If you wanted to buy a new Indian motorcycle in early 1948, you only had one choice: the 74ci Indian Chief. 1948 may have been a good year for the Cleveland Indians baseball team — they won the World Series — but it was not so good for the Indian Motocycle Company in Springfield, Mass. Harley-Davidson had just introduced its new Panhead, which featured hydraulically adjusted overhead valves, while Indian was making do with a flathead engine that had first seen the light of day back in the early 1920s. Of course, if you liked sidevalve engines, still common in American cars following World War II, then Indian was your choice. The 42-degree V-twin had a bore of 3.25 inches and a stroke of 4.4375 inches, with a compression ratio around 6:1. A big Linkert carburetor fed the fuel.Standard ignition was via a battery and an automotive-type distributor, with a manual spark retard/advance lever on the handlebar. Two separate pieces made up the gas tank, the left holding more than 2 gallons of gas, the right a further gallon of gas as well as the 2.5 quart oil reservoir for the dry sump engine.

There are three caps on the tank, one on the left and two on the right, with the forward cap marked “OIL” — that’s where the oil goes. Stories from the era of Prohibition tell of riders carrying moonshine in the left tank and running on the right. A four-row primary chain bathed in oil drove a wet multi-plate foot clutch. Here we should clarify the difference between a foot clutch and a “suicide” clutch. motorbike shop in ludlowA foot clutch is not spring-loaded. motorcycle parts store myrtle beach scEngagement takes place using the rider’s left foot to rotate the clutch pedal backward. spyder rt motorcycle for saleIf he disengaged the clutch and then put his foot on the ground, the clutch stayed disengaged. motorcycle machine shop fresno

That’s different from a spring-loaded “suicide” clutch, which would leap into engagement with no foot to hold it. The Indian Chief used a 3-speed (or optional 3-speed and reverse), sliding-gear transmission, with a hand-shift mechanism on the side of the gas tank.Indian offered the option of a left- or right-hand throttle, with appropriate gearshift placement. Legend has it that the police, a major market for Indians, liked the left-hand throttle so they could pull out their pistol and fire away at the likes of John Dillinger. Larry’s bike has the sensible right-hand throttle, as did mine.Wheels were 16-inchers with 5-inch wide tires, with 18-inchers an option. Brakes were basic single-leading-shoe with narrow drums. A weight of 550 pounds, plus the rider(s), meant a little forethought was in order to pull the bike down from speed. The front suspension used a hydraulically damped girder and coil fork. Plunger-style shock absorbers suspended the back of the “Double Action” Spring Frame.

Each shock had two springs, the top cushioning the bumps and the lower providing a damping effect. They had minimal travel, but considering Harley’s rigid frame and more basic girder fork, the Indian’s suspension was a cut above the Milwaukee product. Styling was enhanced by the famous Indian skirted fenders, which worked extremely well in keeping road grime off the rider. Rider comfort was enhanced by the sprung post on the saddle, and if you had the Buddy seat, it came with an auxiliary pair of springs that could be used traveling two-up. A Stewart-Warner speedometer sat on the two gas tanks, marked to 120mph. Not that a stock Indian Chief would even see three figures, but optimism is always good. The dash also included the ignition/light switch and a “battery discharge light” that lit up when the generator was not generating.Indian only built some 3,000 Chiefs in 1948, a quarter of the 12,000 that came out of the factory in 1947. Ralph Rogers, the head of Indian since 1945, was trying to introduce new models based on British-style motorcycles (think lighter and smaller), but setting up production lines was taking longer than anticipated.

In July of 1948, Rogers got his first new bike in the Indian showrooms. Called the Arrow, it was an English-looking 220cc overhead valve single and was soon followed by the 440cc vertical twin Scout. Unfortunately, the rush into production showed that these machines had not been properly tested, and were not very reliable. Compounding problems, in September of that year Britain devalued the Pound by 25 percent, and the cost of English motorcycles in the U.S. dropped by 25 percent. The writing was on the wall; production of American-made Indians would cease within five years. MC Read about touring U.S. 101 on this classic bike in U.S. 101 by 1948 Indian Chief. In memory of Indian Larry By Konstantine Zakzanis - Photographs: Kevin Rosenthall It is one thing to live by a creed, and it is another to actually “live” by a creed. “In God We Trust - Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord - No Fear…” These were the words that graced “Indian” Larry Desmedt’s

neck, a tattoo that served as his creed, his trademark. placed it on his neck just below his chin with the letters of the middle two lines in reverse so that he could read them when looking in a mirror. This was his constant reminder that life should be lived without fear. And “Indian Larry” – as he was known by – lived life. More life than you or I will ever live no matter how long our biological vehicles decide to remain on our rides and travel the roads we are destined to travel. Get the full coverage NOW!Subscribe to Revolution Motorcycle Mag It all began more than a decade ago when he bought a t-shirt at his favourite Canadian custom bike shop, Speedtrix, located in Saint-AndréAt the time his budget didn’t allow him any higherA few years later and after a lot of “saving up”, it was time to buy the frame that was sitting in the corner of the shop. frame along with the 300 mm tire he purchased that same day in his living

room where it sat for the next few months. The project was officiallyOver the years he acquired several other parts and even received some as gifts from his family and his girlfriend who encouraged him inHe made regular visits to the shop so that he could thumb through the catalogues or just admire the other bikes. After some time, the rolling chassis was completed and the work of the artists that solidify Speedtrix’s reputation was to begin to shape metal and build a bike to their customer’s taste. This customer didn’t have the budget that others may have had, but he did have patience. paid off in the end because the work done on this bike is stunning. There’s Gold in them Wheels… This is a story that begins in a place some call Cayo Hueso, translated literally as “Bone Key”, and known to you as Key West, Florida. Roughly five hundred years after its discovery, its 2005 and five friends are out onDavid, Jack, Moby, Kurt and master bike builder

George Tchor from Kreater Custom Motorcycles are kicking asphalt, soaking up the Key West sun, enjoying a couple of Corona’s and scheming about what elseThe guys decided that they would stage a biker build-off amongst themselves. they couldn’t exceed the set twenty thousand dollarThe winner would be decided by a people’s choice vote and the prize would be a vacation paid for by the losers of the competition.Each proceeded with his own uniqueGiven the budget constraints, it was a bit of anThe first competitor to break the chains of financial restraints was David. blinking an eye he screamed the words “FUCK THEOne restraint David couldn’t escape thoughThat’s where Kreater came in and helped ... Trying to get a hold of David Medoro to do this article was like trying to catchJust when I thought I had him pinned down for a minute, “WHAM”, heJust a day in the life of a proud custom bike shop owner!

is one busy dude that has to divide his time between taking customers calls, receiving newly acquired bikes, working with his parts counter guys, mechanics and clothing store staff, not to mention spending time at the clinic with his kids! Ok, I take that back, he ain’t busy, he’s Insane Customs opened for business on the northwest side of Edmonton, Alberta in February of 2009, and since that day it has never stopped evolving. Being the Canadian distributor for Big Bear Choppers since December of 2008 it was inevitable that David would need a place to showcase his two-wheeledThis is how the 124th Street became the location to house not only Kevin Alsop’s (BBC) great products but to also offer total maintenance and year and a half David’s shop became the world leader in sales of completely DOT approved Big Bear products. worked harder and faster than a prairie twister to become a full-fledged dealership.