Im in love.

[Pitchy]

Absolutely beautiful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6TYhGL8VFA

[piller]

Nice looking motorcycle. I hope someone puts a few gentle miles on it.

[.45colt]

That has always been My number one pick if I won the lottery. My Uncle Stan had a Chief and a Scout in the late 30's and He raced the Scout all over the country. My Grandfather was a machinist and did all the engine work. that is a beautiful bike . Thanks Pitchy. .

[gamekeeper]

WOW What a beauty..........

[M. M. Wright]

I had to go clean myself up after that video. I'd have smoked a cigarette if I'd had one.

[Grizz]

THAT'S A BEAUT !

my Dad rode an Indian to work to his test pilot job during wwII. he had some fun stories but don't know what model. said it had a windshield and he would put his hands in the pockets of his flight jacket and open it up . . .

[Booger Bill]

That would be my dream too. When I was a kid in the fiftys we had a old family friend. He claimed he bought new the last 4 cylinder Indian built. Said he went to the factory and talked them into putting his together with left over parts or whatever after they quit production. The american Indian company quit I think in 1953 however they imported the 700 Royal Enfield and put the Indian name plate on. I had a 1958 Indian - Enfield. I later found out 1958 was the last year they imported them and only eleven were sold that final year. I later owned two more 750 cc Royal Enfield Interceptors. A 1965 and a 1967 basket case that I sold to a friend that restored it. Besides the name plate and 50cc more they were the same as the 1958 700cc Indian. The 58 700 had a single carb, the 750`s had twin carbs. They claimed to be about the hottest motorcycles made those years. I know I broke the 120 mph speedo on mine one day racing another fool! Of course today bikes are twice as hot. I think Polaris owns the modern version Indian name now.

[marlinman93]

If I could afford an Indian, the inline 4 cyl. would sure be it! What a wonderful bike!
But I've a;ways wondered about the fishtail exhaust tips? That tiny slit of an outlet sure looks to be very restrictive?

[Booger Bill]

A friend I used to ride with bought a new 1946 Chief when he came home from the war. (2) When they built the Alaskan highway he rode it by himself up and back from California. He was big on Beemers and had I think three including a single cylinder R-27. all four at the same time. He died in the 1990`s. He was a bachelor and sort of a odd ball. He was awarded the silver star. He got fired from the sheriffs reserve dept when he threw down on a car thief running for it. He kept a shirt on display with a bullet hole or two in it he was wearing during the event he got the silver star for. One time he was on a MC trip and visited some war memorial that had something to do with his outfit. There was a old German tourist couple there that asked him to take their picture. He did and they got talking and found out they were both shooting at each other on that day! Elmer got the star for pulling wounded buddy's off the field under fire even after he was ordered to quit. Read it. He had it framed on his wall with the shirt.

[stretch]

I'm wearing my 1941 Indian 441 T-Shirt right now.

https://ride-ct.com/oberhauser-original ... ings-past/

This lady makes great stuff. My son and I got some at the Owl's Head
Motorcycle Show last labor Day weekend. If you're ever down on Mid-Coast
Maine that weekend, there are hundreds of bikes from all over on display
that weekend at the Owl's Head Transportation Museum.
Everything from a 1913 Excelsior to modern stuff.
Bring a BIG towel - you'll need it to catch all of the drool.................



-Stretch

[Pitchy]

Thanks guys, great stories.
I`d love to have that bike but couldn`t keep it in the shape it`s in, i live a mile down a dirt road and i`d ride the dern thing.

[stretch]

They're built to be ridden, Pitchy!

I've heard tell that the first trip down a gravel road on a newly restored
bike doesn't hurt that badly..........

One of the cool things about old iron is that it IS repairable, repaintable, and restorable.

Some the modern plastic bits and coatings are simply not economically reproducable.

Everything on that beautiful old Indian is able to be fixed - much of it by a backyard mechanic!

-Stretch

[Bill in Oregon]

What a beautiful sound from that engine. Almost seems fitting to power an aircraft.

[David]

What a beautiful sound from that engine. Almost seems fitting to power an aircraft.

One of our guards drives a big old Indian to work...
Old not the newer one.

[Pitchy]

I bought a brand new 02 Indian Chief RoadMaster in 02, it was the first all Indian they built in years and was also a lot of problems.
It had the power plus eng and was nice looking , have a picture somewhere but can`t find it.
I think Polaris is building a good bike now.

[Merle]

Absolutely beautiful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6TYhGL8VFA

yes indeed !!!

[Pitchy]

Wish i was part of those days, I`m thinking about getting ride of the internet and cell phone and going back to a dial phone.
My heart tells me i`m part of the system and i don`t like it.

[Booger Bill]

I started out with a 1946 whizzer just like this one.https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/de ... 23321.html
I think I paid $45 for it in 1953 used when I was twelve. From that a used 1947 CZ and in later years a bunch of Brit bikes, a goose and a few rice rockets, KLR and three Harley's. Miss those days. Never had a new one, always used. My first Hog was a 1963 FL dresser like new that I bought in 1966 for $1,000. I once rode it a 1,000 miles in exactly 24 hours from Jackson Wyoming to Tujunga Calif plus was off it for about 4 hours in between. I had rode it California to Wisconsin and back alone. There weren't near as many long distance riders back then. Miss it. Wife wouldn't ride with me, coming up on 80 yo hip replacement etc. Had
planes too. Been there.
https://i.postimg.cc/sXMJMZZm/Crystal-m ... Harley.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/XvH8NgXX/1972-Citabria-GCBC.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/Px0QYrWj/1963-Harley.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/gjRqDFs6/1969-Harley.jpg

[octagon]

Love those inlines
Bill I've never known anyone else make a 1000/day /motorcycle claim, I did it twice in the 80's, from .ca. to Washington state once, this was almost sunup to sunup, and stopping for a good lunch. Seemed sometimes, I got into a zone and just did not want to stop. Made 2 long trips back then, one was 11,000 the other 13,000 miles, both riding mostly leisurely for about 6 months each trip, rode 42 states altogether. Some of the most fun and adventure I ever had

[Booger Bill]

I left Jackson 7 am. June 6, 1968. Hit snow over the pass out of Jackson but later that night around Mesquite was riding in my T shirt. Got to Salt Lake and needed a rear tire. Bought a recap at the Harley dealer and thought I would save money and put it on myself. Thats the only time I ever heard of a recap Harley tire. Couldn't do it and had to get the shop to do it. Lost hours there. Got to Vegas in the evening but was about broke and after walking around awhile decided to try for home instead of paying for a room. Got to Whiskey Pete's at cal/nev state line and while gassing up someone told me bobby Kennedy was shot. Thats how I recalled the date. Got home 7 am exactly 24 hours later and walked up the steps in a riding crouch, flopped on the bed without undressing. It was crazy! I hadn't planned on riding straight through. A day or two later the girl friend was riding with me and that recap busted in two all the way around! I didn't drop it but it wiped out my wiring in the rear fender. Growing up is rough! It was almost exactly 1,000 miles. The first half of the trip california to wisconsin was miserable too and is another story. Basically it rained on me almost all the way. Also had mechanical trouble etc. There went a lot of my trip money.
Another time I flew pretty much the same route round trip in a Citabria, a tail dragger with a radio that quit, set down in Murdo S. Dakota for three or four days of bad weather, landed at night at Gallop N. Mexico on a empty tank, thought I was dead for sure the last hour flying at night over the mountains. Got right with God and landed. Took exactly what the book said the tank holds!
We`r having fun! Young and dumb. Someday I will write about that one since the statute of limitations are up.

[Pitchy]

1976 when i got out of the AF i rode a Sportster home from Phoenix to Minnesota straight through man that was a killer but only 21 years old so took it good.
Then in 79 i rode same bike from MN. to Fullerton Calif , had to stop for gas about every 75 miles with that dern sporty tank.
Rings gave out in Alamosa Colorado so tore it down in a parking lot and hitch hiked to Trinidad to get some rings, sand papered the cyl. and put it back together and back on the road.
Only ran out of gas one time south of Flagstaff in the mountains at night, luckly a couple guys came along on bikes and had a bottle of gas on board so made it to a gas station then on to Phoenix where i stopped in at a bar where we used to hang out when i was in the service.
There sitting at the bar was my line chief so we drank until the bar closed then bought a case of beer and sat out side and drank that and shot the bull.
Slept on the ground there and headed out to Calif next morning with a hang over, had a long stretch to go across the desert so i stopped at a 7-11 and got a couple jugs of water emptied them out filled them with gas and hung them on the sissy bar.
Man that was a hot ride 118 if i remember right.
Stayed in Calif through the winter then rode back to MN. another adventure , awww the good old days.

[octagon]

Pitchy that stretch south of Flag through Oak Creek Canyon/ Red rocks and to Phoenix was one of my favorite stretches, visited Montezuma Castle. Was robbed in Sedona, and was able to track this thief down recovering all that was stolen...like Bill, need to check the statute of limitations on this tale before repeating
Been eyeballing those new Indians, would like to make a run from Texas and hit the Southern mountain ranges east from here out to Virginia maybe, it's the main area I missed touring in my youth, I had itchy feet real bad back then. Thanks for this cool thread, bringing back a lot of great memories for me

[Pitchy]

When i was stationed at Luke AFB we would take rides up tp Flagstaff and over to Jerome, Prescott and your right nice country.
I believe my long distance riding is over and it saddens me greatly and hoping we get to ride in Heaven.
Been fortunate to be able to ride like we have over the years in this great country but i don`t think i`d feel as safe now days.
Nice to share some of the good times with you guys.

[M. M. Wright]

My first bike was a '47 Knuckle and while I still had it I got a '37 Sport Scout. Spool wheel on front, a dedicated flat tracker. Just like the guys ride in the barrel. Took one long trip from Tulsa to Omaha with a couple of chicks on Harleys. Most of my long distance stuff was on a Beemer or Sportster. Rode that Beemer from Carney Neb. to Tulsa, 635 miles with just pee/gas stops.

[Pitchy]

Cool bikes Ron, the Sporty i was running was 1972, the year Harley turned the 900`s into 1,000 cc engines if i`m correct they just bored out the 900`s which left a thin bore wall and why they went through rings so fast.
After boring mine out a couple time the walls were so thin they would warp.
In the end i could only get about 2,000 miles on it before it was blowing oil out the pipes, finally i had a guy re-bore the cyl. back to 900 put a new piston in it and it ran great.
Finally sold it to buy a old JD tractor but soon after bought a 73 Shovel.