1941 Indian 741 speedometer question

[JTR249]

Vintage Cycle Bay (Jacob Junker) was just recently bought out by Tedd Cycle. Contact Rob Taylor at 1-845-549-3345 as they are still uncrating the parts. I processed my order like before, first through the VCB website because I had an account, then re-entered all parts numbers and descriptions through the V-Twin website and he saw everything. They are really organized and on top of this. If you need 741 parts, there are many listed there. Hope they make the site purchasable like the V-Twin parts site. That would be very convenient and easier to order. I did not see any speedometers, though.
Good luck. I will need one soon as well.
-JR

[PaulCDF]

Thanks JR good to know I could not access the VCB site and was wondering. Mystery solved.

[JTR249]

Speaking of 741 Q&A--how do you know which type of upper bracket you need? I recently bought my forks and they are NOS. Online, I see a long snout and a short snout, and then there is also the 648 upper bracket which is the same as 741 but does not say which it is. So is there a third?
I do not plan on doing anything different with the rake of the bike in the long run, so things will be a standard set-up.
Thanks.
-JR

[PaulCDF]

John if by SNOUT we are talking about the upper fork stem bracket:

TRIPLE TREE, coil spring fork, upper 741.jpg

I was looking in Indian 1942 Parts and Price List Model 741B Military (Available AMCA Library)
Shows
Part #76106 Fork Stem Bracket with Bushing

Geers shows this same "Part Number: 76106
"TRIPLE TREE, coil spring fork, upper"
Geers Fitment show 741 only

Hope this helps

[JTR249]

Here are the online photos.
-JR 741 Short Snout Upper Bracket.jpg 741 Long Snout Upper Fork Bracket.jpg 648 Racer Upper Bracket.jpg
The 648 looks very close to the long snout. the 648 also appears to be tapered at each end. There was no matching reverse position posted.
I heard once that there are two different handlebar fittings Indian made. One is a three bolt set-up, called New Zealand style and another with two bolts.
Should I try to match my handlebars to the upper bracket first? Don't the bars sit down on top of this fitting. The manual does not show bars and bracket together.

[JTR249]

Is this a 741 speedometer?
-JR SW Unknown 1.jpg SW Unknown 2.jpg

[tfburke3]

no.
Check out crazyhorsemoto in au .They have replica and original pics.
Tom

[JTR249]

I saw the replicas, just had not seen an original out of the can before so as to identify numerically, etc.
I'll check out the photos.
-JR

[PaulCDF]

"The manual does not show bars and bracket together."

John
Here is a picture of my 741 front end girder from above (note speedometer mount missing) and a couple of pictures of my handlebars, You can see how they are made to mate together:






741 girder top view.JPG


741 handlebars top view.JPG

741 handlebars bottom view.JPG

[JTR249]

Yes. Thank you for that, but I still don't know which bracket was standard. I'll ask Ziggy if he knows.
-JR

[FLFD7]

JR,
As far as I know there were 2 different top fork stem brackets, the “short” nose……

IMG_2631.jpeg IMG_2632.jpeg

And the “long” nose…..

IMG_2633.jpeg IMG_2634.jpeg

Shown above mounted with 741 handlebars

I believe the “short” nose is correct for the 741, see the next post….

[FLFD7]

According to Jerry Hatfield in his Indian Restoration Guide the Sport Scout had the “short” nose upper fork stem bracket up until 1938

IMG_2639.jpeg

They changed to the “long” nose in 1939

IMG_2640.jpeg

(photo credit to Jerry Hatfield)

No explanation is given, but I think it was purely for aesthetics. If you look at the “short” nose how it sits with the fork shield there is a big gap. Here you’ll see it an my father’s 41 (it’s wrong for that year but roll with it)

IMG_2637.jpeg

See, a big gap. Now compare to my 39 with the long nose…

IMG_2636.jpeg IMG_2638.jpeg

See how the new casting with the “long” nose fills in the space, much nicer.

Now, as far as the 741, they don’t have the fork shield, so the don’t need the long nose, so I believe they used the short nose casting.

Joe

[FLFD7]

JR,
As far as your pictures in post #20 the top bracket I believe is correct 741, it’s even in Army OD green, the second picture, long nose also in OD green I believe is from a 640B….

IMG_2644.jpeg

Which was basically a military Sport Scout, so it has the fork shield as seen in the above picture so it would have the 1940 Sport Scout long nose casting.

The third picture what you call the 648 bracket, I don’t think Indian made a special casting for the 648, but a lot of racers modified the stock parts like shown in the photo to mount bar risers and fit later style handlebars. On my 42 Scout bobber I have a modified bracket…

IMG_2635.jpeg

It originally had late Chief rubber mounted risers with the rubber pinched by washers and jam nuts on the threaded section shown above. The rubber was too dried out, so it didn’t squeeze enough and the bars weren’t mounted securely enough so I switched to regular Scout bars.

[JTR249]

Thank you, Joe. Valuable information.
-JR

[FLFD7]

JR,

To make it official I looked in my 741 operation manual

IMG_2653.jpeg

And it is clear in the bike set up pictures that the short casting was used….

IMG_2655.jpeg IMG_2656.jpeg IMG_2657.jpeg

Can’t get any more official than that…

Joe