Sorting out this 101 I just got!

[pisten-bully]

I should first say I'm psyched to have just received a 101 frame and sheet metal, my new long term project! Thanks to Ross!



And then I wonder "What the heck was I thinking!" I'm going to need a ton of parts, not the least of which will be motor/primary/gearbox! But I realize I'm not the first one to wander down this path - so there's that... and I'm a patient fellow!

But I want to sort out what I've got first, and it came with two clincher wheels, one is 18" and appears to be Scout (more on that later) and the other is a 20" and that's what I'm wondering about! It's got some green on the rim and also the hub.... anybody know what this wheel and sprocket might go to?





And if you notice anything in these three quick photos.... shout it out! Thanks! Here goes nothing.... and I think when I get started I plan to start a build thread... though it will likely be a crummy one!

[exeric]

Congratulations Harry. The 101 is a beautiful, and perfectly proportioned motorcycle, albeit a bit small. I don't know much about them, but no doubt someone here does. I know Indianut is well acquainted with them.

[pisten-bully]

Thanks Eric! And if I ever find a drivetrain (positive vibes say WHEN I find a drivetrain) I know my limitations I'll look to someone like Danny to make it right!

[Tom Lovejoy]

I started with just an engine, good luck. I have slowly gotten almost everything needed. Show this to the 101 club guys. They know all 101 related. They have a web site too.

[pisten-bully]

I started with just an engine, good luck.

I am inching closer to owning a 1930 37ci motor/primary/gearbox ! Kind of a slow process because it's so far away, but once I finally have it in hand I'll put up some photos!

Meanwhile.... that rear wheel that I put pictures of above has been identified on another site as being Henderson. It's got Timken bearings, but nobody on the AMCA site has weighed in with a guess!

I don't need it, would rather trade it for a 101 rear wheel and hub!

[exeric]

I don't believe that is a Henderson Timken hub. All Henderson, and Excelsior Timken hubs are hour glass shaped, and from what I can see in your picture, your hub is straight. I'm no expert on Indians, but I know they used Timken bearings as I had a bunch of 101 Wall of Death bikes, and parts that I got from Puckett motors in Orlando. I had about 4 front hubs that I distinctly remember having Timken tapered roller bearings. I don't remember the rear hub assemblies. Does the wheel you have, fit up in your frame Harry?

[pisten-bully]

I don't believe that is a Henderson Timken hub. All Henderson, and Excelsior Timken hubs are hour glass shaped, and from what I can see in your picture, your hub is straight.

Thanks Eric, it is indeed straight and not hourglass shaped. I has occurred to me that it does belong with the bike, just because a 101 with clincher rims is originally supposed to be 18", and this one is 20", doesn't mean somebody didn't lace a 20" rim to the original hub... one way to get more mph!

But then I'm not 100% certain what a 101 rear hub should look like... Ross told me someone had identified it at Wauseon as Harley Davidson. Beats me!

I'm going to mount it in the frame and see how it fits with the fender!

[exeric]

Like I said, I don't know much about 101s; but I thought they used drop center rims? Also, I don't know what year Indian adopted Timken bearings but I would suspect it was in the 20s. You're up in Kent Thompson's neck of the woods, and he would know. I know Harley-Davidson made their own hubs, and didn't use Timken bearings. Timken tapered roller bearings are too well made, which is why Indian went to H-Ds methodology of making crappy proprietary hubs that would wear out quickly, and keep their spare parts, and dealers busy.

[pisten-bully]

Like I said, I don't know much about 101s; but I thought they used drop center rims? Also, I don't know what year Indian adopted Timken bearings but I would suspect it was in the 20s.

One of the fun things is learning what's what on a bike model that previously I knew very little about... and I've learned the clinchers were used until August 1929, the dropped in favor of drop center, and the ball bearings quit then, too!

And here's some additional shots of this wheel/hub:

[exeric]

So Harry, what year is the bike, or what year are you going to build? I know that is an unfair question but I only ask because I know so little about 101s. I do know that the 101 thing is like a religion and I am surprised that one of those disciples hasn't chimed in. I really like that Allstate tire you have. Well worth saving if you can.

[exeric]

I should mention that I was noodling around in my shop and took a good look at a Henderson KJ rear hub I have. I noticed that the Timken bearing number on the cone bearing is the same number as your Indian hub cone bearing; '09074'. Must have been an optimal size for motorcycles.

[101tpee]

Looks to me your rear hub is very similar to early 1920's Indian Chief. I have fitted a chief rear hub to a 101 before, with modern sealed bearings, they fit fine and much stronger. So if the spline is Indian I would say it is 1920's Chief. 101 rear hub is a lot thinner with one or two bulges to take the bearings.

[101tpee]

Just measured my rear 101 hub, it is approx 1.5 inch OD. with two bulges for bearings yeh like an hour glass. 1920's Chief rear hub is approx 2.5 inch OD. same as early 1920's scout, except early scout only had one spline on brake side.

[pisten-bully]

Just measured my rear 101 hub, it is approx 1.5 inch OD. with two bulges for bearings yeh like an hour glass. 1920's Chief rear hub is approx 2.5 inch OD. same as early 1920's scout, except early scout only had one spline on brake side.

Thanks for that info! (I've got everything down at our warehouse so I 'm not looking at it, but I'll get down there tomorrow and measure things up!)

For Eric, I am by no means an expert, but it was written by Jerry Hatfield that the 101 Scout was designed in such a way (Charles Franklin) that there wasn't supposed to be a model year.... just 101 Scout for the designation, and the frames didn't carry any numbers until late in 1930. But the engines DID have numbers, and the numbers dictated when the engine was made. So I guess... if you put an engine with a 1930 number on it into a 101 frame that didn't have a number then you could call it a 1930 101 Scout... and I'm closing in on a 1930 motor (but of course there are some subtle changes that happened along the way... e.g. headlamps that can be a tell tale for when the bike was built).

Again, I like learning this stuff!

[exeric]

I think learning about a motorcycle is the most fun part Harry. Particularly, when it's a motorcycle you don't know anything about. I have a 1974 Honda 550 in the lawnmower shed and I can't wait to bring it back to life. I've never owned a Honda before so it will be fun learn some new things. The 101 will be the same, but thanks to people like George Yarocki, and the 101 Association, a lot of the tough research has been done. Beautiful bikes, I envy you having one.