Diversification Old & New

I know weird when I see it, & I don’t mind Bobbers, choppers are bit past the post though, my roots lie in cafe-racers but would you say the Indian on the left is a chopper or something else, never mind if this chap turned up on a Association ride we would welcome him, “a Indian is a Indian” end of story. The trike on the right is a period machine built in the teens, close to 100 years before the current rash of trikes from Vespa, only thing new in motorcycle is probably electronics, a small quiz though for the more studious among us What is fitted to every vehicle since 1900 that still directly interchanges & is fitted to every vehicle on the road today? For Members the answer is in the Members Area for the rest of you I will give  the answer in a week.

FaceBook page has grown legs

 

I must admit I originally had misgivings on the FaceBook Page but man that was very shortsighted, I just had a look & I’m blown away. The photos on it from the Lakes & Crater Rally held last weekend are great, also a French chap Ludo le Pans has put 41 pictures of sidecar machines which are fascinating, thanks for the input it all helps with our exposure here & Internationally. Speaking of the Lakes & Craters Rally it was a great success with a good attendance, at one time of over 28 people on Saturday. Ian Rhook has earned his stripes with this hopefully annual event, thanks heaps Ian for your work & also to all the others that provided input & backup. Bloody Sammy Vella on his Sport Scout was almost squeaky voiced with the excitement of the Rally, Phillip White commented on it being the Best Rally he’s been to in 20 years, I must admit I loved it as well, to all those who missed it this was a sad mistake they don’t get any better . The full report is to follow hopefully later this week in the Section News, next week the General Meeting is on followed by the infamous Midnight Express Run on 03/03/12 meet at 11.30pm for a 12 o’clock start all the details on the Upcoming Events Area, those who went last year know the “drill” the good news is it’s 4 days off the Full Moon so your 6v lights don’t even have to work well

Darwin Remembered 70 years on

 

741 B

The 70th Anniversary of the bombing of Darwin more ships sunk, more bombs dropped than at Pear Harbour, 188 Japanese aircraft led the attack & reputedly over 1000 died. As President Obama said last year “This was Australia’s Pearl Harbour” personally I think Pearl Harbour was America’s Darwin!

 

Time, Gentlemen Please

 

Chris Horner has attached a Final Call for the 2012 Gypsey Tour, this is the W.Aust to Birdwood part, the Victoria to Birdwood forms will be out later this month. People doing Chris’s version it’s time to do your final commitment NOW.

The Perth to Birdwood final call

James is a Burt, & another Electric Starter

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If you click on the above header you will see this firm makes amazing things for your Springfield Indian, how about a Supercharger kit, or alloy cylinders 84 or 90 cu, even oil cooled alloy barrels, James makes all of these & more his flywheels are amazing etc this guy is another Burt Munroe. I have also posted on our YouTube Area a link to the new Kiwi electric starter which has 2 problems I can see already 1 It has no kick-starter, 2 It appears to use the same rotten sprag as a Timmerman & all of you know that problem refer to our Tech Area or your previous copies of Smoke Signals 

“Another Redskin Bit the Dust”

1942 Sports Scout

I remember my father George saying this while watching John Wayne movies in the 50’s, so whats this to do with the 1942 Sports Scout pictured above?  That man Chris Horner has let his emotions overrule & he has bought the very machine pictured above, it should land here in dusty Australia just in time for winter, glad he got the full guard model they are very rare in Australia & worldwide as the effectively ceased production on 09/02/1942. Nearly 70 years ago very few were produced as WW11 was on the agenda & so began 741 production & we got plenty of these versions. Not much calculation here as exactly 10 years after the above date your webmaster appeared on this planet to the day, which means I’m 60 on Thursday & I reckon the above machine looks in better nick than me!

Sunday Run review is posted & 70,000 + hits

So we hav’nt had rain in over a month, but as Chief-Rain-in-the-Face is our Association Patron it absolutely ” p….d” down after stinking hot and windy in the morning, thanks again Chief. Peter Kime has reviewed the run in  Victoria Section News (note these now have seperate areas)so for a good read about the weekend, enjoy. The “Black- Bastard” disgraced itself by picking up some foreign matter in the sump valve and then wet sumping after going on the trailer I fixed it at Peter’s place( thanks Pete) & rode it home with Sport Scout owning Sam Vella, in torrential rain. Until this time Sam suggested I changed the name to “Black Beauty” I think by now he agrees that the original name is the best, it was good to new members Rick, & Daryl out for the first time, Ric’s Indian Trail Blazer is a “cracker”, Daryl was either going home on the big Honda to burn his newly acquired 1947 Chief, or do a “flat out ” restoration to get it going after nearly being asphyxiated riding behind me, sorry mate.  70,000 hits & much more to come thanks for your support

Large problems with Small Fuel Taps

Another annoying problem lately is fuel taps, anybody have weeping taps, I have bought around 4 sets, original type, hard-chrome centre types, one’s with filters that are hard chrome, the worst by far are the brass ones that have a hard-chrome lever they leak & seize! I have lapped all of  them in with various degrees of success, the last one’s (brass with chrome centres) are really bad, the hole in the cone isn’t drilled correctly and if you look into the tap hole more than half of it is obstructed, this has a metering effect & in some cases can cause a seizure due to leanness. Weeping taps are not nice in your garage or if you are travelling in a confined space(Van) with your Indian, after 111 years of tap manufacture shame the Yank’s can’t fix problem the Pom’s did it years ago, now don’t mention British oil leaks


Worth a View? I think so

Beside the “bumper” amount of members attending the meeting last night well over 20, we finished early & don’t forget the Sunday Run. Rarely I put non-Indian related items on our web-site but I was sent this movie clip from a Queensland member Tony Hicks it is unbelievable & the twist at the end even more so, it was Directed by Nick Ryan enjoy

THE GERMAN Interesting twist at the end Incredible four minute footage of a desperate Spitfire vs. ME-109 dual. You feel like you are there! Amazing computer work blended in with real photography. Also an interesting factual story that most of us did not know. History is rarely ‘over’. Now sit back and strap on your parachute harness … it is the Summer of 1940 over the skies of England. Listen to the perfect ‘purr’ of the Rolls Royce Merlin … Watch this full screen. It’s very well done. Click on the link below:

The German link

Are you Cracking Up?


“I’ll send you some photos (see above) of the 47 chief front brake plate cracks I discovered, thanks to the heads up on the IIRA website”.Daryl Colt   So begins a email I was sent today, you may remember this problem came up before Christmas on the “Black Bastard” pictured below, it seems a common problem with Ian Rook having the same problem 2 years ago please make a effort to check all Chief’s from 1945/53 this can be catastrophic  if it fails while riding. Treasurer Pete Kime informs me of the popular “Bikes by the Bay” display this year celebrating V -Twins which is one of the largest held in Victoria with over 20,000 people turning up it is on 18/02/2012 I am listing it on the Events Area for those who wish to participate