NOS 741B in a Crate!!!

[JTR249]

The last time I saw one of these was in the Matt Walksler video for the Wheels Through Time Museum. How often does it happen that things like this emerge in the marketplace?
I found two different original ads--one in Atlanta, Georgia and the other in Chicago, Illinois for surplus motors Indian sold to the public after the end of WWII.
Can anyone tell me how you stamp one if you ever make a bike from one of them?
-JR My 741 NOS Powerplant 1.jpgMy 741 NOS Powerplant 3.jpgMy 741 NOS Powerplant 2.jpgMy 741 NOS Powerplant 6.jpg

[JTR249]

Here are the ads.
-JR 741B Surplus Ad Chicago IL.jpgOriginal 741 Ad Popular Mechanics May 1949.jpg

[PaulCDF]

"how you stamp one if you ever make a bike from one of them?"

I think it would depend on your states Department of Motor Vehicles

Many years ago I had a 48 Panhead (Wish I still had that bike)
The state I live in (New York) (Beautiful place but the politicians are nuts) anyway NYS used registrations then I think in the 70s went to titles.
Adding to the soup registrations were per VIN of the engine then Changed to VIN of the Frame
Anyway this pan was blown up at one time and the replacement case had a plate affixed (expoxied?) to it. The plate bore numbers assigned by the DMV those numbers were also
on the registration paperwork. The previous owner had done all the work with DMV. But again this was just my situation "Once upon a time"

Nice score JR!

Do you have a 741 rear frame? Maybe title/register it by the frame numbers

[T. Cotten]

....Can anyone tell me how you stamp one if you ever make a bike from one of them?
-JR

You don't JR,...

Its a felony.

(Back in the good ol' days, Illinois would allow you to surrender a broken but titleable left case, and they would stamp your replacement. They didn't use Miller's Falls stamps, and today your machine might even be red-flagged from ever being registered.)

....Cotten

[JTR249]

Thanks to both of you.
I have already spoken with Mike Tomas about the rest. I have always wanted a bike restored by his shop.
I will have to wait a couple years, but that will be worth it.

So if the motor for your bike is like this, unstamped because it was never used, you create the serial number based on parts that are stamped, e.g., the front frame section.
You are basically saying for our current time, a bike does not necessarily have to have a serial number on the engine and state laws may vary?

Thanks again.
-JR

[PaulCDF]

JR
As you know the 741 frame numbers were on the rear frame left side by axle.
When I bought my parts pile one of the pluses was it came with a title. Titled to the engine .
Congratulations again even waiting a couple of years you will be up and running on a fantastic bike.

I have seen situations where people have mated 741 and other Inidan engines with non-Indian frames
then maybe they have the "pink slip" for the frame.

[duffeycycles]

Tidbit of info: AMCA judging will not pass NOS unstamped engines

[duffeycycles]

Every NOS HD WLA motor [that I know of] assembled into a bike needed rebuilt.They all looked great on the outside.

[Jerry Wieland]

I am going to suggest that the engine as a NOS display is worth many times what a fairly common 741 engine is worth to build into a motorcycle.

Jerry.

[JTR249]

Good to know, Paul. I could not find much feedback on the quality of the 741B as a whole and was wondering about basic reliability and so on.
Yes, Duffy the whole thing will get a thorough going through when the time comes.
Okay, Jerry. You're freakin me out a little. So if I paid $6,500.00 you mean the value is three times that right now? 18-19K?
I thought these were still somewhat common among those with knowledge of surplus parts and where they were sold?
-JR

[tfburke3]

I dont think you could get anywhere near 19k for a 741 motor .You can buy complete restored bikes for less or a really nice one on ebay now for 25obo.
I think the small dispalacement contributed to the lack of popularity compared to the bigger and more robust hd wla

Tom

[Steve Swan]

i had 2 just like that back in my earlier life!

[tfburke3]

I still have the mostly complete roller I bought at
Hershey for $112 around 1979.It was 125 but I only had 112 and he took it.
Tom

[PaulCDF]

" wondering about basic reliability and so on."

JR
The 741 military manual available in the AMCA library notes
Top speed 60 mph
Cautions to use gas/petrol with rating of 68 octane or better.

From what I have heard these things were mules as my dad used to say "built for service not speed"
Check out Indian Parts Europe. com IPE really big as a lot were exported.

[tfburke3]

We kept the Harleys and gave the 741 to the allies.
I dont think they were thought to be equal to the wla by the army,who spec'ed the small displacement,while Harley refused to build a small displacement machine,and were proved right to stick with 45 inches instead of 30.5
Tom