Happy New Year Calendar 2016 , get the Indian ready

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2016 Is going to be a hoot and thanks to your new 16 month Association Calendar & the Events Calendar  you can keep up with whats happening this year.

January the 5th Midnight Express coming up on the 16th of this month and for the first time finishing as a camping night in Tallarook

February 20-21 we have the Sitting Bull Rally at Inverloch a great week-end on the coast book now at the Inverloch Motel

March 6-18 is really busy with the International Gypsy Tour of Tasmania incorporating for those who entered the famous Great Race in Launceston

April 3 is Bikes by the Bay in Williamstown always a popular event in the Autumn season and to round out the month on April 10 Zorro’s Show and Shine at Mordialloc

May is only the normal First Sunday of the Month ride day

June 11-13 the long week-end and the Chief Rain in-the-Face Rally at Myrtleford is always a popular Event not to be missed

July (Bloody Winter) who wants it but still a First Sunday Ride

August still horrible and Winter and another First Sunday Ride

September 17-18 The Crazy Horse Rally 2016 at Corryong, you beauty the best rally of the year I’m already looking forward to it

October 22-23 Tepee Rally at Llanelly near Bendigo a great week-end with the Bendigo Club

November Monthly Ride Day & at the moment but I’m thinking about a Rally to Stratford for this month now as we have had in the past

December 4th The Christmas Party possibly at Gisborne again this is being planned already

And every one of these months has a First Sunday of the month Ride we pretty well cover the four seasons this year again

 

 

And Another lot of brakes

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So whats new in braking, plenty another batch of post 1946 to 1952 version of heat-treated brake plates are ready to be CNC machined and I’ve also finished a batch of all Aussie brake drums unlike the previously German inferior cast iron brake drums with r/hand tread lockrings these are machined from a solid billet the advantage here outweighs the extra cost because they are dimensioned correctly and not adapted as they were previously with as original l/hand lockrings. Of course they are much stronger with less grain structure in the material, I decided that it was better in the long run to ensure a more satisfactory product and without worrying about fluctuating currency prices in currency exchanges and although dearer a better product for the consumer. All the brake components are LF Harris (UK) as I am the Victoria,S.Aust and Tasmania distributor for Triumph pre 1988 these parts I can buy in bulk to ensure a top quality components at reasonable cost I have both early and late types 1941/45 & 1946/52 ready for immediate delivery. The cartoon above shows a typical Indian rider pictured as a Veteran the braking is only insignificant and your kidding yourself if you think “My bike stops alright” it doesn’t and it will kill you!  You can buy direct from me 03 94996428 or from Mark at Zorro’s 0433106669 and if you need it fitted as you can’t fit it yourself then contact John at Antique Motorcycles 03 5839922

Manuals, Parts Books, and riders handbooks

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You now have your Scout/Chief and want to know were the conrod fits in your engine this can be any model from 1940-2016, well if you’re a financial member of the Iron Indian Riders its all easy with most manuals including some Clymer manuals, all the Springfield and Gilroy manuals in the Members Only Area. I have just finished putting the Polaris parts manuals for all Victory/ Indian / Sea Cat and Snow Cat and lots of other Polaris stuff in this area. Also the 2016 Scout Riders manual as well as some others all for your conrod finding mission you will only need your current Smoldering Embers password to access these free gems.

Scrap steel rates are falling

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Bad news for Harley Owners with a crushed Harley worth $15.00 a un-crushed one is still the same price so keep on kicking boys till you can afford a Indian.

Christmas comes but once a year

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The Christmas party at Gisborne was a great success with some folks Gary and Bev Hogg travelling miles to join in the festivities, a few people especially need a mention here for preparing food etc for our enjoyment, Peter & Pat Kime, Daryl Colt, Phil Nuskie, and Richard Onyon with Sam Vella all arriving hours earlier preparing for us today. Also a grateful mention here to Mark at Zorro’s for contributing with Polaris Indian to our raffle, also thanks for those who stayed back and helped clear everything away it made it a very memorable day for all that attended members Chris Knoop & Laurie Keenan in Lauries R.A.N outfit were another good thing to see out & about. I’m looking forward to our next years events already starting off with the Midnight Express on 16-01-16

The old and the new

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Chris Horners new 2016 and his Kiwi Indian bobber have similar colours and owner but they are both new machines with a different slant on technology, one based on the latest the other well in the past, which one would you want to own?

 

I hate to say, I told you so

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New prices on Scout ride away $19,999 with the price rise of $1,200 from $18,799, which is what I warned over a week ago, this brings the Scout a full $2,000 above the new Scout Sixty (1000cc) which has one gear less and no ABS and is 1133cc smaller. For the Members Only Area I have placed the copy of our current constitution and also the Model Rules from the Victoria Government at the time of our incorporation, this is what we use along with 90% of other Victorian Clubs or is also used as it was submitted at that time. The picture above is from the “booming” Indian Springfield factory in the early teens, it would be a good comparison with a Polaris Indian photo today I think

New Scout sixty $17,999 rideaway

 

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The next version of the Scout is being launched as sixty cu inch or 1000cc it has no ABS, a 5 speed gearbox and 75 HP instead of 100 HP 6 speed of the 1133cc version. The Sixty is set at the price of the original 2015 Scout $17,999 you will notice 2016 1133 cc versions are about $880 dearer so this new model gets prices lower again, the question is for the extra $880 you get a lot more in a 1133 version, which makes me give another prediction, as I predicted the Scout 12 months before it was made, and a Four in 2017, the next is prediction  for the 1133 Scout price rise early in the new year, buy one now while there cheap.

Scout Sixty link

No its British Vehicles!

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Hard to believe now but as a young teenager I was a God Fearing Catholic lad and an altar boy to boot, and thinking back to those heady days I believe damn or bloody was my idea of severe swearing times changed at 15 years & 9 months when I decided that I wouldn’t be a teacher, lawyer or a doctor as my teachers were hoping for & seeking career I opted out of school to start a 5 year apprenticeship at Cottrell’s Garage in Fairfield. We used to do motorcycles, cars, & trucks and my boss David Cottrell was a Australian Championship speedway sidecar rider needless to say every word started with a F and the ones that didn’t started with a C and a lot in between that involved biology of both sexes, to say I learned a whole new vocabulary in in the first months is an understatement, but I never swore until I started working on Leyland products then I found it helped immensely and so the cycle started. After I finished my tenure I started at Victorian M/cycle Wreckers and then onto F Mussett the Triumph importers where I have honed my linguistic talents working particularly Tridents to the standards reached today. So remember the next time you hear me swear I have 48 years of skill behind me and Indian’s have helped along that journey

I hate to admit it, but I was wrong!

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Everyone by now knows my feels about the “Boat Anchor Brigade” (Harley) and although I have always admired Victory”s engineering I’ve hated the Arlen Ness styling, seriously though like most I have never ridden a Victory and have kept my thoughts secret on Indian’s cousin. As some will know I recently bought a new 2015 Scout which is unbelievably good and last week the Indian needed its first 800 klm service they offered me a bike to take for the day while my Scout was off the road and to my dismay at the time it was a Victory Vegas, anyway to tell the truth after riding it from the Elizabeth st premises I was impressed, it had a exhaust system on it and was loud but a great power delivery, handled well & was extremely comfortable I don’t like the big wheel but they make a “normal” wire wheel version called a “Gunner” $19995 this months special on both types the odd headlight was another part on the Vegas I personally don’t “warm” to either. Getting back to the Scout I had short reach bars fitted which are 2″ longer and suit my riding style, my compliments to Scottie, Roberto & Dillon for all their help and service organizing everything effortlessly except the traffic getting into the place. It’s worth buying a Indian or Victory just for the old-fashioned service you receive from this Elizabeth st store alone