New member from Canadian prairies

[Burnie900]

Just joined as I've been working on resurrecting this 1917 Indian power plus and everywhere I go people tell me the amca will be the best resource for information. I've been riding since I can remember, and collecting/restoring bikes for little more than 20 years now. Have a little bit of everything at this point. Some I restore, some are custom builds. Being Canadian I'm also a CVMG member.

[1939wl]

Welcome Aboard Burnie900,
Yes, you have come to the right place for help breathing new life into your 1917 Power Plus. Beautiful bike when you are finished, and worth every minute and dollar you spend on it. So many great people here, and we all share that passion building and riding.
Enjoy the ride, and post pictures as you progress.

[Burnie900]

The Indian was in pretty good condition considering where/how it was stored for the past 60 years. I'm not planning on restoring it but rather keeping it in original patina condition. Currently going through the bike and getting everything moving again. Had a later model Indian linkert carburetor on it, so I tracked down proper Schebler.

[Burnie900]

Went through the transmission which had suffered minor corrosion and freed it up, cleaned up cylinders and lapped the valves. This all of course after months of just letting the bike sit while I applied penetrating oil to every nut, bolt and moving part. The rear Tire has been holding air since I filled it in my shop. If I'm to go off of the license plate than is on it, the last time it was registered was 1945, so that tube really going the distance.

[Burnie900]

Patching up the original exhaust because putting anything new on the bike would be terribly out of place. Had to take the magneto off and clean it up. Shooting lightning now, pot metal bottom crumbling.

[exeric]

The 1917 Indian is a real gem. Second year for the PowerPlus, and last year for the handlebar linkage controls. You have a motorcycle well worth pursuing, Travis and it doesn't look like you have a too many parts to find. Stick with it, and please keep us posted on your progress.

I see a Harley-Davidson rigid fork that has been "extended" in the foreground. There might be a chance the original fork legs are under that attempt at a chopper fork.

[Burnie900]

Keen eye Eric. The rest of the knucklehead that goes with those forks is also waiting for me to rescue it. Took me the better part of 5 years to rescue the power plus from it's slow demise. Hopefully this spring that will also be in my shop.

[pisten-bully]

Welcome Burnie900! That's quite a picture of the Powerplus in what looks like a barn...so a REAL barn find! Nice! Go for it, a full restoration will be someone else's project when you're done with it, but nothing to sniff at if you get it back on the road! Hope you're taking pictures as you go, photos of a motorcycle that was last registered in 1945 might give some good clues to original factory details if anyone is going for a full resto. Thanks for showing us what you've got so far!

[PaulCDF]

Welcome Burnie900

Looks like no local chapters in Saskatchewan?!?!?!

Closest may be Winnipeg or Calgary:

#29 Buffalo Chapter
Headingley, MB R4J 1B7
Contact
Ross Metcalfe
President
(204) 831-8165
moose102@mymts.net
More Info
Event Calendar

#39 Ace-Hy Chapter
Calgary, AB T3C 0Y3
Contact
James Hunchuk
President
(587) 225-0566
veryunforgiven@gmail.com
More Info
Web Site: www.ace-hy.ca
Event Calendar

Those are some nice bikes you have.

You may know Ziggy Kap?

Ziggy of CANADA
Ziggy Kapuscinski
driveoldbike.us@gmail.com

I don't know him personally but understand he is very helpful with these old machines

Again WELCOME!!!!

[DEEBS47Chief1991]

Hello Burnie900. Glad to see another Indian. Also glad to see that you are preserving its originality. I am also a big fan of the CB350 four and CX500. Is that single a BSA 441?


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[Burnie900]

It's a 1970 TR25W. I started off with what would be considered scrap metal. Completely empty engine case, no crank, piston, clutch, gears, not a single nut or bolt even. A group of friends and I had ambitions of each building road going b25/ tr25w bikes out of a heap of parts. This is where I ended up. The front forks on the donor bike had exploded from Frost damage, wheels seized, no wires, rusted tank, just junk. So I went a different route. Acquired suspension and tires off a Suzuki DrzSM and retrofitted it to the bike. Had to shift the engine over 1" in the frame so the drive chain would clear the wider rear tire. Completely rebuilt the engine, half from parts bins, half new. Made all the aluminum bodywork, oil and gas tank myself out of old road signs. Made the exhaust out of titanium. Bike is fully road legal with lights and horn.
Big plan is to race it at the bitwell100 this spring.
It's somewhat of a "bike of Theseus" since all that remains of the original bike is the numbers matching engine and frame.
It's certainly not the most exciting bike to ride, but it has a ton of character. 20250901_120530.jpg

[Beemererik]

I have a 1917 PowerPlus I am working on. The Dixie mag had the same broken up pot metal base. It was causing the spark advance to stick. You can buy a replacement Aluminum base (red box below) from Walker Machine

Dixie H Magneto base

2.jpg

[JoJo357]

Welcome~Nice find Travis! Those handlebar controls on the '17 are worth their weight in 'Gold'. 'Good Luck' with getting that ole' Indian back on the road.

*M.A.D.*