I have ridden sidecars now for over 43 years the first was a Vincent Rapide with a double adult sidecar  that I rode down the Motor Registration branch, a daunting trip as I side swiped a EJ Holden no damage to me or the Holden but a full set of Jock”s and a respectful attitude to all sidecars and riders after that. Fast forward a few years and I raced another Vincent outfit quite successfully for 5-6 years so obviously confidence had progressed and I was the Velorex sidecar importer in my buisness and I sold around 80 most I had to fit up to all makes and models some were well suited to a chair others were dubious. So now I still ride outfits I have two one is a a C344 Indian that was brought into Australia with 700 others to stop the “Yellow Siege” as General McArthur said in WW11 meanwhile my Chief started off in Queensland but I bought it in South Australia 60 years later. It is a handful to ride, harsh and badly braked which Im fixing ( news of this soon) I have made it 80 cu and fitted a set of Bonneville cams and followers with a 4 speed overdrive box it sits comfortably on highway speeds, and I have ridden it to Sydney and back in the past, and it’s great for upper body strength. Well by now you see I like outfits which brings me to the Scout above with a special sidecar for 101 model, this would not be fast and when a sidecar is fitted you get 1/3 worse fuel consumption which on a Indian is dramatic as they are intensely thirsty standard is a understatement, imagine if there was a sidecar option on the new Scout but I doubt it,  believe me someone will put one on eventually and man I want to ride it.

Its always sad to sad to see a crashed motorcycle, more so if it’s a Indian this poor Scout was once someone’s treasure, and it would have probably scrapped in this era as they were worth little up till 15 years ago.

Its been a “heady” year for Indian and the IIRA, at the beginning new models were being bought first time in years, January we were anticipating the Midnight Express and also the Great Race 2014, February brought us the first Monthly Run of the year and the Lakes  & Craters Rally, March was the Bikes by the Bay & Zorro’s Show & Shine, April was getting ready for the All British Rally, May was The Lake Goldsmith Rally but unfortunately cancelled due to extreme weather, June  great the first Chief Rain in the Face Rally was a success, July was an eventful Monthly ride to Red Plate Cafe in Yea, August was another good day to Moto-Bean Cafe in Malmsbury, Sept was a hit with the Annual Crazy Horse Rally, October down the coast on the Peninsula Ride and the Moto Classica Exhibition, November gave us the first Teepee Run to Bendigo and the Moto Exhibition at the show grounds and the launch of the 2015 Scout, finally December was the Christmas Party at Zorro’s (thanks Mark and everyone that helped). A fairly full calender of Events this year will have the same and more, what a great Association to be in.

Yesterday everyone that had placed a deposit on the 2015 Scout were told “With luck expect your bike in Winter or April-May”,previously these people were told after the official launch at the Melbourne Moto-Expo last month the Scout  would start “trickling” out in December. In August I booked a trip to Tasmania and was told I would not get some of the accessories  that I wanted till early 2015 fair enough, but now the trip on the bike is cancelled. Indian mentioned a refund was available if I wanted it and they would cancel my bike, if Indian launches the 2016 range in August at Sturgis  it might pay to hang off for the “glitches” to be sorted plus your new machine will only be new for 3 months. Indian have mentioned the new Scout 2015 is a platform for a full range of  versions, I’d like wire wheels and a bigger fuel tank and footboards, potentially 2016 models may have this and if there a couple of grand dearer who cares? The last thing Indian needs is mass cancellations of 2015 versions but you know what a bit of up-front honesty would have helped everyone and had much happier customers these are mine and quite number of thoughts given to me by deposit owning Scout owners in the last 24 hours

Rose tinted glasses, everything was much better back then, well at our last Gypsy Tour earlier this year we never had a Bathing Beauty Pageant seeing it was all blokes I”m happy about that, but it is food for thought maybe at our next one in 2016. The other picture of the model in practical riding gear of the 50’s is more risqué most ( should I say some) modern women wouldn’t be caught dead in that costume or on an old Indian, maybe a new Indian and completely naked but that’s all, so were things better back then? I lived from 1952 so I will comment from that time on Polio or T.B injections BEX & Vincent’s headache powders Dr Mackenzie Mentoid tablets for fat people, cigarettes everyone smoked even the cat, corrugated toilet paper, no air-con, Briquette heaters, sunburn rubbed with olive oil, valve radios and TVs, corner phone boxes, no seat belts or collapsible steering columns, the Vietnam War and National Service conscription, these are delightful things that were around. Cars were 6 cylinder and “three on the tree” (column shift) and no synchro on first, rusting from the day they left the factory and vacuum wipers, or worst still Pommie 4 cylinders with bad electrics and always boiling, motorcycles were equally dubious, kickstart, Lucas electrics, felt oil seals and tin chaincases, average brakes to make it better. Policeman were shocking & unforgiving and if you were a L or P plater even worse, my mate had his Learner Permit torn up like confetti and sprinkled on the ground and told to walk home, pushbike riders were fined as another friend who rode at 65 klm over a amphometer down a hill, he was flagged down had his tyre pump removed and his valves and told to walk to work. GST at 10% is tame next to 22% sales tax we had then and I wont mention the pill or anything else such as death sentences or 80% of people have a firearm in their house in this era, heart bypass surgery was not great earlier on with most not surviving or if they did only a few years. So some things were good then as well as now things have improved for the better overall, as have our favorite brand Indian I’m glad to have ordered a Scout and ride older Chiefs I know there limitations unfortunately many people don’t “Old will never be new again”