Washing machines and Indians

[I.D.]

Paul, with all the scapping going on in the 40,s it,s amazing any of the 20.S AND 30,S bikes survived.In the ones that got a way file.I got wind of an Indian in Fairless Hills Pa when I lived there in 71,so thought I,d go check it out and see if it was for sale.when I drove up to the place it was a real dump ,it seems the owner was repairing or selling old washing machines and household appliances as they were strewn all over the yard ,I went to the front door and asked the owner if he had an Indian to which he said yes it was in the backyard and said I could look at it.There was a shed were I guess he worked on the washers about 15 feet form the back door with a well worn path to it.About halfway there was a complete 28 Indian 101 laying flat on the ground 3/4 way sunk into the mud ,still in original red paint with scuff marks in the paint on the tank were he had been walking over it for many years.I tried in vane several times to pry this beauty from him and offered him a fortune for it ($250)but he wouldn,t sell .He also had a Delux Henderson motor that was leaning up against a washer but he didn,t want to sell that either.OH well. ID>>>>>>>

[c.o.]

It's amazing Ian how some people will not let their junk go even if all it actually is to them is junk. It leaves one to wonder where they are now?

[AdminGuy]

Sentiment, the thrill of the chase? Who knows what drives some people.
I just hope people are good care takers.

Interesting how it's feasable to completely fabricate an entire bike around a motor now. I'm thankful for farm generators or belt drives.

I'll share any info or stories I hear once I start to ride my scout lump around the town. I met a fella that rode the TT IOM around 1928 on the triumph. I'm not exactly gentil when I ride the little 500. His eyes were just sparkling looking at it, a life time of memories flooded back.

I got my hair cut the other day with a sprie 94 year old fella. Good stories. And he still drives a car! Incredible.

Shocking sometimes what you can russle up in your own backyard when your sitting on the right conversation starter. Well, I'll soon see what happens.

[c.o.]

Washers and Dryers......

Here's one for you guys. Awhile back an old fellow that had a reputation as the local drinker finally passed on. Legend had it that in his day he had an 80 inch Harley which I'm going to assume was of the big inch flathead variety. As I didn't want to look like a vulture, I thought that I would wait and see if anything was eventually advertised in the local paper. Well, a few months went by and my wife gets a call from an elderly couple that she knows and was informed that the husband was cleaning up the estate of the old fellow. She was also informed that there was an old bike laying on it's side out in the back forty. Well, don't think that my heart didn't get pumping! A day or two goes by and I finally get taken out to the property to see the old bike. A flathead it was not. I was kind of feeling a little disheartened as I looked at the 1974 Honda CR 250, not quite what I was looking for. I didn't want to let the old fella think I didn't appreciate it, so I gave him a few bucks for the carcass and loaded it up. I figured if nothing else it would give my ten year old son something to learn how to use some tools on and I let him tear it down. Since then I have discovered that some vintage motorcrossers love these things and that I may be able to get a few bucks for it to help subsidize the Scout project. I guess I should also mention that while I was on the property a drunken tenant that lived there was on the warpath and the old fellow I was with wanted to leave as quick as he could, so I didn't get a chance to look around to see if I could spy the elusive flathead. I did however see a huge amount of washers and dryers. The old fellow said that he is up to an eighty count that he's had to haul away! So, I figured that was it and the original property owner probably sold the old Harley for booze money years ago. Well, tonight just after dinner the phone rings and my wife talks on it for a bit and when she hangs up she says," do you want to go back to that property and have a look at the old bike frames that are behind the shed?" She said that one was actually a rolling chassis and the other was a bare frame. Now I'm thinking is it too good to be true? It's probably somemore old dirtbikes. I guess I'll see as the old timer says he's going to drag him to his place tomorrow and that I'm welcome to have a look tomorrow night. The fingers are crossed I guess we'll see.

[I.D.]

washers and dryers

Cory, Keep us posted on that one it has the scent of a real winner,Can I have dib,s on the Cleveland frame ?

[c.o.]

Dibs are yours Ian! If I scare up something Clevelandish I'll shoot it your way!

[bgarrett]

Scrapping Indians? Another old guy in New York State who rides a 37 Chief told me he had a pile of Indian parts that touched the rafters of his garage and another pile as big out back. He gave it all to the Boy Scouts for a metal drive in the 60s 'cuz no one wanted that old stuff'.

[INLINE4NUT]

OK, Here is one for all of you in Lewiston Maine the HD Dealership was started in 1924 on the banks of a river and story has it that wrecked MCs and parts for many years were discarded in the river in back of the shop,think there is a chance the river bed holds any good treasures?????

[c.o.]

Hey INLINE! You sound like you could be close enough to do a little dredging in the river! You just never know!

[T. Cotten]

I dug my Knuckle up with a shovel.

But its so scary, they wouldn't even let it into Period Modified!

About three years ago I was searching some barns for a 'client'. He let me keep the Crocker steering dampener for my Chief. I found it a few inches down with a garden 'claw' cultivator.

[c.o.]

Cool!