early indians on e-bay

[c.o.]

I am of the firm belief that chopping an original bike is sacreligious!!!! Things are different if you end up with a bike that has already been destroyed by another party's lack of foresight. Then I think either go about making the bike right or try to build the bike you wished you could have but not afford (ie racer). I do agree that it is really sad to see a before and after shot of a nice original machine converted to a living room conversation piece. Just my two-bits worth.

Hey Robbie is there any chance you could show us a picture of that '10 of yours?

[jurassic]

chopped

for the record,i have never,ever takin a complete street bike and turned it racer.i like to think of a racer as a glorified engine stand as that is how all of my bikes start out,as just an engine.if there is even a remote chance that a basket could be put back to a street bike then it should,because the racer market is tanked,thanks to the afore mentioned group.check out some of my "engine stands" at www.motorcyclearchives.com

[c.o.]

Very cool site jurassic!!! I do have a major appreciation for early racers!!! As far as the engine stand theory, that's a whole different story than hacking a completely original machine. I know of a fella right now that is looking at turning a '15 Thor twin engine into a racer. By the way I like your Excelsior racer project that's on e-bay right now.

[mcarver]

Well, just in the last couple of years I have seen (as I am sure many of you also have) ads to "convert" your original frame to a short coupled racing frame. I also gnashed my teeth two years ago when I ran into someone at a meet wanting Mike Smith to "convert" a very nice '11 Indian frame to a short couple style. To his credit Mike S. was trying really hard to convince the guy to have a repro frame made... but as we know a "true enthusiast" uses all original parts... I don't know how that one worked out.
I have made a few repro parts and I think that is a great idea for repli-racers. Also, why not build up "privateer" or homebuilt that does not alter any original parts????
Robbie, I will have to take you up on your challenge, I have two Honda cb350f's I will trade for your '10 Indian, then you can "convert" them and have two '36 knuckelheads!!! Now that's a good deal from where I stand.
-Mike

[trebornostaw]

old indians

i had to overstate a little to get this discussion on the table but i absolutley agree admin guy,the quality produced and many skills needed to create modern replicas are nothing short of incredible. endless hours go into these bikes.pattern making, casting, machining,are just a few of the skills that the builders are masters of. not to forget the research. they provide examples for the viewing pleasure of many. some even run and race these bikes! those whom i know that make and sell such machines are very clear as to what they have made or changed.the sales are honest and the buyers truely are after the machine they are purchasing. with the time and expense required to produce one, the prices realized, high as they might seem, barely reflect the effort.

around though, old machines are still being cut up. 100 years from now we will all be long dead, but the bikes will still exist. what then? are we diluting, or altering the antique motorcycle gene pool?

i think that all machines, even the newly made ones should have log books made for them. i have begun to make logs for my motorcycles. they document the known past owners and even the people and swapmeets where i gotten various parts for them, or the pieces to build them up. its heartening to know that the many names in these logs are of friends, some of whom have passed. these logs will hopefully stay with the machines and 150 years from now someone will be reading the names and trying to imagine this time.