regarding "Which motorbike do you wish to own?" post

[chaos2]

Couldn't convince myself to post on that, looks too much like a phishing scheme, too many red flags. That said I did want to show a friend's bike I saw for the first time yesterday, it's the same age as me and much nicer looking!

[ruffy]

Beautiful looking bike. Doesn't look like a garage/trailer queen either which makes me like it even more

[chaos2]

Doesn't look like a garage/trailer queen

The fella that own it also has about a dozen 1920's through early 60's HD's and Indians, rides them daily and has a rotation schedule. Rode one in the Cannonball a couple of times. He's a little jealous of me that I ride through the winter, tried to get him to buy a Ural but he's pretty hardcore vintage American iron.

[Snakeoil]

Nice machines.

That Chief with the hack looks to be a '46 or '47.

[tx2sturgis]

Very cool!

And I'd sure like to hear that thing...they sounded so good.

[Snakeoil]

Very cool!

And I'd sure like to hear that thing...they sounded so good.

Your wish is my command. This is the first start of my EL after it was rebuilt. I'm behind the camera. Man starting it is who rebuilt the engine. He's a recognized Knucklehead expert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuw-NS34vNM&t=17s

And if you were referring to the Indian, I cannot give you a Chief, but can give you my '39 Indian Four.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zebN_D5Ms9w

[tx2sturgis]

Yes I was referring to the Indians....but in a lot of ways, the old iron v-twins all sounded good...

Years ago a friend of mine had an old Shovel that idled at something like 300 rpm...sounded more like a big air pump than an engine...sweet music indeed!

[4REICH]

My friends Vindian I’d like to have one although I doubt I could maintain it properly

6C109806-4F21-42AA-936B-D423581151A5.jpeg

[Snakeoil]

Have never seen a Vincent engine in an Indian chassis before. Bet it gets as many jeers as it does compliments. I have a friend with a Chrysler Airflow hotrod. When he takes it to car shows, he says he normally hears more from disgruntled antique Chrysler guys than he does from people who like the car.

[4REICH]

I am not buying into the ev scam but I do like all kinds of Frankensteins. The Vindian was a crazy concept. Vincent was trying to move engines and Indian wasn’t keeping up with Harleys ohv sales so a couple prototypes were made although my friend verged away from the original idea for a keystone design. I doubt American mechanics of the day possessed the ability to keep these monsters running. I wonder what Harleys response would have been if faced with real competition. We probably wouldn’t have poser throwback bikes.

[Snakeoil]

I don't agree that American mechanics could not deal with keeping a Vincent running. It is still a pretty basic 4-stroke V-twin. If our mechanics can keep 3-bank radial aircraft engines in the air, I think they could keep a Vincent going down the road. If you are talking about the transmission and clutch shortcomings of the Vincent, that would be a challenge for any mechanic. Not sure if they have been solved now that Vincent is gone.

[BearMcPear]

I don't agree that American mechanics could not deal with keeping a Vincent running. It is still a pretty basic 4-stroke V-twin. If our mechanics can keep 3-bank radial aircraft engines in the air, I think they could keep a Vincent going down the road. If you are talking about the transmission and clutch shortcomings of the Vincent, that would be a challenge for any mechanic. Not sure if they have been solved now that Vincent is gone.

People like Jay Leno have given me the impression that you can find mechanics for anything in California. Enough rich people with fancy toys there.

[Snakeoil]

I think that there is myth out there that working on exotic engines includes a bit of black magic. I remember an urban legend about Honda mechanics working for dealers taking CBX engines apart and not being able to get them back together. I like to think that you have a mechanically inclined brain, you can work on just about anything mechanical. Yes, knowledge is just as important as skill. Experience with a particular power plant just makes things go a bit quicker or perhaps easier and reduces the chance of mistakes. What is not obvious needs to be researched or without info available, one must proceed slowly and carefully. But all of the above considered, I think one needs the passion for the work in order to be truly successful. If you have the passion, everything else is just part of the process.

[BearMcPear]

I think that there is myth out there that working on exotic engines includes a bit of black magic. I remember an urban legend about Honda mechanics working for dealers taking CBX engines apart and not being able to get them back together. I like to think that you have a mechanically inclined brain, you can work on just about anything mechanical. Yes, knowledge is just as important as skill. Experience with a particular power plant just makes things go a bit quicker or perhaps easier and reduces the chance of mistakes. What is not obvious needs to be researched or without info available, one must proceed slowly and carefully. But all of the above considered, I think one needs the passion for the work in order to be truly successful. If you have the passion, everything else is just part of the process.

I think part of the issue is the fear of making an expensive mistake, which probably makes it more likely to make a mistake in the first place. I know a lot of people had booboos on Ducatis when overtorquing bolts for things like the sidestand that inexplicably go into the crankcase rather than frame.

[tgtrotter]

Very cool!

And I'd sure like to hear that thing...they sounded so good.

Your wish is my command. This is the first start of my EL after it was rebuilt. I'm behind the camera. Man starting it is who rebuilt the engine. He's a recognized Knucklehead expert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuw-NS34vNM&t=17s

And if you were referring to the Indian, I cannot give you a Chief, but can give you my '39 Indian Four.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zebN_D5Ms9w

Thanks Rob..

I'm partial to the sound of the Indian. My Dad had an Indian Four as a teen in the mid 40s for a couple years. He said at the time Indian was
"The Bike". And the four you could get near cheap at end of WWII.

He said he rode like a dangerous nut and one day a cop caught him and beat his a$$. My grandpa found out about that, who by the way never knew my Dad had a motorcycle, and found where my Dad stashed his bike and sabotaged it. My Dad got it back together after about 6 months. While dating my Mom and riding to her he slid out on some sand making a left at the intersection of Montrose and Rosemont Aves. He lost his top four front teeth. That did it for him.
I know he truly admired that Four.