Guido at work
As announced the Editor Guy Allen has been testing the new Scout yesterday in New Zealand the small preview is listed below. thanks AMCN & MotorcycleTrader magazine
So this Indian Wish list thing how does it work, the same as Coles & Woolworth’s you start a wish list with Indian it can be clothing or accessories or I reckon a motorcycle, then you tell everyone you don’t want a pair of socks for Christmas or Jock'”s for your birthday instead they can either pay-outright for an item on your list or pay an amount toward that leather jacket etc eventually you will have the gift or pay the balance to receive your gift, what a simple idea.
WWII Indian is punting the 741 as the bike to tour Europe on, 500 cc of performance and a shovel to either dig it out of a hole, hit it or bury it. The interest in these models now is different from the forties, this model was mainly used for despatch riders or convoy duty escorting trucks usually slow work and restricted top-end performance 50 M.P.H, today they are preened,pampered & polished and ridden at 60 MPH on highways so gearing the carb venturis are altered for more performance this machine in todays world is very utilitarian. The 841 on the other hand must have cost a bomb to make with a shaft drive and improved girder forks two carbs as well a much more advanced machine, but only 1000 were made and the only thing used after the war was the forks WHY? Personally after the war I would have ordered a civilian 841 people today modify the differential with BMW (the enemy) internals to get the gearing higher which was a problem with under-gearing on this model but this machine looks heaps better than the Scout & the Moto-Gutless (Guzzi) that was produced 20 + years later and much,much better than the XA H-Davidson boxer twin that was produced at the same time as 841 but somehow this was “still born” and never made as a civilian version which happened to the Scout as well what were they thinking.
Imagine you take delivery of your new Scout next month, the first thing you do is book in at a professional photographer for a snapshot of you & the new machine, sounds un-real but such an investment sometimes more expensive than your house you need to cherish the moment, of course these days motorcycles are “pin-money” and houses are too expensive. The second shot is the mythical “Wooden Piston” something I have heard about and been sceptical about, my father used to talk about them in trucks but this one is a 2 stroke version I wonder what the wear rate is? The last photo is a H-D rider on a VL model or the revered “Knuckle” named Humility with his lifelong friend his childhood “Teddy Bear”in the small dolls house on the parcel rack obviously a potential H.O.G owners member
No Polaris isn’t making a 2014 Prince, this one is being restored by our President Daryl Colt, you can see what he started with and it’s shaping up quickly he recently hand-made the whole rear brake assembly and recovered the seat, the fuel tank was manufactured from scratch by John Bennett. In the upcoming Smoke Signals quarterly magazine Guido Allan will be doing a blow by blow article on Daryl”s adventure
We were all happy with the success of the recent Monthly Ride to Flinders, it was led by George Fitzpatrick and although an experienced rider he has just got his licence and was then on “L” plates. The ride went off without a hitch & George never got lost once, a perfect candidate for a Club Captain which he has just accepted today the good thing is George just bought an “Essential Use” 1945 Chief and is into getting it ready for later next year, congratulations George on the Indian & the new post
Not even 10% I would say, although these days cars are regarded as essential use vehicles & Indian’s are regarded as luxury vehicles.
Good news Chris Horners back has had a reprieve, and his bobber Rolling Chassis has arrived from Kiwi Indian after 10 months, except for the footboards, alloy dash & the engine what you see is what you get. We are”mocking” it up first to see it will all fit together the engine wouldn’t so the area between the front engine mount on the frame needed 3/8″ off so it would drop-in, next is a front guard & lengthen the rear as it is to short.