Indian Tadpole

[RicksRides]

Steve, guess what is in this box. I finally got to the post today, they said someone must sign for it when it arrives due to the package being insured. Due for delivery on June 07/2013. When you open it the carb/screws are in a grey plastic bag wrapped in some newspaper. The exhaust canister is in there as well when i set everything up for testing and tuning I used about 20 inches of flex pipe with what I sent you. I would try to stay close to that when you finish the exhaust.
Enjoy, Rick

 

[fasteddy]

Rick,

That's fantastic. Thank you very much. The motor will make this bike perfect.

The bike shop called yesterday to say the wheels are finished with the proper spokes at long last.

Primed the tricar part of the bike yesterday morning and of course the rain started up again just as I finished so it was an interesting few minutes as I searched for the driest wet part to pick it up and get it inside.

Family gathering this weekend to introduce the newest member of the family. My great grand niece is now 2-1/2 weeks old. Grace Ann Marie is keeping my nephew and his wife rather busy as babies do. She now has involved about 25 more members of the family as well so bike work will resume on Monday and will be non stop until it's done.

Steve.

 

[RicksRides]

Congrats Ive always believed that family are the true treasures in life. My youngest is named Anna Grace

 

[fasteddy]

Yep, the bike shop called and said the wheels are ready. Get there an hour a go and they still have 14 gauge spokes but bike mechanic #2 has added nipple washers that he admits that mechanic #1 should have put in.

After a brief chat about WTF is going on and being told they don't fit I manage to drag out of mechanic #2 that the a** hat in England who made the hubs didn't drill the hubs out for 12 gauge spokes as I asked. He did drill out the second pair as I asked but not the pair I used.

Guess it went passed mechanic #1 to call me and tell me that the spokes didn't fit the hubs. I told him a half dozen times that they were drilled for 12 gauge spokes but he mustn't have picked up on it.

I'll use them as they are for the summer and hope they work and try and find someone to rebuild them with the 12 gauge spokes after I drill the hubs out.

Steve.

 

[Mr.B.]

Man o man,

Shipping might be a hassle, but I’m sure their are plenty of forks right here on the Forum that could build these right and right fast.

Perhaps a wanted post in the Swap & Shop with a link to this thread...

-Kirk

 

[silverbear]

Steve,
We can make things right this summer at bike camp. I'll be doing my set of wheels and we can do yours, too. And we can do them 11 gauge if you want.
SB

 

["the prussian" Shop Dogs]

As often happens this trip is falling apart! More then half of the people who signed on our out ? Oh well... One week to go ,im still going were still gona run the car on sat and sun in parade. Ill pm mr b my cell number so we can meet up sat

Glad to hear the tricar is coming along ,youll just have to keep an eye on the spoke tention ,im sure that like any new bike your gona have to learn to ride her the way she likes and watch cornering at speed?

The guys are still hopeing to see you all on your travels this summer ,you can overnight in someones driveway or there is a statepark a few miles away. We have a couple of our favorite rides we can run and john wants to have a cook out over at his shop . Hope that can be worked out?

 

[silverbear]

I think the chances are good we can rendezvous. Once we get a firm date for when we'll be passing through you can see if it will work for you. It would be great to meet up with your bike friends, too. I know that on my trips from Minnesota to the east coast, Illinois makes for a good time to take a break. Chicago is somewhere around 500 or 550 miles from here and I don't drive like a fool anymore, trying to put in as many miles as possible.
SB

 

[Mr.B.]

After that, If it’s not too far out of the way I could meet you in Anamosa for a tour of one of the best motorcycle museums in the States...

-Kirk

(Edit): I just looked it up, it would add 2 hours to your trip...

 

[silverbear]

Oh boy... lotsa old motorcycles, eh? And maybe a bike ride, too?
SB

 

[Mr.B.]

You bet ‘ya!

But, I just looked at Google maps again after I realized I mistakenly used Naperville instead of Waukegan for PSD’s address...

It would actually add 3.5 hours over all to go through Anamosa... (Yikes!)

It would be a commitment, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t...

On the other hand this route takes you through historic Galena and the bottom edge of the paleozoic plateau (look that one up. ha!) and is much more scenic if that kind of thing means any thing to you?

This way also passes through my town, and if you like the challenge of steep hills there’s some nice places to ride around here.

-Kirk

 

[fasteddy]

Hi P.S.D.
It's a downer for us as well believe me. Next year there won't be the pressure that is here this year. We have had rain where I live for the past week. I have been getting out to work between showers but being two blocks from the ocean means that we get pounded pretty heavy and often, where farther inland it's not as bad.

Standard joke here on the coast of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia is that you don't tan, you rust.

We will most definitely stop in to see you all. Once Silverbear and I can firm up just what we are doing and when, we'll let you know so you can plan things on your end. Won't miss this meet up for the world.

The tricar is still perking along. I got the caliper mounts figured out at long last and at about 11:30 last night. Now to carefully craft them in metal. Ya right. The truth is they will be hacked out with the grinder and a cutting disk and then sanded with a flap disk to what I need.

Rain may have ended so I better get out and do it.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Mr.B,
It's a vacation for us. Of course we are retired so every day is a vacation in it's own way, It would have been better if it started a 55 instead of 65 though.

What a trip. We get to meet everyone and see the best motorcycle museum in North America. Fantastic. I've heard of Galena and always wanted to visit. Now's the time.

Looking forward to it.

Steve.

 

[Mr.B.]

Good!

I’ll look forward to meeting you guys & the Wunder-Hund.

Ha, Anamosa- Just one of the best...

If your trip is about museums you should also check out- Barber Motorsports, Motorcyclepedia, Wheels through Time, and Harley-Davidson's in Milwaukee.

Actually the Harley museum is pretty close to Waukegan, Features engine #1 on a 1905 frame a bike or two from just about every year since...

-Kirk

 

[fasteddy]

Steering knuckles now have the disc brake caliper mounts welded on. Both Silverbears and mine are done so things are now moving on to the fender mounts on mine. Trying to get the tricar front end done and primed by Thursday.
Then I can turn my attention to the seat over the week end and try and finish that.

Things are finally coming together at long last.

Steve.

 

[RicksRides]

wont be too long and you should be puttering down the road

 

[fasteddy]

This is going to be one of those posts where you get to picture the pictures in your mind. It's been busy here. The mail drop told me that the motor was there in Blaine Wa. on Friday. Took off to get it and a lot of the bits that I needed but were only available there. Welcome to Metric Land where we used to have bolts that weren't metric.

Got it home and did a, hold it in place and look, and went back to doing the seat which is now painted and ready for upholstery. I'll start that tomorrow and when it's done I'll post some photos. Most likely later this week.

The seat done, I got time to do a more in depth study of the motor in the frame. Wow I was right. This motor is going to make the bike look like it should. It will sit in there at just the right angle and in just the right place so the carb clears.
I'm going to see if I can fake a decent looking crank case and maybe a 1905 Indian style carb as well.

First item to take care of was the down tube that I put in to clear the Sachs motor. It was taken out of a girls bike due to it having the lower curve. That has been replaced with a length of 1" tubing so it's back to the diamond shaped frame it started out as.
I'll have to work out a motor mount since the factory mount is now on the opposite side to where it needs to be. That's tomorrows job.

Bought a set of really heavy springs for a porch swing from Lowe's when I was in Washington. I'll have to cut them down I'm sure but these are the strongest I've seen yet. John Brain used them in his springer forks when he built them. These are for the front suspension. Got a 7/16 die to thread the tie rods as well so it will be a busy couple of weeks at least before it slows down.

Steve.

 

[silverbear]

Sounds like a lot going on at once and significant progress on a complex project. I'm trying to picture the pictures, squinting me eyes and all to little effect. Come on with the real pictures. Enough with keeping us in suspenders!. I wanna see the motor already. This is cruel and unusual punishment! How your Jacobsen can look better in your Indian than me Sachs looks in me own Indian Hiawatha is beyond belief. So you say! Ha! And no pictures to prove it...
SB

 

[Mr.B.]

SB, Steve,

Last fall when I was at the NNM I was disappointed that the Indian Tricar (truck front) that had long been at museum was longer there.

However I visited again this Saturday and they now have a actual seat front Indian on display and also a American brand (Wells Fargo safe front) with a matching Indian style front suspension.

My old camera is rapidly going postmortem and this unfortunate fuzzy shot may be one of it’s last efforts...

And yes SB is right,...

Share some photos already!

"-)

-Kirk

 

[fasteddy]

Boy, Christmas must have been your own personal H*ll, you two. Just got back from getting the last of the seat upholstery supplies. Foam comes in three price ranges and grades I just found out.

Oh, My Sweet God, Holy Shyte, and 9-1-1. I went with the mid grade in 2" and a batten covering to help pad it when it's pulled tight. How bad was it? 18"x5' and a 2'x2' square foam, $130.00 + $50.00 for the Naugahyde and $12 for the backer board that the button thread goes through so you can pull the buttons in and tie them off.. A total of $192.00. Hope you guys realize just how close you were to a Wal-Mart cushion and a truck stop Mexican blanket.
My friends I value so I shot the bolt in the treasury door.

Mr.B, thank you for the photo. A nice looking motorcycle. I wonder how hard it would be to make the box.

Steve.