click on images

I am proud to see the W.Aust Indian Club embracing the new Indians, we also based the IIRA on this standard it encompasses the logic of the continuing history and ensures unlike the dinosaurs of the past that there will be a healthy future, this has also become a standard of the Indian Club of Prague and many others, there were those that were fearful we would be overrun by new machines, seriously it’s not happening and the new owners love the old Springfield versions some have even bought them! I have watched the Vintage Club, Velocette Owners Club, Vincent Owners Club, as the years pass diminish in membership, others such as the BSA Owners are growing (mainly Triumph Owners) and of course the Classic Club of Victoria, why is this happening easy it’s called tolerance, the Classic Club (nearly 500 members) accepts all machines but their core membership is + 25-year-old machines, the BSA Owners accept all British machines including Hinkley Triumphs and their annual All British Rally can get 10,000 over 3 days, plus people visiting including 1200 + people entering the rally event. I believe this is a great basis for our future and we will always be proud this rule in our constitution” a Indian is a Indian end of story”  

Harley woes    click on link

Its been a long time for Aussie’s have been able to buy a new Indian & only in recently to be able to get a new one from a local dealer, with 2 years unlimited Klm’s and roadside cover and 8,000 klm service intervals & at a competitive price.When a new model came out in the twenties as the picture above it may have come by rail then you would assemble it and a dealer was possibly several hundred mile away, makes me feel lucky these days.

Even Hitler hates Indian  (Click on link)

Recently I wrote about advertising in 1917 where climbing hills and Hammock type comfort were the important factors well a mere 36 years later it had changed claims of over 100 M.P.H, speed and stamina & surging power was the focus. A couple of things with this is the 80 cu Chief wouldn’t do 100 M.P.H from the factory, anyone who has ridden a late Chief will find as they get hotter they go slower so false advertising would these days cause the advert to be withdrawn, surging power is debatable when a 650 cc Triumph T110 would leave it for dead with real surging power and at a real 105+ M.P.H. Indian in the final year of production of the big 1340 cc Chief were making machines to order and only small handfuls to say the least American’s abandoned these in favour of lightweight easy to ride British twins so I suppose this advert did very little for sales whatever Indian said.

Another Indian that supposed to never existed and from Springfield  sold by Indian Sales and yes it is partially Royal Enfield except for wheel rims, seat, tailight, front fender light, tank badges, speedo, instrument cowl, and it had a special frame that wasnt the same as the UK Enfield. We have a couple of these in our Association and yes there as much an Indian as any other except they stop and go reasonably well to boot I quite like the war bonnet on the front guard and I would not mind one in the garage.