How Quick are You?

Chris Horner sent this in as a test to see how fast you react, for instance when you see a car doing a right-hand turn in front of you which is exactly what happened to poor Sam Vella last week-end coming home from the Association Run. All the best Sam, we are all thinking of you, he is in Royal Melbourne Hospital with a broken leg & the Sport Scout is fine for people who are curious. Getting back to this test it is one way to see how quick you react to a emergency, my average is over 3 seconds, so the ideal time I believe in under 2 seconds give it a test (click on the link below) The pictures above are of one of my favourite Indian’s & one of the best a Clymer Indian -Velo 1972-73 what a horny bike Classic Style has this beautiful Indian for sale so give Jon a ring for a piece of unique Indian history

Reaction Time test

Winters cold, but the tools are blazing hot

Our Association patron Chief-Rain in the -Face pictured above is working full tilt on cold & wet Winter Rides last week- end a sample, this brings me to mention a perfect time to get your Indian ready for Winter & Spring. I am preparing for the Harold Parson’s Winter Rally 18-19  August it reminds me to encourage those who are attending to book accommodation at Stratford Motel (03) 5145 6500 the rooms a limited so book early. Progress on the Vindian is slow but yesterday the 4.25 gall tanks arrived from Iron Horse Coral USA they need to be modified to wrap around the rocker feed line on the right & the Carb on the left tank, this is fairly easy to do for experienced people so they are being “farmed out”. The new Vincent flywheel ass, oil pump & clutch chain wheel  arrived today from Maughan & Sons U.K & is ready to fit, long restorations are always slow but I am aiming for the Vincent Owners Club Rally in Aldinga S/Australia in late September thats 5 months all up, a bit slow for me I did a 1969 Triumph Bonneville in 3 weeks 15 years ago but thats the cost of getting old.

Our Indian Family & Alvin

The cute photo above came from Indian-Victory in Charlotte thanks for that, this is a good representative  period shot of a fifties Indian motorcycle family, these days our Indian family extends to all riders especially those who are fortunate enough to actually own a Indian. My Indian family is fellow IIRA members hopefully they think the same of me, members in other Indian Clubs are our distant relatives, &  as with all relatives some you get along with, some you don’t, enough said! Yesterday was our monthly Run & as it was our first run for the winter & rain was forecast 8 members turned up & set off behind Ian Rhook to Donnybrook Cheese Farm, this was a relatively short run that finished after a good lunch at the the restaurant, Phillip White was there on his Ariel Square Four & Ian Rhook was keen to ride it, Ian”s report was he liked it but “Alvin” (741 Scout pictured above with Sammy Vella’s Sport Scout) was better hmmm, I must try “Alvin” soon as I used to own a Ariel years ago & was pleased with it but the handling was terrible which made me say ” You know how to make a Square Four handle? Fit a sidecar”. Alvin got his name as it was painted on the tank by a hippy in the seventies I believe, peace man & all that stuff

 

“A Kernel into a Nut”

Phil Irving (P.E.I) said the above statement about the fit of the Vincent into a Chief frame he was right it is very very close, Saturday was consumed with Sam Vella of  S.J.V Engineering (03 9383 7888) putting the final touches on the rear mount which he made. The factory under engineered this area dangerously, they welded a small tube on the frame and pushed a 9/16 stud through as they used on a Vincent frame, although in that case the R.F.M (rear frame member) is well supported & also the engine is “hung” the 2 previous Replica’s have copied this & it may have worked on a factory prototype it is not strong enough for everyday use!  Notice the 3rd photo this mount will be brazed on, as you know Indian lugs are cast iron & welding  on can’t be done with a Mig welder, my mount bolts the engine in with 2 x 9/16 U.N.F bolts, I modified the standard Vincent front stand plates to bolt the engine into the Indian engine mount point on the frame, the R/hand front down tube needs the be heated cherry red & flattened in 2 places to clear the magneto & front engine pipe, otherwise it’s in. Brazing the frame cross-brace rear mount in Thursday night at Rob Baker Engineering (03 9899 1400)

Revenge is Sweet & Meeting next Tuesday night

Sump Valve problems!

Wet Sumping, this was a problem that cropped up twice on the “Black Bastard” which is currently being converted into a Vindian, in it’s former guise it did it on a Association Monthly run, I repaired it at Pete Kime’s place & rode it home. Guy Allen rode it at the famous Great Race earlier this year no problems at all, about two weeks later Chris Horner rode it at the Albury Rally for about 60 klm’s it decided it would then have a conniption and Chris loaded it on the Ute above, this is why it reinforced it’s name beside it’s colour & non-matching numbers, I am peering into the oil tank to find all the oil is in the sump. Guru Indian repairer Murray Morell fixed the valve by re-machining it, but by that time it had  “blotted it’s copybook” which made hacksawing it into a Vindian so much easier, as I said in the beginning  “revenge is sweet”

100,000 hits deserves a treat

 

Yes 100,000 hits in 19 months it’s great & deserves a treat for our readers, the first is from the late Phil Irving  printed in Motorcycle Action 1975, this is history straight from the designer himself & possibly the most revered designer & practical engineer of the 20th if not 21st Century undoubtably without question. I can say as I have met the man on numerous times & even eaten with him & although he passed away in 1992 I am still in awe of him not many designers can lay claim to Repco Brabbam engine, Vincent-H.R.D engine design, Velocette M Series which eventually became a Thruxton, & even the humble LE Velocette among many other things. The other treat is from our Facebook page which has a life of its own & thanks to Ian Rhook for this. This is a man who obviously existed before T.V(I hope) & had tons of time on his hands, who re-invented a Indian Fore-Car, these existed very early in motorcycle history before sidecars were invented, but unlike this one the passenger sat in front in a wicker seat, rider rode in the normal position whispering “sweet nothings” into the shell like ear of his beloved. Hmmm this guy obviously was single and wanted all the advantages of riding a motorcycle but in the sidecar, I would have bought either a car or a fairing never mind, but what a waste of an Indian & Indian sidecar

Phil Irving on Indian Sept 1975

Dark Horse’s Future?

Small talk at Victory-Indian & news is scarce all Hush-Hush but a few snippets are 2014 model release will possibly be in 2013 in USA as thats the way industry does it, so hopefully more later next year, there is a lot of talk of a smaller version like a Scout( see 2010 concept above ) this has been speculation since 2010 but personally I believe this is seriously being considered. Victory & Indian in some states will be sold in the same premises although have separate areas & staff, other places may have separate dealers marketing to different customers, Indian will not be using any power plant that they are using derived from the Gilroy era, so the “Bottlecap”motor is on the way out as the new models will be totally redesigned, bit of a shame because the problems were resolved in the King’s Mountain era models. I think new Indian’s need to be physically smaller anyway, as a proud owner of a 2002 Roadmaster it is a very large machine it does ride nicely on the highway but it is huge for a older rider. Indian hopefully may keep the model names & not do stupid things like Triumph did making Trophy’s tourers, T100s”tarted up” Bonneville’s Speed Fours & Speed Triples what’s next a 1600 Thunderbird or a 2100cc Rocket 3,  hang on I see a 3000 litre Tiger Cub next. Back to Indian’s I like the Dark Horse above as much as the old vertical which always seems a mirror image till you read the logo on the tank, Edward Turner (Triumph’s head honcho) in 1949 saw Indian’s attempt at his baby the venerable vertical twin as said at the time this is to lightweight in engine design & remarked the the main bearings were to small history was to prove Turner correct.

A wet week-end in the shed with a hacksaw & angle grinder

Wet Winter Day’s or in this case Mother’s Day, a new hacksaw blade, two cut off wheels & a trusty Makita angle grinder with a spare 2 days of cutting, heating, grinding & the Super Chief as the name Indian gave this model was on the point of no return. I will be writing a full report on the Members Only page for those who are members of our Association, although snippets of information will be released on Stop Press occasionally. This will be the fourth Vindian that has been made not counting the factory version in 1948. I hope that more will be made as the hardest part is buying a Vincent engine although J.M.C in England have them available new for $25,000+  (or in Australia ring Ric O”Neill 0400 250860 who is their agent) it is possible to have the “ingredients” for $35-$40,000 not counting time for the modifications to the frame & fuel tanks. I was lucky to have nearly a whole engine minus crankcases,covers & flywheel assembly, rolling chassis owes me $14,000 as I had sold the Chief engine to recoup virtually the price of the missing Vincent engine components.

Numbers are Strange, among other things

 

Today I clicked on the Flag Counter ( on the right side of this page) this has only been on our site about 4 months but I occasionally check to see who looks at us, 105 countries of which 56% are Aussie’s 18% are Yank’s & the third biggest nation surprisingly  is India, confusing how many Indian’s like Indian’s or are interested in them, Mrs Webmaster tells me they are looking up Motorcycles that are made in India but why would you type in Iron Indian Riders? We are closing in on 100,000 hits in 18 months so I am curious the other countries are also amazing as some I have never heard of & I’m not George Bush as I passed at geography at school, next figure is 60,000+ Indian’s that were supposedly sent to Australia between 1901-53 we won’t count the 200+ since 1999-2012, the first figure could be right seeing Rhode’s Motors imported 2 shiploads in the mid twenties, not two shipments, two shiploads!  Heaps came after that not counting 750 shipped according to the War Memorial in Canberra during WW11, hence these days anything at a swap meet pre-WW11 is Indian or Harley-Ferguson. Does anybody read the other Area’s just updated the Victoria & W.Aust section News the W.A section is allowing us to reprint their old new newsletters Indian News they are a great read with lots of Technical bits for those who are interested V-Prez with a new Dark Horse & Stevie Higginbotham enjoying smelling “fishy” on our Association Run, read all about it