Going native on the road
Last month Rick picked up and prepared a 1948 Indian Chief for his mate Dave. This month it was time to prepare Dave for the Indian...
Blimey Rick, I’ve got an Indian!” said my mate Dave Bradbury as he laid eyes, for the first time, upon the fearsome red Indian Chief that he imported from Texas earlier this year. You may recognise Dave from his T-shirt stall at all the major bike shows. He’s been after an Indian for a long time. Last month I prepared the Indian for Dave’s ownership; this month it was the other way around.
The first job was fitting a ‘Buddy’ dual seat he’s bought to take his son, 12 year-old Vincent, on the back. It wasn’t an easy fit and I’d already noticed the springing was too soft, so we ended up losing a lot of time sorting that out. Then, while Dave was getting the hang of starting the bike, the kickstart jammed – not a five minute job, either. This and showing Dave over basic maintenance – oil changes, etc – ate seriously into the time we had for Dave’s riding lesson.
The thing is, Indians are hard to start – and harder still to ride. A 1200cc V-twin takes a heavy boot and
‘INDIANS ARE HARD TO START – AND HARDER STILL TO RIDE’
even before you swing your leg there’s a starting procedure to learn. Then, having got it running, there’s the foot clutch/hand change to master – which isn’t as easy as it sounds. It’s a while since I rode Indians regularly and although I can still show off and tear away with a mighty roar, it doesn’t take much of ‘a situation’ to leave me flapping about like a landed fish.
For example, I was pulling away from my house on the Chief, with Dave following on the Norvin. I had to set off uphill from the right kerb. Pulling away or turning left is tricky; using your left foot for the clutch means you can’t put it down if you lose your balance. I don’t usually ‘paddle’ when I pull away but, trust me, there’s something unnerving about knowing that you can’t; I mean, we can all walk along a scaffold board on the lawn, but it’s very different 60 feet up in the air... We found some quiet roads and swapped over. I’ve seen a lot of people ride Indians for the first time – and they all underestimate the difficulty. Dave is optimistic and determined, which is good. Add patience and practice and he’ll be fine.
But, honestly, isn’t this what it’s all about – mastering the beast? If you want ‘easy’, head for your local bike shop – they sell some awfully nice modern machines there. Classics are a walk on the wild side – especially something like an Indian – and part of the fun is having to remember more than where you put the key.