What’s New?

nurse's Indian

Plenty, the Indian Motorcycle Club of W.A (thanks Murray) have sent in another two news letters they are reproduced on the  W.Aust Section News area, along with  the ride report from Mark Barthelmie on the Broken Leg Run last week-end in the Victoria Section Area. In the Members only Area a reprint of Guy Allen’s report on his 1947 Chief that was in Motorcycle Trader magazine  recently thanks everybody for your input. So whats the nurse got to do with any of this, absolutely nothing I just like Indians! (click on highlights)

Start them young, now!

start them very youngTeddy bearKids on the Indian7 little IndiansEarly teensRoy Rodgers on his 4Dad's & my Indianstart them young

A great group of photos from the last century, kids those years were really interested in motorcycles I suppose some had no choice as these were the only form of transport available for a large percentage of the population. This concept is sadly now lost when kids get freighted everywhere by Mum’s S.U.V they have little interest in motorcycles or some see no need for them except a novelty value, or some “Silly old Bugger” down the road has one in the shed that wakes them early some mornings. Sad is’nt it, this is where you need to get your motorcycle out  and encourage young people to ask questions we need a new generation of riders to take the reins before nobody cares & the government legislates them off the road, this would be a shame and your treasured Indian may end up in the scrap 50 years from now as there is no one that cares & the scrap metal price is worth more than your Indian 4, you cant do much about the future but remember you are only a current caretaker of your motorcycle at this present time, without future generations your machine is doomed!

For all our NSW Members

Roger &111

Rodger Beimers contemplating a 111

Saturday 25th May, at Victory Sydney the new Indian Thunder Stroke 111 will be officially unveiled for you New South Welshmen.There will be a BBQ and some live music on hand, so come on down to 554 Parramatta Road Ashfield and make a day of it.Band goes on at 12, Thunder stroke 111 unveiling at 1pm! We’ll have people on hand to take deposits for the bikes as well. If you are already a One-Eleven member then be sure to come in with your official gear!

 

 

 

 

Harley’s to the tip no loss, but what about those Indian’s

Indian 741 scrap

By now you all know my feelings about Harley-Ferguson, this picture taken after WW11 shows some going to scrap no great loss, the eagle-eyed will see a Indian 741 & Chief shows how times have changed does’nt it?

Its time to clear up a few things

Street Sweeper

The calender is always difficult with heaps of rides or rallies, recently a few people requested that we review the amount of  rallies we have as four a year to reflect each season. This can conflict with other clubs or events you go to elsewhere, so you must make a decision to support your club or not, it is hard these days as there is so many clubs vying for the long weekends in the year so sometimes you may not go to a IIRA rally. The reason entry forms are on the site or listed in the Events Area are so we can get a gauge on the logistics of what you want in a weekend, so please tell us early & not the week before the Rally. We have had two approaches for us to hold a event in the Swan Hill area & another in Gippsland do you want more or less and will you support us if we decide to run them? Moving on the Indian Street Sweeper is obviously not a fast worker judging by the rear sprocket size still I would love to have it in Autumn (Fall, for our American cousins).

 

Electric start Indians

1917 electric1917 electric startstarterstarter2

Beside inventing the modern twist grip, electric start in 1916-17 is really forward thinking & one that many Springfield owners wish that the Company had developed into the 50’s. I think that this was another lost cause with accumulators (Batteries) in their infancy Indian was years ahead of technology with such a sound idea, alas this was another good idea at the wrong time

Chris Knoop’s Film

Inv Jap 3 small

Chris Knoop (pictured centre) rode the Cannonball Run in America last year & had made a short film on his adventure, with the Invincible JAP. The St Kilda Film festival is doing a public showing of this soon so Chris is famous (click on the link below)

Cannonball film

Indians at All-Brit

vindianallbritgroup1304sml

Indian nuts of various sorts managed to cause more than their fair share of confusion at the recent and flourishing All British Rally, in Newstead, Victoria, run by the BSA Owners Club.

Top picture is of Phil Pilgrim’s Vindian, which caused all sorts of discussion when he rolled up at the gate. The tradition is that only British bikes are allowed into the rally site, so where does a Vindian sit? After some debate, he was allowed in.

The other pic is of IIRA member Chris Horner (left), wisely avoiding physical contact with the rest of the group. Next (from left to right) is Graham Nelson, the importer of Indian-built Royal Enfields, Grant Roff (aka Spannerman) who is Editor of Motorcycle Trader magazine and IIRA webmaster Phil Pilgrim.

Guy ‘Guido’ Allen

 

All British Rally this week-end

INDIAN CLYMER THRUXTON 11-1Stevies 59 chieflhs_009Indian -Vincent & Vindian 2012Indian- MatchlessIndian-Norton

This week-end you can ride your Indian into the BSA owners 33rd All British Rally at Newstead Victoria, usually there are over 1000-1400 attending those on non-British Machines can park their motorcycle outside the entrance as they will not be accepted into the rally area. So all the British engined Indians either Springfield or Clymer versions are welcome, the BSA Club use the engine as a criteria so a Springfield Chief will be fine if it has Triumph, BSA, Vincent, or Norton engine fitted ,all the above Indians pictured for example are acceptable (not the Gilroy in the background ), & those people in our Association with these variants are welcome into the site for any judging etc , good thing we cover all the models “End Of Story”

How do I ride a Indian?

how to ride a Indian841 Cavalryplan of riding

This was a question asked by a old mate & new member Dave Kimpton,I get alot of people saying they can’t ride a right hand gearchange Triumph (pre-1976) this seems insignificant compared to a Indian. Guy Allan in a past blog (Hand me that Shifta) was worried at that time riding “The Back Bastard” my old 1948 Chief, hard to believe he now is a hard riding 1947 Roadmaster owner now, so how do you teach a modern bike rider to get on your favourite Indian, point out the foot clutch, kickstart, and the hand shift, then if you want to make it hard explain advance & retard methods or even on some bikes the twistgrip on the opposite side! The pictures above prove even Indian had thoughts on the subject this 1948 brochure helped, the 1944 Army Manual obviously did’nt if you look at the 841  rider learning in the desert!