Another successful monthly run

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With a perfect Sunday morning yesterday in the middle of Winter we had over 24 Bikes turn up at Mark Barthelmie’s new shop Crazy horse Moto, and 22 were Indian’s. All the Indian Owners were emptying their wallets on the extensive range of parts and clothing Mark has in stock covering all Indian models from 1928 to 2016, plus for the rest of us a nice BBQ was provided with food and drink. In all a great day thanks to all at Crazy Horse for the hospitality and food, to those who attended without you it would have been a “flop” your support was appreciated

The best accessories

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There are lots of accessories on the market when you buy a new bike, genuine or aftermarket a hard choice but sometime the aftermarket parts are better and cheaper, other bits the genuine is best. When I bought my Scout the genuine wire wheels and handlebars were reasonable, the genuine windscreen was worse value and not as good quality the same as the standard saddlebags. The same with the rear shocks and a number of other items all those were aftermarket and I’m happy and surely that’s the main thing, funny thing about motorcycles is that the accessories area are a big market item quite the opposite with cars, most people get things fitted with cars on the assembly line or maybe a tow-bar later, but in bikes it’s a whole gamut I know H-D have a catalogue the size of a phone book, one item is pictured above I suppose when you have reliability problems it would be handy

Another Year and a new committee

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With all the changes at your recent AGM we have quite a few new committee members who are enthusiastly ready to help your Association. All the new committee delegates are listed along with some of the originals in the Contacts Area of this website. Basically this is one of the first years since our inception 6 years ago that we hav’nt had to ask for nominations so I can only hope this shows a group of enthusiastic office bearers which are there to help you enjoy your time spent on our calendar events. The thing is the committee requires positive feedback and this can be done by face-face,email or fax no one on the committee is a paid member, we are all doing to job for the “love of it” so please bear that in mind, remember if there is a change in direction & sometimes it won’t suit all members, but as this is a democracy the majority will have the final say, as has happened in the past. Our Charter in the first few lines says we are all here to have “Fun,Fun,Fun” and that’s what its all about.

Harley Friday again, but for how long?

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Its getting easier to find this stuff, what with the “wanted warrenty claim” scandal, shares falling, home market sales in decline, and Indian sales and profits rising weekly I’m almost feeling sorry for them, well not really. There is talk of 115 and 130 cu inch motors but they don’t go much better than a “shovel head”as of pollution restrictions and weight, still that’s what Triumph did first in the fifties with a 650cc then in 1973 with a 750cc but it still got more un-reliable, vibrated and was dated by the mid sixties. Harley need to learn their customer base is dwindling, as the “biker’s” are in their late sixties or seventies, and 1% outlaws can ride a USA motorcycle alternative, young guys want 2 wheel cars that is, ones that require no “wrenching” and that’s what Harley have done since 1939 Knuckleheads just redesign or a rehash. The V-Rod was a small sign of thinking outside the square but stupidly they kept making the old range, so people just bought them (the old versions) and V-Rods have never sold well, if the old “boat anchors”were deleted then they may stand a chance appealing to a larger market, they won’t and Ronald Reagan won’t “bail them out” this time so inevitably they will fail

Indian’s in Stockholm

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Been all all over Europe this last month and until today hav’nt seen a Indian in any shape or form, well today I heard two in Stockholm and rushed over for a photo while they were stopped at traffic light near my motel. They were slightly reserved till I pointed to my Indian belt buckle unfortunatly the lights changed before I could say much after I have a couple of Indians as well, still they look like they are being used regularly

Is the man Mad?

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Mark at Zorro’s must be being affected by the cold weather and needs dollars to warm himself, the list he has released below has some “stonking” good deals for a modern Polaris Indian till the end of August if you have one of these models or any Springfield version ring him as beside supporting a fellow Aussie(with a weird accent) your dollar is still worth a dollar in Australia, and he guarantees all that he sells. Beside that he can assure you of any concerns about colours, fitting, or supply of custom parts he maybe able to source for you from around the world

Indian chief accessories comparisons

20/07/2016
Indian OEM ITEM ZORRO
2879581-156 HIGHWAY BAR FR $580 HIGHWAY HAWK 598-030 $419.99
2879582-256 HIGHWAY BAR REAR $430 HIGHWAY HAWK $399.99
2879968-156 STAGE 1 MUFFLER $1070 RHEINHART $1056
2879667.-05 BLACK TOOL ROLL $220 LEATHERWORKSINC 10 BLK 100 $169.95
2879667-01 TAN TOOL ROLL $220 LEATHERWORKSINC 10 TAN 100 $249.95
2879740-00 SADDLEBAG SPOOLS MOUNT $220 EASYBRACKET $300
2879917-02 SADDLEBAG SET BLK 1940 LEATHERWORKS 125 BLK $999.95
2879454-156 REAR SOLO RACK $480 AEROMAC $449.95
REAR SISSYBAR RACK $480 MOTHERWELL $499.95
2880654-156 HI FLOW AIR FILTER $690 S AND S$699
2881476-00 WINDSHIELD SPOOL $100 INDIAN WINDSHIELD SPOOL $100
2879574-02 WINDSHIELD $910 LOCALLY MADE WINDSHIELD $495
2879736-156 SISSYBAR ASSY INC PAD$ 855 HIGHWAY HAWK INC PAD $299.95

ZORROS WILL PRICE MATCH ANY INDIAN CHIEF ACCESSORRY FROM THIS LIST UNTIL 30.8.2016

The Gypsy Tour 2018 the Old Hume

 

 

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With Chris Horner announcing the Gypsy Tour in 2018 following the old Hume Hwy I can’t wait, obviously it won’t be like the road pictured above pictured over 100 years ago as it was well sealed by 1950 in Victoria anyway, NSW wasn’t but by the early sixties was. The problem with the Hume freeway today is that’s it’s possibly the most boring piece of road around I remember going up the old highway with my parents as a youngster and although the cars were slower and hotter in summer there was always a chance for a stop and a cold Tarax along the many little towns it passed through and that’s part of our fabric that’s missing today. So needless to say I’m booking pronto as the cutoff at around twenty souls is all that Chris will cater for, if you are thinking of going contact him,it will go to Sydney and come back on the Princes Hwy so quite a number of miles for your Indian and probably be in March for about 12-16 days , think about it.

When you have to go this is the way

 

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I always said to my wife when “I keel over” and you think a motorcycle hearse would be a suitable way to send me off  don’t pick a H-D as I would kick the lid off the coffin or worse still come back and haunt her, now at last there is no fear as some undertakers are at long last getting more descerning and choosing Indians for probably a more reliable ride into the afterlife.

Usually it’s sockets but mostly collets

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A couple of years ago, I had a “Eureka” moment and bought a large rubber mat with lots of holes in it, the seller at Rare Spares assured me that they would trap small spares eg:collets in the holes and hours or days would be saved, enthusiastically I parted with my well earned sheckels and dragged it to beneath my work bench. This seemed to work initially except for the majority that bounced off the rubber and still disappeared under the bench, “Murphy”s Law” dictated like toast landing butter side down that 75% of my collets still went into a parallel universe annoying to say the least, recently I was in Ireland and you can see why the Irish are like they are and “to be sure to be sure” they must loose lots more than collets.

A picture of a era long gone

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I think this picture is evocative its shows a lost America, with a steam train rattling past two friends riding the American highways on a Indian outfit with little or no traffic, fully loaded but staged for this picture I would say as the luggage would fall off within minutes of travel, string is useless as a method of retaining loads as above. The picture wants me to feel that I’m the one taking the photo and on the journey with them but I suppose that’s what Life magazine intended, a great shot none the less.