CLANMOTHER'S
POCONO BIKER NEWS
Hi Again !
THERE'S ROOM HERE FOR YOUR STORY
INDIAN'S NEW ENGINE
Indian
Motorcycles has been making motorcycles at the CMC (California Motorcycle
Co.) factory on the West Coast for about three years already using engines
that are in essence clones of Harley-Davidson engines, and frames that are
clones of Harley-Davidson Softail frames
We recently
attended a swap meet where an Indian dealer was set up showing a new
Scout. I asked him when he expected to see the “proprietary engine”.
He said there would be Indian bikes with the new motor at Daytona.
He wasn’t sure if there would be test rides available. He claimed that
the new motor would have 100 cubic inches of displacement and produce 100
horsepower.
For those of
you who haven’t been following the soap-opera-like faltering growth of
the new Indian Motorcycle Company, suffice it to know that the court gave
them a limited period of time to produce motorcycles with their own
proprietary motor; not a bored/stroked copy of a Harley motor
The
photograph that this guy showed me depicted a motor that in every
functional way was another clone of Harley-Davidson’s “Evolution Big
Twin” engine from its single camshaft to its 45degree vee configuration.
The only thing slightly modified was that the intake ports in the head
were angled in such a way as to allow the carburetor to be mounted on the
left side of the motor rather than the right just like on Harley’s old
flathead bikes. The engine looked like it could be a bolt-on replacement
for any Harley Evo motor.
Most likely
Indian made a few modifications such as location of engine mounting bosses
etc to prevent direct bolt up to Harleys just so they can say that their
motor is different. I can’t wait to see the internal specs to see if
things were changed to improve upon the Evo design of if things were
changed just so they wouldn’t be the same, and as such “clone
parts”.
The rocker
covers on this new engine are obviously machined from aluminum billets to
resemble, though just barely, the finned heads on the Indian twins from
the original Indian company of Springfield Mass. I was told that the new
engines are not being made by S&S, but by Indian, from parts made by
numerous suppliers. The S&S motors were great. We can only hope that
the new engines will be just as reliable. Time and mileage will tell.
With the
mighty S&S motors and their drop-dead great looks, I have drooled over
the new Indians ever since they first hit the market. Until they make a
model in the Sportster price range, they will remain out of my economic
reach. I don’t see the new motor as making them any more affordable.
If any of you drug lords or ex-ENRON executives out there happen to buy a new Indian with the carb on the left, write us and tell us how it runs and rides. You might even offer a test ride to yer ole Clanmother.
Hippie and Guru in discussion. Ghetto Cruiser, Red Sled, & Turtle Bike together
AN INDIAN UPDATE
Guru got to road test one of the new 2003 Indian Chiefs during the summer and he fell in love. He sold the Ghetto Cruiser (custom 1995 Harley Springer Softail) and put money down on a 2003 Chief. He should have it by the time you read this. For road est comments, please read the next column "WOW"
WOW
Wow, what a year this is turning out to be in the motorcycle world! For anyone who lusts after powerful cruiser bikes, they’re here. In 02 Harley introduced the V Rod, which put more than 100 ponies on the pavement. Then in 03 Victory came out with the gorgeous Vegas pavement burner and Indian introduced their own torque monster of a 103 cube V twin motor in their Chief model. Not to be shown up, Harley released their Screaming Eagle 103 cube models. Even Honda came out with an 1800 cc (108 c.i.), made in USA, V twin called the VTX in three different trim versions. Others like Yamaha’s Road Warrior tried but fell slightly short of the true monster cruiser mark.
For
2004 things only seem to be getting better. The Sexy Victory Vegas has a sibling
called the King Pin that incorporates footboards, 17 inch wheels front and rear,
a choice of wheel styles, and available touring accessories. Honda and Indian
are offering more variations on their monster cruisers as well.
The
most exciting news is the totally redesigned Sportster from good old (now 101
years old) Harley-Davidson. At first glance the new XL models don’t look a
whole lot different than previous models, but in fact there is almost nothing of
the old Sportster left in the new model. The XL engine had been seriously
tweaked and transformed over the years by Buell engine designers to the point
where the new XL Sport 1200 makes the old Evolution engine seem sluggish and
primitive to the extreme. This hot new engine is tied in with a new and much
slicker shifting trans, new drive pulleys, and a nice fat rear tire to get that
big power to the pavement. All this is now rubber mounted to a totally new and
stiffer frame that allows the rider to sit a couple of inches closer to the
ground. Yes, there is no need for the Hugger anymore, so the Motor Company
decided to drop that model. Even most vertically challenged riders can now buy
any model of Sportster they want and still put both feet on the ground.
Isolating the engine/trans unit with rubberized mounts corrects the biggest
complaint I have had about Sportsters. No more Milwaukee Vibrator syndrome of
numb hands feet and butt; and no more cracked license plates and unusable
mirrors. Its like a new age has come at last.
My
test ride of the 103 c.i. Indian Chief was both exciting and disappointing. This
is a really BIG bike! At very low speed it is quite a handful. It is much bigger
than a Road King and it feels that way. Once moving down the road it gets more
pleasant. It feels relatively nimble for its size and can be made to slalom
dotted lines or swerve around potholes with just normal human effort.
The
power of this Chief is phenomenal. It accelerates from 50 to 100 in a very short
distance and forces the rider to hang on real tight to the handlebars. Shifting
is smooth and precise. The instruments and lights on the dash vary from hard to
impossible to see when the sun glares on them, and then there’s the vibration.
This bike’s vibration reminds me of old Sportsters. It shakes comfortably at
idle, gets smoother at low rpm (about 2500 to 3000) but shakes like mad at
higher speed. Riding Western interstates would be a painful experience for me on
this machine. You’d think, as huge as this bike is, the engineers at
CMC-Indian could have found room for rubber or neoprene motor mounts, especially
at $25000+ per unit.
The
Victory Vegas is another story. This is a very well thought out cruiser, smooth
and awesomely powerful. Arlen and Corey Ness did most of this bike’s styling,
and it shows. This is one beautiful motorcycle. The ergonomics however are too
stretched out for my short body and limbs to be comfortable. At low speed the
bike feels top heavy, a result of the tall OHC cylinder heads atop the 50 degree
V twin motor. Once underway the bike is very nimble, more like a Dynaglide than
like the Softail it resembles. This is the fastest cruiser bike I have ever
ridden, and I’ve ridden some seriously stroked and cammed customs. I’m
looking forward to test riding the new King Pin model. If the footboards and
other changes make it fit me I might be tempted to forsake my Harley.
With
all these great new bikes to choose from I have only one serious complaint,
COST!! If Detroit can build a car with four cylinders, four wheels, three seats,
differential gears, air conditioning, heat, stereo, and electric windows and
locks for under $20000, why does a motorcycle with about a third of that cost
the same money? Guess I’d better go play the Lotto.
2004 Update
Guru bought a 2003 Chief in December of 03. As of fall 04 he has logged several thousand miles on it and he still loves it. He says it is the best bike he ever rode.
Indian, in Gilroy California, went out of business in late 2003. All the machinery and equipment was auctioned off. The parent company of Crisscraft Boats bought the manufacturing rights to the product and name. They plan to restart manufacturing somewhere in Florida very soon. The new owners promise to keep up the high quality standards, and actually to improve the bike.
I am curious to see if the new owners will continue to use the already developed and proven "Power-Plus" engine or some other engine. There are two mistakes I hope they won't make: 1) Use engines that are already in use by other manufacturers of motorcycles such as Kawa/zuki, Yamaha, Rev-Tech, or S&S, and 2) Use fiberglass fenders (noting the owner's boat background); they always crack! Only time will tell.