through Megazip.net. That’s a parts consolidation company and is worth trying if the normal channels aren’t working for you. In the meantime – are there any budding BCM geniuses out there? Drop me a line at allmoto@optusnet.com.au, as I’ve kept the old unit (pictured) and will be curious to see if it can be repaired.
THREE FACTORIES
The three bikes you see here represent the three major factories before Polaris took over and started building them at Spirit Lake in 2014. Indians are often described by their place of manufacture, for example Springfield or Gilroy, as a shorthand for saying which generation and factory they belong to. The lineage is this: There were other bikes carrying the Indian name sporadically produced between 1953 and 1999, and they were generally rebadged British machines from the likes of Royal Enfield and even Velocette, or the odd minibike producer. Flying the flag for Springfield in the pic is a 1947 Chief (left). The all-red machine (right) is a Gilroy Chief Vintage, running the first-generation modern Powerplus motor. Powerplus is an old Springfeld name, revived for this and the next generation bike. Third (centre) is the Kings Mountain machine from the main feature.
INDIAN DATES 1930 – Merges with duPont Motors. 1945 – Sold to Ralph Rogers and the Atlas Corporation. The company swings its attention to lighter motorcycles. 1953 – Indian ceases production. The rights to the name are bought by Brockhouse Engineering, which sells re-badged Royal Enfields. 1963-1970 – Floyd Clymer produces a wild variety of machines under the Indian name, though it¹s doubtful he held the rights to it. 1999 – After much bitter court wrangling, an amalgam of nine companies becomes the Indian Motorcycle Company of America, producing out of Gilroy, California.
2000 – The rights to the Swedish-designed four-cylinder Viking cruiser are bought by English musician Alan Forbes, who then owned the British rights to the Indian name. Hand-built production of the design (which replicates an historic inline Indian 4) begins, badged as an Indian Dakota (above). 2003 – Gilroy shuts down, in September. 2008 – A new Indian Motorcycle Company, backed by British finance group Stellican (which also revived historic boat brand Chris-Craft), buys the Gilroy design and starts production of an updated version at Kings Mountain, North Carolina. 2011 – Polaris, maker of Victory brand cruisers, buys Indian in America. 2013 – Production of the Polaris machines begins, for the 2014 model year, at Spirit Lake, Iowa. KINGS MOUNTAIN PRODUCTION
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EPA confirms ethanol causes damage !
The American Environmental Protection Agency has acknowledged that overheating and component failures can be caused by ethanol in fuel. A media release from the American Motorcyclist Association says that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has publicly acknowledged that ethanol in gasoline can damage internal combustion engines by increasing exhaust temperatures and indirectly causing component failures. The EPA statements are found in a rule proposal issued by the Federal Trade Commission regarding a new label for pumps that supply fuel blends high in ethanol.According to the EPA: “Ethanol impacts motor vehicles in two primary ways. First … ethanol leans out the [air/fuel] ratio (increases the proportion of oxygen relative to hydrocarbons) which can lead to increased exhaust gas temperatures, increased piston crown temperatures and potentially increase incremental deterioration of emission control hardware and performance over time, possibly causing catalyst failure.“Second, ethanol can cause materials compatibility issues, which may lead to other component failures.” The EPA statements back the long-held position of the American Motorcycle Association, which has fought the distribution of E15 fuel blends in an effort to protect motorcycle and all-terrain vehicles from the damage that ethanol causes. “Now the EPA acknowledges that ethanol itself is harmful to emissions hardware and other components on all motor vehicles,” said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. “It is time for the federal government to pause, take a hard look at this product and change its entire approach to ethanol in fuels.” E15 is a formulation that contains up to 15 per cent ethanol by volume. The EPA has proposed rule to roll back the requirement for wider distribution and use of E15 under its Renewable Fuel Standard. In Australia, the most common fuel blend that is sold in Australia is E10 – 10 per cent ethanol blended with 90 per cent petrol. E85 blended fuel with 85% ethanol is also slowly being adopted. Within the EU, the use of ethanol in fuel is strictly restricted to E5, being just 5%.
REASONS WHY ETHANOL BLENDED PETROL IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN OLDER VEHICLES: Introduction
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries provides the following information which outlines the key reasons why vehicle manufacturers do not recommend the use of any ethanol/petrol blended fuels in vehicles made before 1986. Ethanol has a number of important chemical and physical properties that need to be considered in a vehicle’s design.
Carburettor Equipped Engines: Vehicles made before 1986 vehicles were predominantly equipped with carburettors and steel fuel tanks. The use of ethanol blended petrol in engines impacts the air/fuel ratio because of the additional oxygen molecules within the ethanol’s chemical structure. Vehicles with carburettor fuel systems may experience hot fuel handling concerns. This is because the vapour pressure of fuel with ethanol will be greater and probability of vapour lock or hot re-starting problems will be increased. As a solvent, ethanol attacks both the metallic and rubber based fuels lines, and other fuel system components. Ethanol also has an affinity to water that can result in corrosion of fuel tanks and fuel lines. Rust resulting from this corrosion can ultimately block the fuel supply rendering the engine inoperable. Water in the fuel system can also result in the engine hesitating and running roughly.
Fuel Injected Engines: In addition to the issues mentioned above for carburettor equipped engines, the use of ethanol blended petrol in fuel injection systems will result in early deterioration of components such as injector seals, delivery pipes, and fuel pump and regulator.Mechanical fuel injection systems and earlier electronic systems may not be able to fully compensate for the lean-out effect of ethanol blended petrol, resulting in hesitation or flat-spots during acceleration.Difficulty in starting and engine hesitation after cold start can also result.
Exhaust And Evaporative Emission Levels: Lean-out resulting from the oxygenating effect of ethanol in the fuel may affect exhaust emissions. Of more concern is that fuel containing ethanol can increase permeation emissions from fuel system components, particularly those that have aged for nearly 20 years. Therefore the increased vapour pressure of fuel with ethanol will lead to increased evaporative emissions.
Braking Bad & Improving your brakes (click on photo)
Kubota Generator Technical data
Fuel Filter Stupidity By Murray Morell
This is the first article on how to fix the Timmerman Electric Starter Phillip & the others that helped with this need a Nobel Prize these articles are free to view on the Members Only Area please use your current password provided in your monthly Smoldering Embers to use this area consider the benefits of Association Membership
Electric Moccasin Part 1 by Phillip White (These articles now transferred to Members Only Area Please think about joining about our Association as you get a newsletter & many great articles to read in this Area)
ELECTRIC MOCCASIN Part 2 update continued
New” Oils and “Old” Cars Don’t Mix
By Mark D. Sarine
Have you heard about the “zinc” problem with modern motor oils? Many classic car owners and racers have experienced camshaft failures due to modern motor oils. Even worse, be prepared for the “zinc” to change in motor oils again later this Fall.
If you’ve not had the pleasure of having your camshaft go flat due to modern motor oils, consider yourself very fortunate. As an owner of an engine parts warehouse, I’ve seen hundreds of perfectly good camshafts ruined by modern motor oils. So when I read about the “new” API SN motor oil coming out this Fall, I started talking to the engine builders we supply parts. The engine builders all said the same thing – car owners don’t much know about these modern motor oils and the problems these oils create in classic cars and race cars. Knowing about the Cruise News, I contacted Mike to see if he could help us spread the word – modern motor oils are not good for your classic hot rods and race cars.
Here’s the facts:
“Zinc” or ZDDP as it is commonly referred to in motor oils is a type of chemical called Zinc DialkylDithioPhosphate, and “Zinc” has been the most common anti-wear additive used in motor oils for the last 60 years. I just call it “Zinc” because it is easier to say and spell.
“Zinc” is a remarkable chemical that protects engine parts from metal to metal contact under heavy loads.
“Zinc” works by creating a film on the iron and steel parts in your engine. Unfortunately, “Zinc” also creates a film inside modern Three Way Catalytic converters. This “Zinc Poisoning” limits Three Way Catalytic converter life to around 70,000 miles.
The Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates that car manufacturers warranty Three Way Catalytic converters on new cars built since 2004 for 120,000 miles. To achieve this goal, the car manufacturers worked with the American Petroleum Institute (API) to create new, lower “Zinc” oils that allow Three Way Catalytic converters to live for 120,000 miles.
These new “Lower Emissions” oils have extended catalytic converter life, but they have shortened the life of flat-tappet camshafts.
Not long after these modern motor oils with less “Zinc” hit the market, we started to notice an increase in flat-tappet camshaft failures. At first, it was the race engine builders, so we shrugged it off as some new “trick” the race guys were doing that caused the problem. Then we started to see stock flat tappet camshafts going flat.
Things got ugly really fast. Every camshaft company started researching the problem. So did the Automotive Engine Rebuilders Association. Everybody wanted to know, why are cams going flat?
The answer was “Zinc”.
Lower “Zinc” oils work just fine in modern production car engines with overhead cams, and roller lifters. These modern engines don’t rev past 5,000 RPM.
Most hot rod and race motors have push rods, flat tappet lifters and rev beyond 5,000 RPM. These engines need motor with more “Zinc”.
The good news is that “High Zinc” oils are available.
If you have a classic car or race car, I highly recommend using the Joe Gibbs (or Penrite) brand oils.
We have seen a dramatic reduction in camshaft problems when our engine builders started using the Joe Gibbs brand oils. Since Joe Gibbs Racing is a NASCAR team, they are on top of all the latest advancements in technology, and they have developed oils that work. I’ve seen used parts from Joe Gibbs Racing engines that look brand new (even with over 600 miles on them).
If you’ve not had any problems so far, consider yourself very lucky. Switching to a “High Zinc” oil before the new API SN oils hit the shelves is like an insurance policy against having problems.
We like selling engine parts, but I hate seeing good parts go bad – Especially when they don’t have to.
by Mark D. Sarine
ETHANOL BLENDED FUEL.(Thanks to Classic M/cycle Club of S.Aust)
What is Ethanol? Well in simple terms it is alcohol distilled from waste green vegetation, like sugar cane. Australia accepted this as a boost to the cane industry as well greening our fuel.
There has been much talk about Ethanol and it’s effects when added to our petrol
but no one wants to make an official statement, in fact no statements of any kind have been made officially that answer our questions, or in essence to help to solve the new batch of problems that have arisen from tampering with our petrol. You be the judge.
The oil refineries now only make unleaded petrol, so additives, like ethanol are added to boost octane ratings up from what is really the old standard petrol. Ethanol is not the only additive used for this purpose, just the cheapest, and the most common. Australia had a limit set at 10 % (E10) but many samples show near 20% is being used, with this being planned as a new standard.
Some of the problems we have heard about are listed below.
• Hard starting in damp weather.
• Water in fuel. Blocking filters.
• Poor economy in normal everyday use.
• Dissolves tank sealant.
• Plays hell with fibre glass tanks. Disolves them and the mess causes engine siezure.
• Corrodes metal fuel tanks causing petrol leaks
• If sitting for a couple of months, corrodes most metals.
• corrodes inside the fuel jets causing lean mixture, and blockages.
• Rots fuel lines and tap seals, fire danger in the shed.
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