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!!.   

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

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

Ever thought joining or buying off the Iron Indian Riders of Australia was difficult, well no we have a new on-line shop up and running for this, just click on the paypal logo choose which product you want ie: calendar fill in the details & “Bang” its on the way, membership can be done the same way for re-newals, but new members will have to print the membership form and either fax or email to the Membership Secretary listed in the Contacts Area. If your curious on how it all works click on the Paypal Logo above

1924 was quite a year & solid wheels were in, well optioned as a acessories anyhow, they have come in and out of fashion over the years & I think they still look terrible. I have had a couple of photos with Indians and big cats, recently I reproduced one with a Lion in a car riding beside a Indian on the “Wall of Death” this new one is nearly as curious as neither the cat or the officer seem even slightly unhappy. I would like to see a new Polaris Indian or Gilroy with a similar theme on cats if anybody has a photo I would be happy to reproduce it.