The Indian and sidecar at £85 is a bargain, question here is what is a Sleepette?

You read all the history books on Indian in 1949 and it was the equivalent of the Dark Ages, speculation and rumours, but beside the supposed six Chiefs with foot change and hand clutch, oh also a Torque Evener most Indian buffs will tell you the Springfield factory was in hibernation fortunately no, Indian Sales was “flat-out” with Scout’s & Arrows and C-Z who latter in their life built world-beating M-X’s, the Milwaukee Tractor company were selling Hummer’s (read BSA Bantam clone) and this little C-Z would have blown the socks off them in speed and reliability. The Vincent factory parallels Indian at this time they were selling NSU motorcycles and the cycle attachment Vincent FireFly and also hoping Indian were about to order a stack on Vindians and Indian-Vincents which would save them from the receiver worse luck it was the beginning of the end for both firms Indian stopping full production in 1953. and Vincent December 1955

So there are plenty of Red Scouts well in America at least, I believe the one that was going to be delivered to the owner in ACT (Canberra) fall off the back of the truck it was being delivered to on its way to Sydney. Also a picture of a gullible fool (your webmaster) on the bike he was promised in late October and never ever received, still I digress  and that’s all behind me now maybe next year. Other Scouts in history are more interesting the Clymer Scout made in the 70″s, well actually only one got me & why wasnt it a Chief and man that’s ugly, hard to imagine Mrs Clymer riding it after her $250 version from the thirties the “Universal Motorcycle with Universal appeal” powerful enough for a motor cop and light enough for a girl to ride, it is claimed well somethings have changed cops don’t ride Indians and although girls could still ride a Scout they will find it difficult to buy one!

This is what the American arm of Polaris Indian does, the V.P contacts the owners personally to apologize for delays and explains whats happening to your ordered machine, this might just work here instead of what we are getting in Aussie, my new hero pictured below Steve Menneto

Steve Menneto V.P Indian Motorcycles

Indian Motorcycles.

Dear Scott ,

We are writing today to update you on the status of your Indian Scout. Before we do that, we want to say again, we appreciate your patience during our production delays.

I have a 344 Chief and I”ve never thought of it as life saver, sometimes it has done the opposite as a life ender with seriously inadequate brakes, average lighting and antiquated suspension but I digress as that is my 2015 view of a 1944 machine and technology. To judge anybody or machines on todays standards is difficult for example Fangio, Hailwood, Surtees, Bradman Ned Kelly of course vehicles are the same E type Jaguar, 1956 Chevy’s, 1966 Ford Mustang & motorcycles 1944 Chief,Indian Four”s, Harley Knucklehead, Vincent Black Shadow etc what you need to do is put yourself in the particular era then you can see how great or important the machine or person was, its hard to do if you have a 70 yo plus machine because many owners were not even born. Some legends and horrors are forgotten when I was a lad of eighteen summers I remember everyone that knew anything about Indians said ” Don’t buy a 741 Scout they are a s**t heap and slow  and run hot and unless given one for under $25 don’t even contemplate it” so whats happened here to make 741″s desirable have they got faster, more reliable or better running, well no, but the old timers are all dead now and the legends and stories have altered and grown, people now don’t think of a Scout as a poor mans Chief anymore they buy them and like them and they are accepted amongst all Indian owners as a good bike and seem to change hands for $16,000 to $20,000 and more which proves “Time waits for no man or machine”