Things that may have saved Harley, the Harley snow ski, the Harley caravan and Harley boat, and the Harley mobile golf cart, all sold from the late fifties to the seventies, diversification is what they need now to keep up with the Polaris Victory-Indian group which motorcycles only account for 4% of their profit margin. The strange thing is they had the opportunity to buy the Indian Trademark and bury it but thought Indian would never be a threat again I bet they regret that decision. I like the cartoon I bet a few can relate to it
A stunned Phil Pilgrim with the award.
The somewhat flummoxed-looking gent in the pic is Phil Pilgrim, club webmaster and a founding member. He’s holding the club’s only annual award, for Clubman of the Year, which is richly deserved.
Phil’s work and support for the Iron Indian Riders has been generous to a fault, over many years.
He was completely blindsided on this one – Mark Barthelmie cheerfully acted as a decoy winner, so the real recipient was in for a shock on the night of the recent AGM.
Congratulations, Phil.
After about 18 months Chris Horner has a right to be happy with the Kiwi-Indian framed bobber as it’s ready to roll. Although the engine is a 1942-44 Chief with a Timmerman electric starter fitted basically all the rest is a brand new motorcycle
New 2016 Scout as I forecast spoke wheels ,new speedo, and new seat options and optional black seats and bags, I glad I waited for this version
Jon Munn from Classic Style 03 97735500 a rather unassuming member that is a wholesaler of motorcycles and rides in the Great Race on a PowerPlus Indian and when time permits comes on an Association Run. Fairly boring you would say, well you would be wrong, Jon in his earlier years campaigned John Hobbs famous Hobbit drag bike and it was at that period the bike to beat, recently Jon went back to UK to recapture those heady days at a reunion and wearing his original leathers that he still fits into ( I hate the man) recaptured misspent youth, good stuff Jon.
What with the rage in bobbers at the moment I find more and more people with access to engineering like no time in previous history lots of modifications are going on. All good and bad but how much is too much, motorcyclists have modified machines since the first all wood Daimler some things are practical, others for the owners perceived idea of improvement in their eyes are better than the manufacturer, some are shock value we could go on forever but I wont, personally all my bikes have modifications either internally or externally I modify all my bikes in the braking area and my Indians are all 80cu now with 4 speed, others would say the “Nordian” would be the minimum or a 2000cc single would do as well. Mark Barthelmie at Zorro’s is probably the best gauge on accessories and he is selling a s***load of bits for new Scouts and Chiefs from Gilroy to Polaris so I can’t see an end to the modifying for the near future
The International Gypsy Tour 2016 to Tassie is almost full in a little over 10 days, so if you are intending to go get your deposit & Expression of Interest form in pronto. I believe the accommodation at the Country Club in Launceston is booking out quickly for those of you who are intending to participate in the The Great Race 2016 at the same time. If you are entering this as well we are all listed as The Iron Indian Riders Team please enter in our team
Well for me it is, but others not as much I must ask Phillip White his thoughts, last weekend was the monthly run to Seville and my C344 outfit was enjoying more than a gallon of gasoline in under 200 klms it drank 2/12 tanks of fuel so lots of fun. I filled up in Greensborough on the way home as I was on the reserve tank and surprisingly 9.2 litres cost $15.54 so around $35-$40 to do a days riding, the Indian always seems reasonable to refuel except when you add up at the end of the day the number of refills, most modern machines $25 would double my mileage but maybe with less fun. Indian solos would be about 25% better than me which is why this weekend I’m taking the sidecar off for a while in anticipation for the Great Race 2016