Monday, April 25, 2016

Indian Scout Disc Brakes For Sale

I am selling the disc brake set up from my Scout.  It is a bolt on ready application and includes the 741 rear frame section.  The front fork does not include the triple trees or shackles.

I think a good builder could use the parts on a new Indian Scout and build something pretty cool.  The tires are modern wide tires and could be replaced with the older 5 x 16 taller profile tires for a more retro look.

I will include all the parts shown for $2800.00

Call me @ 951-992-9839







Custom 2016 Indian Scout


The new Indian Scouts have great potential to customize to your tastes.  This one was built by Indian Motorcycles of Charlotte, N.C.  
I believe Matt Blake is making fenders for these bikes that are bolt on ready.  I like it

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Burt Munro Sets New Speed Record 36 Years After His Death


World's Fastest Indian legend Burt Munro would probably have forgiven the American Motorcycle Association for a 1967 stuff-up that robbed him of a record-breaking run.
 
The association has back-pedalled on times for Munro's 1967 world land-speed runs after the motorcycling legend's son, John, discovered a miscalculation on the certificate issued on the day.
It turns out the legend broke the Class SA 1000 land speed record (previously 183.586 miles per hour or 295.453 kmh) on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah on his 1920 Indian 953cc Fuel Streamliner on August 26, 1967, achieving an average speed of 184.087mph, John Munro told The Southland Times.
He said the association had issued a new certificate after it recognised and fixed what it said was a mathematical error in calculating speeds achieved by Munro on North (184.710mph) and South (183.463mph) runs on the flats that day.
 
"It's nice to know Dad's still breaking records 36 years after his death. That doesn't happen very often.
"He would probably have said he had never been good at sums himself. But I'm sure he would have been quite pleased that error was picked up."
 
Burt Munro's lifetime fascination for the Indian motorcycle brand and his passion for shattering speed records on his motorbike, culminating in his first run as fastest qualifier at Bonneville in 1962, were portrayed in the 2005 hit movie The World's Fastest Indian.
 
John Munro said his father bought the Indian depicted in the film in 1920 and worked on it for 57 years up until his death, hugely increasing its claimed top speed of 55mph.
 
Munro's surviving children, all in their 80s, were working to ensure their father's achievements continued to be recognised, something that did not widely happen while the champion was alive.
Before the movie was made, many in New Zealand saw Munro as "some silly old bugger that didn't really know what he was up to", his son said.

Burt Munro...Gentleman of Speed









Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Harley Davidson JD Frame, Forks and Attached Bits For Sale


I bought this Harley JD frame, forks, handlebars, etc. from a guy in Minnesota.  It came off a farm in North Dakota and that's about all I know about it.  It has surface rust and a few imperfections but it's a pretty cool piece. It needs a good soaking in Kroil to loosen things up.   I think it's  a 1928-29 because of the front fork brake anchor but I'm not sure.  There are quite a few little pieces still attached which add up pretty quickly.

I have more pictures if you are a serious buyer which means you have called me and we have spoken on the phone.

The box is built so well and the frame secured so nicely that I'm not taking it out of the box.

I'm asking $5500.00
951-992-9839 

Indian Sport Scout Daytona Big Base Racing Gas Tanks


Sport Scout Remodel


I guess at this point my wife isn't too shocked that I can take a running motorcycle and turn it into a project in an afternoon.  I spent most of the day yesterday tearing down the Indian Scout and I'm pretty happy with what I'm keeping, the disc brake wheels and fork are being sold and I am going to have to get my stock wheels built and find another fork. 

I am not sure at this point if I will run my Daytona tanks right away or later on.  If I use them I have to get an oil tank from Matt Blake and get a magneto which adds up pretty quick.  If I keep the tanks that are on the bike I have the expense of paint and a battery set up that I would just run as total loss and keep a battery charged and ready to run.  This bike is being built to race anyway.




Rollie Free at Daytona 1938



Rollie Free on his Indian Sport Scout "Chickadee" after setting a new record for a 45 " motorcycle at Daytona.  He ended up with a record time of 111.55 mph but actually the bike would go faster.  The record was taken from Harley Davidson by 9 1/2 mph.  He told his wife Margaret that if he didn't beat Harley by 10 mph he wasn't coming back home...I guess he fudged a bit because he did go back.

Rollie Free had an ongoing war with the Wilwaukee  factory because they sold him a so called hopped up race bike and then he found out that they only gave their best bikes to factory riders... he left Harley and went to Indian which he sold and promoted heavily in the state of Indiana.

Monday, April 18, 2016

The Race of Gentlemen



Here is a link to the TROG site, it looks like fun and hasn't gotten too high end to enjoy.  Hope it stays that way.  Just good old racing on the beach !
http://theraceofgentlemen.com/index.html

1936 Indian Racer Project

Sorry I was off line so long but life happens............................

I switched gears again and just bought a 1936-ish Indian Sport Scout that is a pretty easy project (I hope).  It has a few custom touches that were removed today...for example, the late model Harley wheels with disc brakes !  The guy who added the wheels did a good job but they don't work for me.

I am trying to get it ready to race in the California Race of Gentlemen that will be held in mid-October.  It has to be period correct and they won't even accept my application until it's ready to race.  The race will be an 1/8 mile on the beach in a straight line so I should survive.

I have a set of original Sport Scout Daytona tanks that I want to run on it, we'll see.  First I have to build my wheels which I just happen to have from another deal.

Here are some before pictures and a shot or two of what I want it to look like in general.





Here is what I'm going for in general, not the same exactly but I like the lines, it looks authentic. I'm not sure who owns it but it's a great looking bike !




Tuesday, January 26, 2016

1928 an 1929 Harley Davidson Ignition Switch Dashes


This is a 1929 ignition switch assembly with a light to see the map meter and it does have an amp meter which is a nice thing to have on a battery ignition bike.


This is a 1928 ignition switch set up, no amp meter or light.  My Harley is a 1928 J model which would have this set up but I am thinking about how nice an upgrade it would be to have the amp meter.  I don't want to end up with a slapped together motorcycle but on a rider these things are important just like having a front brake.  1928 was the first year for a front brake on the JD line up and coincidentally the first year for Indian as well.  Probably not by chance !

Old Harleys and Horses


Old motorcycles and horses have always been part of my life.  I rode a horse for the 1st time at about 3-4 years of age with my mother and we always had horses growing up.  I worked at the race track while in High School and had two horses at that time.  When I was 17 I traded my Quarter Horse for a Honda CL 185 and it was all over then.  Funny thing is that at I'm in my late fifties now and I live on a horse ranch and still love old bikes....  If push came to shove it would be the old motorcycles over the horses even now.

Monday, January 25, 2016


My 1928 Harley J engine, it looks pretty nice but its stuck so that is always interesting.  For an engine that is almost 90 years old its not bad

Saturday, January 23, 2016













1928-1929 Harley Davidson Sport Solo Tanks


I ordered these replica Harley Davidson Sport Solo tanks from Replicant Metals along with all the tank fittings.  It will be a good boost to see the tanks on the frame.  I have heard that these reproduction parts are very high quality and I will report back when I get them.
These are the same tanks that were used on the last post for the black '28 Sport Solo JD

Friday, January 22, 2016


I got this picture from the Replicant Metals site, it is a 1928 Sport Solo built by Kip Kern

Down The Rabbit Hole..............AGAIN

1928 Harley Davidson J
 
Well I've managed to tumble down the rabbit hole again !  I sold my '46 Chief and my Knucklehead projects basically because I had built both before and I got bored.  I have always wanted to build a 1920's JD so here I go again.
 
I found a nice clean '28 J motor which is the 61" version and a good frame from Eldon Brown in Canada.  This stuff is getting harder and harder to find so I bit the bullet and bought them.  I'll have it all in a few weeks ( I hope ! ) and will start posting some progress pictures at that time.
 


Harley Davidson 45 C.I. OHV Prototype


This is the only known surviving example of a 1941 Harley Davidson O.H.V. 45 cubic inch motorcycle.  The O.H.V. idea was not new to the Factory and had been used on racing motorcycles and hill climbers.  It cost as much to build the O.H.V. 45 as a Knucklehead and remember we entered World War II on December 7th, 1941...the bombing of Pearl Harbor which changed this whole country in a heart beat.

The three engines were stored in the Knuth warehouse in Milwaukee during WWII. After the war H-D sent some guys to inventory the warehouse because they had no clue what was in it. One of these guys liberated the OHV 45" engine and took it home. The Motor Company found out and demanded its return. The guy skipped town and took the engine with him.

Later it was discovered that he was working for a H-D dealership in the south and had installed the engine in a bike. H-D told the dealer to turn over the engine or he would loose his ticket. The dealer turned the engine over to the H-D District manager, who took it home and stored it in his garage.

Years went by and H-D again forgot about the OHV 45". The district manager retired from the company. He then contacted a great Harley race mechanic he had known for years who was now in California doing a bang up job porting and installing big valves in current model H-D heads. He sold the engine to this man who in turn sold it to a gentleman who deals with old bikes in Santa Paula, CA. It gets a bit foggy from here .... evidently the gentleman sold the engine to Carmen Brown who built it into a motorcycle.

That's a great story and may or may not be entirely accurate................