Working on my Indian

Yesterday self Isolating I decided to catch up on doing some work on my newly acquired 346 Chief, it required three time consuming jobs, firstly re-time the oil pump so the distributor was’nt 90 degrees out so on full advance the distributor cap would not lever itself to the gearchange rod and fit a new advance cable and right angle bracket. Secondly it needed aluminum guard strips fitting so remove the wheels and drill 30 holes in the mudguards for the locating bolts, lastly skim the step out of the brake drum 10 thou so the wheel is simple to remove rather than belting the tyre with a mallet to get it to release. All painfully slow jobs taking a full day to finish i did’nt resort to turning the bike upside down like the service mechanic fixing the 741B above but I felt like doing that attaching those strips its painful down on the knees looking under the the full valanced guards on a Chief and screwing on those 30 small nuts anyway the result is good and the bike is more functional to boot and its still for sale in our Trading post Area

A message from our President

Hi Everyone

I just want to keep you up to date with developments as our self isolation continues.

There have been requests for information concerning the use of permitted vehicles during the current Corona Virus emergency.

As you would know the country is under emergency regulations regarding social distancing and private movements.

Everybody is being encouraged to Stay At Home.

The club supports efforts to safeguard the health of our citizens and seeks the support of the movement to do likewise.

The current Emergency Regulations restrict all vehicle movements to:

•   Going to work or school  if essential,

•  Shopping for essentials,

•   Visits to medical services.

Any vehicle and occupants detected by the police, not involved in one of the above can be stopped and fined.  As of close of business yesterday Vic Roads have no policy on the use of permitted vehicles during this timeof emergency regulations, but they are discussing the matter with Vic Police.

It is our belief permitted vehicles are probably part of the police crackdown on caravans, motor homes and recreational four wheel drives. Permitted vehicles are being seen as recreational vehicles.

So our advice is unless absolutely necessary for the reasons outlined above leave your club permitted vehicle at home.

We will provide further advice when it comes to hand

Unfortunately the Chief Rain in the Face Rally in Corryong, scheduled for Queens Birthday Weekend has been cancelled until further notice. 

For up to date information as the situation changes, you are encouraged to check the club website.– 
Kind Regards

Alistair Piercy
President Iron Indian Riders Australia

Did you miss the ride today?

I know I sure did but things are not normal with Corona Virus, strangely though your motorcycle is now ready to be worked on a perfect way of self isolating and as most of your retailers are open they can take your parts orders and post parts to you. Any merchant with a RWC licence in Australia is regarded as a essential Buisness and is waiting for your support, a customer of mine recently rang me and said” I can watch TV, talk to the missus or fix the bike, the first two were over in 20 minutes so now I needs some parts” hmm thats good for me and the bike. Recently we were told motorcycling is regarded as exercise in Victoria and NSW so you can still ride and there is no cars out there, exercise you may say? well after Ive ridden my old bike frankly I’m buggered and it feels like exercise to me anyway. A fortnight ago Pete Kime, George Fitzpatrick, Jon Munn, Phillip White, John Fontanella, Noel Thornby and your webmaster completed a 1400 klm British Motorcycle Tour of Tassie unfortunately Chris Horner had health issues at the time a cancelled out 100 motorcycles and 133 people on the ride was fantastic and the next Gypsy Tour in 2022 will probably be over the same route, even the weather was excellent. So all things on the calendar are cancelled till the government says otherwise so please be sensible, take care and stay healthy. You will notice more regular posts from me and a new version 3 of the website as we weren’t to happy with that last version very hard to use.

A lot happens in 12 months

Twelve months ago in the Indian world we had four corporate shops in Australia, there was no sign of a ‘Challenger’ model and Harley was complaining about falling sales without admitting meagre Indian Sales comparatively had any affect at all, the rest of the world was thinking of drinking Corona and not dying from it. Locally we were thinking about getting to work and going to the next fabulously planned IIRA rally, some members bought new bikes others divorced their wives and got sick with health problems, while the men at the top of Indian Australia cleared their desks. During this turmoil the Iron Indian Riders elected a new committee proposed and accepted new “Own Rules” and also By-laws, which really put us back to 2015 when we had a similar format and no the sky did’nt fall in as people expected, of course the rules are on the website for all to see as unlike other clubs your Association is proud of our new rules. In other clubs the Vincent Owners Club of Victoria was de-frocked and dismissed from the parent UK club a new Vincent Riders Victoria (VRV) was formed and is thriving. This month is a milestone for your association a decade ago we formed in March after being disillusioned from being members in another Indian Club a good move and it allowed for Indian’s of any era to enjoy rides together, last weeks Sitting Bull Rally was proof it works, the rally being completely booked out at Inverloch and 2020 Indian’s riding with Springfield models and this year in October the Anniversary Rally to Handorf in S.Aust over 10 days is on to mark this special time. Despite all the doom and gloom life must go on so enjoy yourselves and remember the Plague was a worst scenario.

Support your local Indian Dealer

How many years have I known John Gee from Antique motorcycles at least thirty, when I first met the guy he was and still is in your face tall and loud he had a cockatoo on his shoulder like a pirate from the old days and drove a rusty Falcon ute, times change but John hasn’t, ok the ute is gone and so has the parrot but beside that the real deal John is still there loving Indian’s as he always has. John has won or at least featured in every Great Race since its inception he was one of the first to push for a Indian agency after Polaris bought the company and is the guy you can personally buy a bike from, try and buy a Harley from one of the Chido’s at Peter Stevens you wont they are tucked away in a office elsewhere, yes he also runs a Gypsy tour to various places interstate and always rides a Indian everywhere and has been in the past pushing the brand on TV with Shane Jacobson (Kenny). So why all the chest thumping for a ex-parrot carrying Indian enthusiast easy he is the only independent dealer in Australia that eats, breathes and lives the marque wheather old or new, he needs your support buy a Indian or get it serviced from him and I’m all for supporting him.

This needs to be out there

How many times have you been as pleased as punch at a finished project and some P.I.A comes up and tells you you have wrecked that motorcycle and how dare you display it in public. Well personally quite a few times I seem to attract these flea brains when I pull up on a Vindian or a Vincati after you assure them that neither a Vincent, Indian or Ducati was harmed when I built them as the engines are brand new replica”s the Indian engine went back into a engineless frame and wasn’t a matching bike and the Ducati had a blown up donk! The problem these days is that if it’s not factory stock these worms take it personally, most haven’t got a bike some have never owned one, words like F++k off spring to mind although belittling these people is even better if they are boasting to the audience of friends around them, they say “he wrecked a Black Widow” then a subtle mention there was no such model they slink away, good riddance.

Tell us what we need to do

First of all what does your association do for you where does that hard earned $50 give you a year well lets list what your getting at the moment:

Four seasonal rallies a year, Sitting Bull, Rain in the Face, Crazy Horse, and Teepee Rally and every couple of years they change in destination so not to get boring

Two Christmas parties (one in winter) for a social outlet to mix in your family to our group

Eleven General meetings a year at the Pascoe Vale Hotel

Eight to Ten first Sunday of the month rides

Every five years a Gypsy Tour over 10 days usually interstate

Every ten years a Anniversary Rally (this year) usually interstate

A website to keep you informed whats happening and a Trading Post Area for you to use free

Discounts on some spares

Red Plate Club with free inspections (pre-1949 only) all paperwork supplied and filled in for you

SMS messages texted to you about events or weather conditions affecting rides etc

Some rallies meals are free and paid for usually breakfasts

Eighteen month Indian Calendar with members bikes

New members get one enamel badge (Indian owners) a cloth patch and a list of what their association is doing and meet a great bunch of fellow Indian Owners all era machines we are unique in Australia for that alone

And behind the scenes a committee working out events for your enjoyment given free four times a year

We appreciate any input or feedback from general members as well and such things are acted on promptly so any input is appreciated, personally I have been in about eight different clubs over the years and not one including any other indian Club offers its members as much for $50

“Ask not what my association can do for me, rather ask what can I do for my Association”

Indian closes company stores in Australia

Of course this is not before time, the cost of company owned shops run by company staff who are not “hungry” is much like the Government, it was time to drain the swamp in Australia and Polaris the parent company have done it. Anyway this is good as all the overheads were horrendous in Melbourne alone more or less the other areas, some of the top brass had been condemned of their running of the Australian arm publicaly in the recent times and the company refused to act but now all the “pigeons are home to roost” and I personally can only see a larger network coming in the future. Rumours of having to sell a top range model once a week to just pay the rent for a week in some metropolitan areas is not a fabrication, the prices of the spares here comparatively to the USA even with the dollar taken into account was outrageous, and to make it worse US dealers were blocked selling parts to Aussie! I remember when Indian-Victory started here and at that time and still being in the trade today I forecast this style of dealerships would fail here as in the past it had, guess what I was right again that’s what 50 years in the game gives you, hindsight.