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

Daryl hides his light under a bushell

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Daryl Colt beside being our President and owning the Indian Price has recently started covering a few seat pans initially I believe because his Prince had a bare seat pan, he is doing the “raw edge” versions at the moment in natural or bees-wax finish, if you need your seat pan recovering contact him or approach him at the next meeting. I reckon they have come up as good as new.

Can you believe this?

Puncture Proof Motorcycle Tires (WHOA!)
You may be thinking “that’s impossible!”, but these guys came up with some incredible technology that seals punctures automatically.
BLOG.BIKERORNOT.COM|BY BIKERORNOT.COM

New prices for late brakes 1947/53

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People often remarked when our dollar was going up against the pound that I was putting down my Triumph prices around 20% in most cases, this obviously has changed recently with the pound at 43p to $1.00 but my loyal customers were pleased and they don’t complain now prices are rising. So whats that got to do with Indian parts, not much with some greedy retailers who just say “more profit to me” but I’m different after paying all tooling costs off on the first batch of brake plates 1946/53 version as I said they will get cheaper and I have dropped the price $300 the added advantage is the drums are now all Australian machined from billett and unlike the original German versions I previously supplied & more accurate and they don’t need modifying to suit my brake plate as they are machined to suit. The patterns and the CNC costs have now been absorbed so the costs have dropped which enables me to pass this on. The beauty of this brake assembly is support through the plate which gives rigidity unlike some dearer copy-cat versions starting to hit the market, with now over 30 sold they stand on their reputation!

Pictured above the new brake assembly for both the 1939/45 twin leading shoe front brake now available, and of course the later 1946/53 version which I have had in production now over 2 years.  late version is $1,800. The new billet CNC 1939/45 early version is $2,200 to members or $2495 retail, both versions come with a new cast-iron drum and yes you use your existing wheel no real permanent modifications to your machine which can be returned to stock if necessary in under 1/2 hour. These brake plates and drums are all Aussie now guaranteeing excellent quality. Available to order direct from Phil Pilgrim or Mark at Zorro’s 0433 106669

Wire Wheels, Why not?

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So 800 klm”s up on the 2015 Scout whats it like, well plenty changed Mustang seat, Aermach footboards, rear Rack, National Cycle screen, it came with Stage One genuine pipes, and I”ve fitted Ikon fork springs and rear shocks, also fitted Metzler 888’s and at the time of buying I ordered wire wheels. Whats great and whats not, the footboards & screen are excellent, the seats comfortable the Ikon shocks well the jury’s still out on them as I”m onto the third set so fingers crossed, the front progressive fork springs are assembled the wrong way around by the factory, I wish I would have known this to test it before buying the Ikon version. Fuel seems about 180 klms before the light comes on and you get about 25-30klm after that, the engine operates at 89-94C and at 110 kph it is doing 3500 rpm, its low and all the weights down low as well, it goes like “a cut snake” and handles incredibly well, the only negatives are no cruise control, no key fob start as the Chief’s, no fuel gauge, average mirrors, and to small a fuel tank, otherwise for the ridaway price its fine, would I buy it again yes straight away so I guess I”m happy