Hello builders,
I just wanted to post a few pictures of the 1902 replica I've nearly completed in four weeks. The bike was a 1970s AMC 3 speed that was so close to the look of the 1902 Indian Diamond frame, it didn't take much to modify it. I'm still waiting on the camelback tank to be welded together by a friend and the addition of the head badge but I'm almost ready to fire it up. One of the hardest things to get right was match the paint which I still didn't get exactly right, but its close enough.
So I couldn't wait to illustrate to the hard core iron horse community for what an original era motor bike looks like and decided to enter in a local car and bike show last weekend in the custom American Bike category. I got stares and snears from the dozen Harley Chrome custom chopper bikers when I rolled it in. It was definitely a fish out of water. It was too simple, too small, not enough chrome, wrong era, just a bike.....well, with a bolt-on motor; but what a great story to go along with it posted on the display board.......and also take a first place trophy even with the mock gas tank in place of a real one. I stayed at a distance and observed a number of people stop for a second look and smile as they read the story of the humble beginnings of Indian motorcycle, pointing at little things from the gas headlamp to the rustic saddle. That alone was worth the trip if only to bring 1902 back to life and a few smiles. It pedals very smooth and I'm just waiting on the tank to fire it up and putt-putt around the block.
For everyone still building, keep up the good work and help keep the spirit alive in this forum.
I'll post final build pics and then off to my next build, a board track racer!
I just wanted to post a few pictures of the 1902 replica I've nearly completed in four weeks. The bike was a 1970s AMC 3 speed that was so close to the look of the 1902 Indian Diamond frame, it didn't take much to modify it. I'm still waiting on the camelback tank to be welded together by a friend and the addition of the head badge but I'm almost ready to fire it up. One of the hardest things to get right was match the paint which I still didn't get exactly right, but its close enough.
So I couldn't wait to illustrate to the hard core iron horse community for what an original era motor bike looks like and decided to enter in a local car and bike show last weekend in the custom American Bike category. I got stares and snears from the dozen Harley Chrome custom chopper bikers when I rolled it in. It was definitely a fish out of water. It was too simple, too small, not enough chrome, wrong era, just a bike.....well, with a bolt-on motor; but what a great story to go along with it posted on the display board.......and also take a first place trophy even with the mock gas tank in place of a real one. I stayed at a distance and observed a number of people stop for a second look and smile as they read the story of the humble beginnings of Indian motorcycle, pointing at little things from the gas headlamp to the rustic saddle. That alone was worth the trip if only to bring 1902 back to life and a few smiles. It pedals very smooth and I'm just waiting on the tank to fire it up and putt-putt around the block.
For everyone still building, keep up the good work and help keep the spirit alive in this forum.
I'll post final build pics and then off to my next build, a board track racer!
