2018 Indians and some ideas on the range

Indian today have released officially 3 new variants Roadmaster Elite, Springfield Dark, and the Scout Bobber, the rest of the range continues with colour variations and slight upgrades in features, Although the new models are all very nice and if Indian are offering by the way, I would have one in a “snap” the problem is that the Thunderstroke engine is now getting  dated it came out in 2013 and although quite a nice powerplant has its limitations. This engine is bulky, heavy and can get very hot also Polaris desperately needs a middleweight bike about the size of the old Kawasaki Drifter (pictured below), initially when the 2013 range was launched Polaris decided on a design styled of the old 40’s models to re-establish themselves this was successful but now as the Scout has proved they can change as that engine shares no engine visuals with old Springfield models. Polaris needs to introduce a big 4 cylinder to compete against Gold Wings, and Rocket 3?s then build a middle-weight for people that are not big riders (under 6ft”) and with features on the current versions like cruise control, fuel gauge, USB connectors, etc not much to ask and especially lighter in weight, and placed between the smaller Scout and the Chief, thats my thoughts.

Well deserved Mark, Clubman of the year

Mark Barthelmie is the recipient of the 2017/18 Clubman of the year award and he well deserves it, Mark is a man who has never been called an introvert nor has he been accused of “hiding his light under a bushel” but he is the guy you can rely on when you want the job done which he has done many times in the past, well done mate. While we are on the subject your new committee is now “itching” to hear from you about any concerns or advise you may have, to familiarize yourself go to the Contacts page

HRD-Vincent Indian

We have all heard of the Vindian, and some the Indian-Vincent but how about a pre WWII HRD(Vincent) Indian Scout, I bet hardly anyone. People seem to think that Vincent started an agreement in 1948 with Ralph Rodgers head honcho at Indian after the war and most of you have seen the Vindian replica’s and my genuine Indian -Vincent in Australia but the pre war version was thought about in 1930-31 while Vincent were using proprietary engines such as Rudge or JAP even a Villiers but after the debacle of all the HRD’S not finishing with JAP engines in 1931 Vincent looked elsewhere and with Indian’s Scout being a fantastic reliable engine plans were looked at. Unfortunately it never came to fruition and Phil Irving developed the famous hi-cam engine that eventually was made into a world famous line of “the Worlds Fastest Standard Motorcycles” from 1938 till 1975 some 37 years later when Laverda Jota took that title.

Indian calibration update

Polaris has released a Service advisory for all Indians from 2014 to 2017 with Stage 2 cams fitted.
SUBJECT: 2014-17 Indian Motorcycles (111ci) – Stage 2 Calibration Update
PURPOSE:
Indian Motorcycle has determined that some 2014-2017 111ci motorcycles equipped with Stage 2 Performance Cams, Part Number 2881676, may experience intermittent drivability issues. An updated ECM calibration has been developed to improve the following Stage 2 drivability concerns:
1. Cold Start / Cold Drive-Away.
2. Engine Stumble / Hunting Idle.
3. Delayed Throttle Response.
Rick Thomas
ALL AMERICAN MOTORCYCLES   03 98793322

Nick Xenophon, the lunatic in charge of the asylum !

I’m not a very political person never have been since voting Labour as the Whitlam Government were abolishing National Service for Vietnam, but when it affects my hobby then that’s fighting words. That f*****g idiot (pictured above) that brought this scare in because of the Chinese building products is about to destroy our hobby with this move that’s currently in place and most people in the industry have had the Nazi’s in the Australian Customs/Border Protection implementing these procedures already. Personally I have been stopped and checked for importing bolts, nuts and motorcycle wheel rims, what this has to do with asbestos has me bewildered, and I don’t import from China. The thing is that nobody in the brake industry that I know have never died of any asbestos related disease, yes I know people in the building industry and the mining industry have suffered, but if there is a problem thousands or millions should be dead in Australia alone as the braking of trams, trains, trucks and cars in Melbourne City alone from brake dust should have had our hospitals full by now. The reason this hasn’t happened is most braking material was bonded or exposed the extremely high temperatures and the fine fibers were cooked into a solid mass so no issue, the problem is the building industry as standards have “slipped” allowing the Chinese developers to import asbestos materials into Australia and with little or no checks now we have problems, all to late “shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted”. This is having a huge effect on our local industry now geared to imports as the Governments “level playing field” policy on tariffs have been whittled away and we import everything or worse still sell what we have to overseas buyers, the only way to fix it is, adopt a Australia First policy which is what Trump is trying in America, meanwhile I wouldn’t think of importing an old vehicle into Australia unless this policy changes, the idiots don’t realize that most of the imports into Australia are packed in s/hand cardboard boxes from China and they are made of reconstituted cardboard the have had asbestos product mixed in, the day they find that out  90% of all things come here will stop.

Australia, Asbestos and Collector Cars

Close but no cigar

Indian have just released their new Bobber and its good but in your humble webmasters opinion it’s missed the mark as the Triumph version released earlier hits the image looking more like my idea of a bobber, the exhaust and wheels on the Trumpy are better looking & so is the seat, the headlight cowl on a bobber is a bit like caravan on a Porsche 911, well out of place! Time of course will pass before we see how both marques “stack-up”against each other I will expect the Indian to be priced competitively otherwise it may be sunk before it starts, unfortunately for the Aussie marked the dollar is buoyant but the pound is very favorable for us so Indian will need to sharped their pencils here, meanwhile the Triumph is selling more than they can produce and they come from Thailand so orders are prompt with little if any delay, something that is quite different for Polaris producing mainly for the US market first, then the rest of the world later, as I said time will tell.

Different than usual

Usually I use Friday to “bag” Harley’s and have done over a couple of years, this time we are getting it back, but after this amount of time we can handle it.

More on the Indian Trial

Martyn Goodwyn has provided a bit more on Indian’s 5,000 mile roadtest

Says it all.

Yes it was brisk, in case you wondered!

Sundays Cafe run to “The Flying Tart’s” cafe in Kinglake was chilly about -2 when the 9 of us got there after 2.1/2 hrs of warmth, cakes and drinks the ride home made it all worth while.