2013/10/25

1946

1946 80ci Indian Chief. Work in Progress...


Warrior TT

The Warrior TT was a better overhead valve Scout, with the engine enlarged
to 500cc, the class limit. The high pipes know as TT pipes and used by Harley, Triumph,
and later Honda to tell the public the bike had sporting inclinations - improved the looks of the bike.
But it wasn't all that fast, and the earlier Scout's reputation and lack of money for
improvements or marketing dragged the project down. Text by Roy Kidney


2013/10/22

In The Wind-4

1947 Indian Chief from Tokyo Indians
Owner : Nau Shima
Photo : Kentaro Yamada


Max Bubeck & Frank Chase with the record breaking Indian "Chout".

At the dry lake speed trials on June 27th the match of the day was between Steve Stevens
on cam-maker Bus Schaller's 74 cu. in. O.H.V. Harley-Davidson and Max Bubeck riding the
Frank Chase-tuned 74" Indian "Chout" (a Chief engine in a 101 Scout frame).
After trading fastest time of the day back and forth, Bubeck emerged the winner with
135.58 mph. This remains the fastest time ever for an unstreamlined Indian.
The "Chout" ran on methanol, fed through twin Schebler barrel valve carburetors.
Special cams were made by Fred "Pop" Shunk. The gearbox carried only
the main shaft acting as a countershaft for the clutch on the single-speed machine.


2013/10/21

In The Wind-3

1947 Indian Chief from Tokyo Indians
Owner : Takeshi Funamizu
Photo : Kentaro Yamada




2013/10/18

Ed Kretz 1937 Sport Scout Daytona Winner

The hard-charging Ed Kretz was the king of AMA Class C racing, initiated in the early 1930s.
Kretz came into national prominence in 1936, when he won the Savannah, Georgia, 200-mile road race, but he is best known as the man who won the first Daytona 200, held on a beach course south Daytona, Florida, in 1937. He was elected the AMA's most popular rider in both 1938 and 1948.
Although he switched to Triumph in the later years of his racing career, his reputation is tied to Indian.

Pictured is the restored 1937 Daytona winner, now owned by Ed Kretz Jr.
It has appeared previously at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.



2013/10/17

1924 Hillclimber

This 1924 Hillclimber was campaigned for three decades (1934-1953) by
racing great Howard Mitzell from New York, Pennsylvania.
It is very rare model : the engine is one of twenty-five handmade in1924 by
Indian's experimental department. The 45-cubic-inch engine has overhead valves and
developed 60 horsepower on alcohol.
The bike is in original racing condition and has not been started in years,
but it still has plenty of compression. Text by Jeff Hackett




2013/10/16

1948 Model 648 "BIG BASE" Scout Daytona Winner

Indian's Sport Scout was out of production by 1942.
With Harley-Davidson pumping WR racing motorcycles into the market, Indian needed 
something to keep its hand in the game. The Wigwam was focused on building the
new lightweight model line, and very little money was available for a racing program.
With relatively little investment, the Model 648 Scout was developed.
It got its name from a big crankcase with a larger oil sump and the use of 
Model 841flywheels from the 90-degree V-twin experimental military model.
Only about 50 648 Scout engines were assembled and exactly how many complete 
motorcycles is not known. 


In The Wind-2

1948 Indian Chief from Tokyo Indians
Owner : Nobuhiko Oishi
Photo : Kentaro Yamada




2013/10/15

In The Wind

1947 Indian Chief from Tokyo Indians
Owner : Masaki Egawa
Photo : Kentaro Yamada


Franklin's Indians by Harry V Sucher, Tim Pickering, Liam Diamond, Harry Havelin

Irish Motorcycle Racer Charles B Franklin
Designer of the Indian Scout & Chief
The Indian has been the iconic image for American big V-Twins
down the years, due in no small measure to the
motorcycles designed by Charles B Franklin - the Indian Scout and the Indian Chief...



20131015

In The Heart Of America...
Blog Start 20131015.