Tall tales and True from Tassie

Hi Phil

Read with interest your article on the new Indian Dealer in Launceston. I originate from Launceston & as a small boy the highlight of my early years was to be taken into town and left outside Sim King Motorcycles to look at the display in the shop window. I recall seeing an outfit one day & telling my parents “I will have one of those one day” finally got my outfit 4 years ago. Bought my first bike a BSA C11 from Sim King when I was 16. Sim King were in Elizabeth Street Launceston and prior to that in Brisbane St & were competitors with John King & Sons.

This link you may find interesting. http://nichaygarth.com/index.php/2017/01/14/take-her-with-you-lucy-king-the-lady-in-the-sidecar

Incidentally the first vehicle to get into Waldheim Chalet (Cradle valley) was an Indian Motorcycle in the 1920’s. Gustav Weindorfer the owner of Waldheim was so impressed he bought an Indian & this was his sole means of transport into Waldheim for many years. I read a book a few years ago about the history of the Cradle area, the book was called Three Indians & the Caterpillar by Anton Hudson Lade (Indian referring to motorcycle & Caterpillar referring to a half track vehicle that also made early trips into Cradle) I recall Gustav used to light a fire under his Indian to warm it up so he could get it started on sub zero mornings. I think he died from a heart attack trying to start his Indian one cold morning. Great reading if you can get a copy. They were tough men in those days, fascinating stories being lost in time.

Cheers Ian Snadden President CMCC of Victoria

That same old question again about Classic Bikes

I recently approached the Classic Club President of Victoria Ian Snadden about his editorial in the recent article in Sprocket on “true classics” and the old “bogey” on what’s a Classic raised its head again as it has done in the past in the IIRA. The CMMC have an ageing membership and are worried that as they have nearly 500 members and they are looking at 1/3 probably becoming inactive within the next decade for age related reasons & with not many younger members who are joining to replace them, seems similar to most clubs at the moment but not all. The best thing that ever happened to Indian was that in 1999 the game was on with Indian making a comeback and the roots of this are with the new Polaris Indian’s today, remember the hiccups with Indian, Gilroy, Kings Mountain, etc till we are now at a point where Indian’s are no longer the “new kid on the block”and are a serious threat to the Motor Co, for the IIRA it is and was a blessing in disguise as a small number of original souls formed the Iron Indian Riders decided the future of Indian would have roots in the past but we would embrace the future, others did’nt see it this way and of course, the end will be inevitable how that turns out as time passes. The IIRA has had it ups and downs but we embrace all Indian’s and as a result have a decent mix of all era’s and late model owning members have sometimes bought early Indian’s and visa-versa this can only lead to a viable and healthy future for us and the enviable position some clubs like the Velocette, Vincent, AJS, Ariel owners can only dream about. But back to Ian’s great article its good to see another club looking to the future and not relying on the past we are all people that like old bikes and not want to see them in the scrap bin, surely the basis of anybody’s future.

More Doom & gloom for H-D

Harley as you know last week closed a factory in Kansas and also here in Adelaide, with more to come and the announcement of electric motorcycle range by 2019, should just about see the nails in the coffin. The problem with “painting yourself into a corner” which has happened with Harley catering for baby boomers and the 1% “knuckle draggers” is the that customer base has and is getting older and smaller, its alright to carry on about Evolution but that means nothing to a gen X or Y and millennium customer they don’t care and brand names aren’t a big deal a Coke or a Pepsi its still a soft drink! Indian like Triumph cater for traditional owners but are not reliant on it, the killer now is the Trump administration (Make America great again) announcing today that all made in India motorcycles will be taxed at the same rate as that country charges the USA which at this point in time is 75% but will be soon 50%. So big deal you say a few thousand Royal Enfields will increase in price, err yes but the H-D 500 and 750 are re-imported back to USA from India and will be subject to this tax unlike the Scout which will be in comparison cheaper in that home market, two things to remember that Harley are no longer as “good as gold” as the advertisers were saying in the noughties you will not get back more than you paid for your H-D, they were “anchors” at Mecum’s Auctions in Las Vegas last month and good models were selling under $5,000, also Wille-G-Davidson said the break even point was 190,000 units per annum, they are 48,000 units from going bust again, and Indian sales are up 17% and growing annually thats got to hurt the Motor Co as every Indian sold is one potential Harley sale.

Now you know, Thats how it’s done

Mecum’s Auctions the USA market, has the world gone mad?

The last couple of weeks I repeated my last years “pilgrimage” to Mecums Auctions in Las Vegas and it was interesting to see what is classed as valuable in todays markets with over 1700 bikes up for auction, interestingly Clymer Indian’s a now being appreciated even more than some Springfield models, what with a Indian mini-mini 50cc selling for a staggeringly smart price of $11,000 USD although a Z50 Honda beat it by a margin at $11,250 USD ! Then to ramp it up a Clymer Indian 125cc sold for $7,500 USD a Gilroy or two held up well at $7,245 & $9,500 USD, a 1968 Clymer Indian electracycle seemed reasonable value at $3,000 considering Harley announced yesterday that they are ready to produce an electric bike (as usual Indian beat them again at this) and shut there plants in Adelaide and Kentucky due to falling sales which I have been saying since 2013 will see them bankrupt sooner than you think. Harley prices at the auctions were miserably low, and many “chromo-sexuals” would be stricken with grief with some bikes approaching almost scrap prices after seller premiums were taken from the results, still I digress at Bonham’s a Vincent Black Lightning which I called “Caesars Axe” as it was purporting to be Jack Ehret’s Australian record holder (which part) that sold for $1.2 million or a cyclomotor attachment Vincent Firefly 50cc for $20,000, the world has surely gone mad

www.mecum.com/auctions/las-vegas-motorcycle-2018/lots/motorcycles

Times are a changing

Remember back in the olden days (pre mobile phones) when a ride or a rally was on it was very well attended and people weren’t politically correct  “snowflakes” and they didn’t need a breakdown vehicle following their motorcycle that were usually old and held together with string and tie-wire and camping was de-rigour, haven’t times changed, possibly for the worse. The usually well attended famous Great Race Harley vs Indian is this year down on attendances some 18% I believe this is the first time in years, why a good question, with most clubs struggling to keep subscribtions up and usually poor attendances for aged members in events or even attendances to General Meetings potentially it starts a downhill spiral with less events and I believe uniting some groups ie:  Vincent with Velocette, Triumph, Ariel, BSA combined, Ducati with Moto-Guzzi etc a bit like Christian churches did some years ago and some of those groups are now part of the Uniting Church. This will only stall the inevitability of going the way of the dinosaurs, because basically youths don’t get what it’s all about and if they are riding it’s scooters or a no particular brand as their motorcycle is a “tool” like a two wheeled car, a alternative to go to work sure there are some that are dead keen but they aren’t in the numbers from 30 to 40 years ago. Their other problem is good classic bikes are unaffordable and some manufactures are producing damn good retro bikes that have “gasp” electric start and reliability to boot look at Indian, Triumph, and the new 650 Royal Enfield for a start, a lot of older riders have embraced these retro”s as well. So where is this all leading you a plus 55-70 yo, eventually it’s going to make it harder to sell your old bike as in the next 10 years thousands will hit the market fully restored and the prices will inevitably fall, rallies and rides will get less as people have other commitments and have less time or aged, and that will be the future unless you do something to change it like committing to a couple a times a  year by  going for a ride with your mates, sure that event 3 hours away is a pain but you forget all that when your interacting with like minded people. Also I have a idea with a few other individuals  for a “old fashioned” event in the future which is close to Melbourne and encourages all makes running or not and the owners old or new capable of riding or even incapable from 50cc up, this won’t stall the inevitable but will give some individuals a chance to participate in something that they thought was now gone, stay tuned. The picture above is a WW11 veteran at 97 on his Scout

Anyone for scrap Harley’s?

Things are quite at this time of year but it kicks off with a bang next week starting with the Midnight Express Saturday 20th, then the week after the world famous Great Race 2018 held in Mansfield Victoria on the Australia Day Weekend 27-28th  run by the Indian M/cycle club of Victoria (not to be confused at all with the IMCA) and former Harley City proprietor Dave Readie, then on Tuesday 30th a General Meeting at Pascoe Vale Hotel. February the Sitting Bull Rally at Inverloch will have you primed for the International Gypsy Tour 2018 in March, time to change your oil ready for the year.

There is a lot happening this year so prepare the Indian

Beside the General meetings on the last Tuesday of the month or the 1st Sunday Association rides except when a Rally falls in that month, we have on the 20th of January The Midnight Express Ride, the in February The Sitting Bull Rally at Inverloch, then in March the Bi-Annual International Gypsy Tour up the old Hume hwy and down the Princes Hwy for 10 days ( all booked out now) then the Crazy Horse Rally in September, & the Christmas Party in late November so heaps for your old or new Indian all we ask is a response to the SMS for Expressions of Interest when prompted and for you to turn up and enjoy. This also helps by paying your subscriptions early so some people on the committee can get a easy time and if you can help by standing for a position don’t be shy not much to ask and enjoy the coming year

Indian dealers in Launceston

JS King & Sons in Brisbane st Launceston were a huge franchise selling among cars, and motorcycles Indian’s as well recently I decided to visit the old site and its a massive building and under those “Zap” signs cast in the concrete facia the huge Indian logos are there, although currently covered. I have seen where Rhode’s Motors in Melbourne is and I intend to visit the other main state dealers shops in different I visit, strangely  lots of the old dealership sites are still there

John King and Sons history