By now you will have realized my curiosity for odd Indian’s as over the 2 years our site has been running I have put everything from V8’s to snow ploughs & even a Indian train! The post card above tickled my fancy, the Indian Van & Indian Triplet have really got me going, I have brochure of the complete Indian children’s toy range coming up soon, these are really great historic details of a great company that once over diversified to eventually going bankrupt for not diversifying. The Milwaukee tractor company was by the fifties making caravans, golf buggies, & even dabbling in air-conditioners to survive the British onslaught that ravaged their sales.

 

Phillip White has another article (Eastward Ho) in the wings for the forthcoming Smoke Signals Magazine, I have had a preview & it is a great read,the photo’s above are from the week-end’s International  Crazy Horse Rally 2012, with visitors from New Zealand attending. First picture is a fuel stop, second is of Wazza on the chook shed 741, & the last Chris Knoop preparing Rob Gosper’s 344 Chief for the Saturday Ride Robert is on crutches so Chris was his chauffeur for the week-end, needless to say the “Odd Couple” enjoyed the riding with Gosper yelling orders to Chris on how to ride a outfit. I found this amusing as Chris has just got back from riding the Invincible JAP outfit across the States on the Cannonball Run, I reckon he knows a little about this now, thanks Chris for donating 3rd prize in our raffle & of course Polaris -Indian for the Indian jacket as well

 

The third Crazy Horse Rally was a great success with people from West Australia, NSW and Victoria turning up.

A special hello to Mike and Ben from WA, who rode across respectively on a Gilroy Chief and a Harley-Davidson – the latter is Ben’s first big bike and this was his first big ride, well over 7000km. Mike, a deep sea diver, was over the moon to win the Indian jacket raffle prize, generously donated by the good folk at Polaris (which owns Victory and Indian). Thank you.

Thanks also goes to Phil Pilgrim who, with the assistance of several other members, organised the gig and did a fantastic job. Oh, and member Gary Hogg, baker to the good folk of Corryong, who provided invaluable support and morning tea in Tintaldra.

The Mountain View Motel in Corryong was the centre of the rally, and did a great job. Three rides over three days were the highlight, covering some of the best riding roads in the world.

Look for lots more pictures and a report in the upcoming Smoke Signals club magazine, out this month. Plus, put the weekend of September 20-22 in your diary for next year – we’ve already booked the motel and you can confirm your room by calling (02) 6076 1766.

Guy Allen

 

The crew starts to roll up at James’ Indian shed in Tallangatta.

 

We are honoured to have had a letter of affiliation from the Indian motorcycle Cub of West Australia, this has always been a priority of the IIRA to foster relations with other existing Indian Clubs rather than trying to overrun them, it always  pays to have mates with similar or same interests, rather than change them, the Catholic Church tried this 500 years ago & it never worked! The Gypsie Tour 2012 cemented the relationship between our Clubs & hopefully will only lead to more events in the future, thanks again chaps.This week-end is the 3rd Crazy Horse Rally  those attending will have downloaded all the Maps & as there is a B.B,Q Saturday night which is B.Y.O everything don’t forget your meat unless you paid for the presentation  evening meal then it is free, breakfasts need to be ordered with Fiona when you book-in. I love the old Camelback above it was recently sold at a American auction

Letter from WA Indian Club Oct 12

There is a new advert coming out on TV soon (click on the link below) which I think is relevant to all motorcyclists, the numbers quoted are horrific but at last people are realising what we all know & have suspected for years. The picture above shows a young lady looking in all directions just in case

Advertising Campaign

 

Pictures of Chris Knoops Invincible JA.P after the recent Cannonball Run 2012 in the USA, & Phillip White resting during the Gypsie 2012 from West Australia

You have all heard the story about the Indian in the chook shed (Fowl yard loft for our US cousins) & thought of other Grimm’s fairy tales you heard as a kid, well this one is real.Member Warren (Wazza) found this 640 Scout in New Zealand in a Chook shed in good sound condition although it has a decent dent in the left petrol tank, who stores a motorcycle in a chicken coop, not me,my 4 chickens are complaining about space without moving a Indian in.

March was a sad month for the “Black Bastard”in one cold wet week-end it was at the Knackers Yard of it’s life, I decided to bite the bullet & emasculate it by removing the 48 Chief engine & cutting the frame, the engine was sold on to a fellow IIRA member & is close to being put back onto the road again. In the meantime you will have noticed snippets & odd photos cropping up about the conversion through Stop Press, well today it is finished, there will be a full article coming up in Smoke Signals it will also be going on the Members Area for those who wish to make another Vindian. My objective was not to make a replica of the machine that was made in Stevenage in 1949, I have made it safer & more reliable with good electrics, stronger frame modification, & practical with pillion seat & saddlebags, modern carbs with air filters, better clutch & magneto, the colour was chosen to represent the traditional black and gold of the Vincent & the blue, although not Seafoam Blue is a striking contrast of the original Indian. The Vindian decals I think give it more individuality, as do Gilroy Indian spotlights & warbonnet on the front guard, the Whitewalls also “lift” the overall package. Building this bike has been hard so I am happy its finished, it’s like the old chopper builders of yore, it is a expression of what I think looks ok & to hell whatever anyone else thinks

Without getting to Geeky I have noticed MAC owners that use Safari instead of Internet Explorer or FireFox have trouble viewing some articles or pictures on this site, the Australian Tax Office is also having problems if you have a Portal for your B.A.S statements, or so they told me today. I would suggest you change over to get better results on looking up the site, or doing your Tax.The picture above is of a 1948 Chief “The World’s Finest”, On all the roads of the world, hopefully paved one’s. The Vulcan Indian wrist watch also pictured above, was produced in the thirties & forties, only 20 years earlier people would accuse others for wearing such watches as “Fairy’s” real men only carried pocket watches, derogatory statements were made on the lines of “Oh he’s a wrist watch wearer”  90 years on we have lot’s of wrist watch wearing folks around, what can I say!

We have some great photo’s turning up on our Facebook page recently, the Indian on a Indian shots are quite symbolic of how long the Indian brand has been around, with the more general shots of when they were a tool or workhorse, not “painted ladies” as they are now. The snow plough Indian really brings home the fact, in the States these guys today drive the latest GMC & Ford trucks to do this job with heaters & all mod cons, this bloke has a snow chain for grip on the tyre & the guards removed he doesn’t look warm or happy. The ambulance rider WW1 Dough boy I reckon would have a worse job over bomb holes & rough terrain listening to the screams of the wounded men he has strapped on stretchers, the Goulding sidecar would only give limited comfort. The last shot of the Indian 4 (Four- Stroke) from the Clymer era is is bike I personally have a fetish for, just to say “I own a Indian 4”