Here is a very entertaining article about buying and working on a 1925 Indian Scout. If you have bought an old bike over the years it will no doubt ring true. Very seldom is anything as good as it looks. As a matter of fact some of the real pretty "restored" motorcycles are worse than an original machine. I have some stories about that !
Follow the link here, courtesy of The 101 Association, Inc.
http://www.southwalessectionvmcc.co.uk/Library/feature%20articles/tale%20of%20an%20Indian.htm