Indian 350 OHV Single

Italian Indians

Rudyard Kipling.....IF

IF.....

IF you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!' If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, ' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch, if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Kiyo

Sport Scout

The Legendary 'Big Sid' Biberman

Big Sid Biberman is THE Vincent motorcycle man.  He started riding them when he was a young man and was impressed with the power they delivered.  He is not called "Big Sid" for nothing, he needed something that had the horse power to carry him.
He and his son Mathew built the Vincati a few years back, it had a Vincent engine expertly wedded to a Ducati chassis.  No easy task. 

Mathew wrote an excellent book about the experience called "Big Sids" Vincati.

I spoke to Sid years ago when I was considering purchasing a Rapide for the princely sum of $17,000
My concern was that the numbers were not the correct, mythical, 1900 digits apart for the frame and engine.  He told me that the numbers were insignificant and to buy the bike.  A true Vincent fan would not care about such things and go ahead and buy the bike and enjoy.  Of course I was way to smart to do such a thing.  Try finding a running, rideable Vincent for that price now.

I did come across a Vincent Black Knight when I lived in Albuquerque.  The bike had been sitting for years and did not run.  I made a deal with the owner that I would give him $27.000 for the bike IF we could get it running.  I should have handed him the $27K and loaded it in my pickup.  I helped him get it running after a few minutes.  A squirrel had evidently taken up residence in the muffler, it was spitting acorns out the tail pipe.  Of course after we got it running, it sounded so good that the guy would not sell me the bike !

1928 Indian Four