Miscellaneous Matters

Our first General Meeting for the year is next Tuesday night, Book your accommodation at Camperdown for the Lakes & Crates Rally either at Amble Inn 55 931646 or Manifold Motor Inn 55 932666 Rally entry forms will be out at the next meeting 05/02/2012. Ian Rook is the man doing the organising.  Lot’s of people only look at this page or the Events Calendar but other pages are updated regularly e.g. Trading Post, Section News to get a more rounded view of your Association check other Area’s as well. Robert Gosper has sent a review of the recent Goulburn Rally, which is in Section News, a picture of some that attended with our Banner appears above Chris Knoop, Mark Cook,Leo Clausen, & Robert Gosper . You may remember a few Postings back I showed a few photo’s of my first Indian unrestored over 20 years ago, the picture above is of Greg Hutchisin on the same machine as it appears today he seems happy with his purchase even after all this time, the white Scout 101 is another machine he has acquired & restored he has come along way since his BSA Bantam days

Vintage Cycle Supply vs Ebay

Vintage Cycle Bay is now in our Links Area it is probably better for Springfield owners as it is easier to manoeuvre around & the parts a reasonably priced click on the highlight to view their parts

 

Elections & the President

Our American cousins are gearing up for elections in the middle of the year, so this is a old picture of the White House. Elections are important & more so in the IIRA, the secret of a healthy Club is a change of Committee, new blood is what is needed we are fortunate that our current Vice-President want’s to stand for the post of President relieving John Smith at our AGM later in the year. Meanwhile the photo is of a late teen’s Indian Powerplus I’m sorry I have no information on either the event or the riders

Guido’s getting nervous

Your favorite Editor Guido Allen is by now getting a little nervous, after riding R1″s,Haybusha, Rocket 3,Black Shadows, Gilroy’s, Valkerie’s, all the big Dirt bikes for Motorcycle Trader, the boy is going to get a Springfield Chief beneath him. I have just finished the 1948  Chief named the “Black Bastard” because it comes from dubious ancestry & although the engine is just 136 numbers off the frame they are both 1948. The reason for Guy’s dilemma is that he has never ridden a hand change Indian before but to make it easy for him it has the throttle on the R/hand side, lessons are coming up. Guy just got his pilots licence last month but seems more worried about riding a Springfield than crashing a Cessna, maybe the reason he is worried is that if he likes early Indian’s the effect on the wallet could be painful

"The Black Bastard"

 

New Year, New Members, & New Bikes

The New year is starting off “gangbusters” with 3 new members this week, we must be doing something right, Sam Vella is out on the Sport Scout, Stevie Higginbotham is riding the 1959 Chief (pictured below) & V.Prez Mark has bought another Springfield Chief a 1948 converted to a “Eighty” from Kiwi Indian. This combined with a new Tasmania representative Tibour Muncha (741 owner) & another 741 owner from S.Aust means that we are far from being overun with 1999-on Indian’s at the moment I believe we have about 8 late models, so anybody wanting to join with a late model or any other version please contact the Membership Secretary so we can have a more balanced mix, personally I hope we are going to get a Indian-Velo owner soon  to have a nice mix of machines, these models will be great at the Broadford Bonanza & the All British Rally this year

Stevie's on the road

FaceBook Page is open for Buisiness

1917 Model O Indian

Our FaceBook page is open for business, please comment on relevant subjects ie: Indians otherwise like all graffiti I will eliminate it. Picture above was taken in 1976 at the annual rally in Mildura, run by the Classic M/cycle Club of S.Aust. The Model O Indian looks like the Douglas it was designed from although never a runaway success for Springfield, small numbers were sold, even less in Australia. This particular machine was & is the only one I have ever seen in the flesh

 

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You don’t see them like this anymore or at this price

For those of you that think your webmaster is a newish Indian owner only having just come back into them (from a long break till 2003) beside the 1947 & the 2002 I now own, I used to own the Scout below in the late eighties, which did many miles in my 12 months ownership, before regretfully selling it to Greg Hutchisin, I believe Greg still owns it currently although now restored. I remember that when it was purchased it came with a 1925 Scout dismantled & semi-restored, also “chucked in” was a Vincent Series C Comet the lot was $10,000, I remember thinking why would I want the Indian as the Vincent was what I desired but after getting congealed crap out of the fuel tank,fitting a float & a set of tyres it was running, unbeknown to me at this time was the rear cylinder had a bad “tram track” where the gudgeon pin had come adrift in the piston this did’nt stop it running although when it was found a year later it sealed the fate of this machine with me. The value of the Vincent was $7,000 so the two Indian’s were around $3000 (dog’s name was Sandy sadly departed in 1997)

New Badges to be Struck.

 

When the IIRA of Australia came into existence we produced badges for new members 100 were manufactured thanks to Chris Horner, these were only given out to Indian owning members with Associate Members receiving decals or recently a sew-on patch. The question now is we need more badges made as we have ran out such is the growth of our Association, I suggested a slightly different colour as to distinguish original Members & to have year tag attachments for bars, your thoughts would be appreciated please. Vice-Prez Mark is going to get a batch done so this will be on our agenda at the first meeting next month. Sammy Vella rang me yesterday with the news that the Sport Scout is not only running, he had visited Association Run Co-ordinator Ian Rook on it, this sure must be a culture shock after a CX-500 Honda, but he is extremely happy with the machine.Rod Leaman sold the 1947 Chief to a new member, & your webmaster has nearly finished the 1948,it only needs the cam case,oil pump, exhaust & fuel tanks fitted then I can start it this Indian, it will be out at the “Lakes & Craters” rally in February.

60,000 Hits and I like L/hand drive Outfits

 

What more could a webmaster ask for in 16 month’s, 60,000 hits on our site. Meanwhile another couple of photo’s from Twin City Indian one completely at odds with the weather in Australia at the moment with the temperature well over 30 degrees C, but the fishing one is cute, might be able to do some of it over the next couple of weeks but without the Tweed suit or the Indian outfit, this brings me to the point of R/Hand drive outfits they cover the best side of a Indian. I personally think the Brit’s did it the correct way L/Hand drive forever. 

Smoke Signals in your email

Here's your latest mag.

The latest edition of Smoke Signals has been sent to members by email today.

It’s also at the printers – so the ‘analogue’ version should be mailed by the end of the week.

Inside the 32 pages are two road tests on Gilroy and Kings Mountain bikes, a tech update for Springfield owners, two ride features, plus a bit of news and lots of lovely pictures of club members’ finest metal – mostly from Springfield.

If you’re a member and have not received the email version, let me know via guyallen@optusnet.com.au.

We’re already lining up features for next issue, including an owner report on a 1940s Chief, a feature on a super-early V-twin, and lots more.

All the best for the festive season, folks.

Guy “Guido” Allen