Scooters are the flavour of the month in many countries around the world at the moment, Indian thought so to well before Vespa or Lambretta, but as often in the Springfield’s marque’s history they jumped the gun to early, another failed attempt that helped the company eventually go bankrupt
Sixty years ago the new 1953 Indian Blackhawk Chief was on the market the next time a new V-Twin Indian Chief came out was in 1999 the first Gilroy S&S engined version 46 years later, a long time between drinks. Fast forward fourteen years and we have Indian V-Twins being made in large numbers again, hopefully with no more gaps in the timeline
CityLink to toll motorcycles
CityLink has advised us that from 1 January 2014 it will begin tolling motorcycles that travel on CityLink; being the South-Eastern and Tullamarine freeways in Melbourne.Under CityLink’s contract with the Victorian Government, it was always expected that motorcycles would be tolled at half the rate for cars. CityLink has adopted new technology, similar to that used on Eastlink, which includes video imaging (of your rear numberplate) to toll motorcycles accurately. Motorcycles won’t need a tag to use CityLink, and CityLink won’t charge any image processing fees for motorcycle trips. That’s the same as when using a motorcycle on EastLink.If you have a motorcycle and it’s already registered on your Breeze account, from 1 January 2014 each trip on CityLink by that motorcycle will be charged to your Breeze account. If you have a motorcycle and it’s not yet registered on your Breeze account, CityLink advise that you should consider registering it on your Breeze account by phone on 13 LINK (13 54 65) or login to your Breeze account online.From 1 January 2014, if you ride a motorcycle on CityLink and the motorcycle is not registered on a valid tolling account, CityLink will offer the choice of buying a CityLink Pass or Melbourne Pass, or waiting to receive a late toll invoice.
Just a word to other Indian Clubs around the world, sometimes I am sent photos from members & other people around the world, these unless I am told otherwise are usually public property occasionaly there are copywrite protected ones or “watermarked” these are not re-produced unless obviously their owners instruct me otherwise, sometimes the odd one gets reproduced please tell me if this affects you and I will delete it immediatly, most people enjoy their machine up on the site. I have had two such pictures in three years, trust me if its on Facebook, Twitter, or any other public forum then its “open slather” or public, and it can and will be re-produced by anybody, if you dont like this dont put your special images on the net and on Dropbox or FaceBook! Meanwhile because we are not anal about such things & we wish to help all Indian Owners worldwide for all models if you see a image on our site please feel to copy it & we would appreciate if you place under it where it came from.!
Smoke Signals the quarterly Magazine is out those who get it hard copy will have it early next week, the e-mail version you will have it in hand very soon. The Committee Meeting is on this Tuesday night, and the General meeting on the 28th dont forget. Just received a link to a amazing 3D printer excercise building a 1927 Miller Indianapolis race car 40th scale, I know its a car & not a Indian but this is well worth a view, pattern makers are really de-funct now with machine like this
1927 Miller race car (click link)
I had a customer around 40 years old send a email to me today on a observation he recently made at a Classic Club Meeting in Perth W.Aust, sounds familiar to me
“I have to say though – I notice that I was the youngest there at the bike meeting by far”. I mean I was watching this old fella trying to start the Kawa racer – he was barely able to kick it over for christ sake,- he nearly fell over with the bike at one stage, someone nearby had to catch him!!!. ALL the other guys there were at least 55 and over. This is a worry, because whats gonna happen in 15 years time when these older blokes are too old to start and run these bikes or are dead??. There doesn’t seem to be the Sons there at these doo’s,, y’know getting into it etc. These guys still riding seem to be the same guys that rode them in the first place – and have the bikes again as a nostalgia thing. I seem to be an oddity in that at a mere 40yrs old, I run the Triumph, but also repair/build it etc, but I was too young to ride them new, it was my Dad’s bike. Its true that these bikes are a hobby and are expensive, like you wouldn’t use one for every day transport etc ( I do, but only in the sunshine) , so if you were a young biker, you’d want a modern bike AND a classic – which isn’t going happen due to cost. Maybe I should start a club called the YOUNG RIDERs classic bike club AND repair shed – to get the younger riders going, to get the next generation up and running. Maybe the Sons’ of these riders are just waiting for POPs to POP, then when they get the bike start riding it?… We shall see in 10-15 years time, will these bikes end up in museums, or – god forbid – go into the sheds again to be ‘found’ and restored all over again later!!.
Beside every one arriving late on daylight saving (remember Spring forward, Fall or Autumn back for clock setting) we had a morning tea stop at Lilydale at the pie shop, next door to the sex shop. Lunch at Healesville in the Grand Hotel was excellent. Ride organiser/guide Ian Rhook never fails to fascinate me with his vast knowledge of every road in Victoria – I have never been on most of these roads although one was unmade and lots of pot holes. Indians dont like these at all, still not much traffic with a pleasant ride through to Yarra Glen, then home from Christmas Hills. We were down a few riders although it was good to see John & Maggie Munn, missing in action were Mark & Sandy Barthelmie (working) Peter Kime (overseas), Chris Horner (Flu), Dave Kimpton (slept in) Phillip White (overseas) were all missed. Two years ago big Rod Leamon was with us and, you know what, I reckon he was with us again today. RIP Rod.
We were on themes a few articles ago,cops/soldiers, armour,sidecars & machine guns all go together, same as left hand throttle’s when you have a Thompson machine gun on your solo Indian. Your modern officers are sitting behind the fibreglass fairing of their BMW’S with a Glock holstered on the hip, makes me ask “Were criminals tougher in the old days”, they must have been judging by the weaponary
The Crazy Horse rally was fantastic the weather even turned out well, the rides organized by Garry Hogg were honed to perfection, as well as the Saturday Morning Tea stop he provided with the traditional coffee scrolls, he is so famed as being the best baker in the Alpine area. We nearly had one failure with Ric Gow’s 741 Scout (not pictured) with wet sumping but he managed to get home 100 miles & used 2 litres of oil, the other problem was with some bikes arriving at Jinjelic on fumes, as they were out of fuel, fortunatly Walwa was 6 klm’s away so all but three dead Indians managed without fuel transfer from other machines. These rallies bring out the best in members, & there is a benefit two members potentially bought what they wanted one a Indian sidecar the other a 2003 Indian Spirit, so more reason to come next year, I hope the Footy was as good watching two other teams you don”t support play each other. The 111 Owners pack pictured donated by Indian Australia was raffled seperatly thanks chaps for the donation
In 1949 Indian decided Triumph’s,BSA,& Norton were selling “like hot cakes” in America as they were easier to control & ride than big heavyweight Indian’s & H-D’s of yore, so being a progressive company they decided to build a revolutionary new verticle twin engine. Great except the exchange rate favoured the Brits & Indian rushed a new untried & underdevoloped range on the public (sounds familiar, like 50 years later with Gilroy versions) the consequences were disasterous Indian suffered a rash of warrenty problems, the poor old verticles were forever tarred with the un-reliable tag. Actually in 2013 these Scouts are fixable,affordable & available, people ride these bikes now sensibly and don’t look to race Triumph’s away from the traffic lights so they have become more reliable & in pink they are probably cheaper than a standard colour, maybe its time to give these Scout’s a second look