Indian Tadpole

There are a lot of great builds on this Forum Steve.
But a ground up Camelback Indian Tri Car build ?
I think the Forum owes you a medal or a certificate to acknowledge your contributions.
All One hundred Forty Three of them in this thread. (^)

Do you have a pro photographer that could do you a favor
To produce a collection of detail photos like they do at the National Motorcycle Museum.
https://nationalmcmuseum.org/
Tom from Rubicon
 
Thank you, Tom.

Medals should go to everyone who's stayed with me all these years. When I began building I never would have started to guess that it would take this long. Parts run tomorrow and Friday I hope to have the last bits back together.

Wish I knew someone who was a professional photographer. I'll take a lot of photos when the time comes just in case someone over the years does follow along and want to build one. Just a tri car would be great to see.

Steve.
 
Tom from Rubicon said:
Steve, Are you OK? You have been pretty quiet.
Tom from Rubicon
Click to expand...


Hi Tom,
I'm doing fine and thank you for asking. I've been in the garage working on the tri car.

After all these years it still never fails to amaze me how a supposed 10 minute job takes hours to get finished. Of course a lot of the parts have gone missing over the years and a lot of the past few days have been spent looking for them and then having to find and order new ones on line for the more elusive ones.

Tried our local bike shops for parts but they all cater to the Spandex Racers who like to try and out pose the others on nice week end rides. Their economy bike line starts at $1,000. I did get to look at a $12,000 bike in one of them. There was a list of parts that they put on it and the prices. They had slashed the price by $2,000. I put a set of tires on the van for less than one tire cost.

I had to order crank cotter pins since one is missing. Found a pair for $13 Canadian with free shipping. They will be here about a week after I ordered them from London in the U.K. and that included a week end as well. The parts from California will take about 10 days and they cost 25 cents more to ship than what I paid for them. Shipping times and cost never fail to amaze me. I am however thankful to get them.

Another day and the tri car will be finished. I still have a few things to modify like the throttle return spring before I try to start it and bits and bobs to trim up but it is finished.

It will be a couple of days before I can push the work bench out side and start it up. I may get it on the ground if all goes well before the week end. I just can't work at ground level anymore so it stays on the bench until I'm sure it's ready.

Steve.
 
Good report Steve 'cept for the expenditure part & you guys are getting hosed big time on bits and pieces. I shudder the thought of major import pieces.

I also prefer working at bench level but also use a shop stool on occasions for quick adjustments etc.

Rick C.
 
Hi Rick,
I have a shop stool and an office chair that I scoot around on. I made the work bench with casters and at a height compatible with the stool and chair. At one time such a concession would have been unthinkable but then again I wasn't old. Amazing how one's pride can be adjusted as you get older if it enables you to keep doing what you enjoy.

It doesn't always pay to be Canadian but it certainly does have a price tag. Large country with a small population. The merchant's here have a constant struggle not to be overwhelmed by U.S. merchandise not bought through them.Walmart beats them up bad enough as it is.

Free medical for all has to be paid for. I often wonder what 3 knee replacement operations and a fourth where they didn't replace the knee and a month and a half in the hospital recovering from them would have cost not to mention all the doctors visits without medical insurance. Ambulance trips were free since I get under the monthly thresh hold limit every month. If you have to pay it's $80.

Major purchases. Any of the major shipping companies rake us over the coals. First there is the shipping costs and then their generous {for their benefit} border brokers fees. I have a mail/parcel delivery drop off of just over the border in Washington State. A package up to 50 pounds costs me $2.97 U.S. I clear it through the border myself and if it isn't enough to send you in to pay the government, Goods and Services Tax or GST as we call it, of 5% on the purchase they don't charge you. Shipping companies charge the 5%.

The head set I bought through Ebay. They have a Global Shipping Program so the sellers who use it just send it to Pitney Bowes in Kentucky and they handle it from their. A lot of sellers have lost a lot of money doing this if I can find it on Amazon first.

I just keep smiling. The tri car is nearly done.

Steve.
 
Steve I really have no clear cut answers for any specific function that governments can provide that will actually assure each individual a reasonably secure life while still retaining a modicum of individual freedom. However governments can provide a climate in which all have a chance to prosper in relative peace and security; the rest is up to each individual in a given society....

I'd suggest that our own medical care in the U.S. could be funded by limiting our involvement in constant warfare and with the effective criminal prosecution for all types of large scale medical fraud and big pharma price gouging.

Personally I see building and riding bikes or involvement in other active hobbies as a proactive health boosting lifestyle. Not necessarily expensive and a great way to keep having fun! The tri-car when completed is just the lead in to a couple more cars and who knows what else?

Rick C.
 
Rick, I volunteered to work in politics for years. I still can't get rid of the feeling of disgust. You realize that the person you just spent every spare moment working so they could get elected, as they are thanking you for your tireless efforts, are not looking you in the eye, they are looking over your shoulder to see if there is a party contributor who made a large donation who they should be thanking first.

The future bike plans are endless. If health holds up I'll be able to full fill them. Absolutely no more built to look like as close to an original as possible builds. The electric tri car is next and after that an early looking trike. I have a Villiers 98cc at Silverbears where it's been waiting for a few years and I'm thinking coupled to a differential axle it should be interesting.

Given enough time the last one will be a Sportsman based bike and sidecar. I have a lot of the parts including a Predator 212. How nice it will be to just assemble a bike and not have to design the parts knowing the frame and parts are the best you can get.

Steve.
 
Steve facing reality is difficult for most & the dream world promises made by politicians are enticing fantasies for those desperate individuals who are just attempting to cope with each day. The sharks among us feed on our individual & collective fears and desperation, which is like blood in the water to these hunter/killers. Each generation is filled with those who are willing prey: the confused, conflicted & aimless are the easiest targets of opportunity for the politicians "psycho babble" rhetoric.

I like the "endless plans" outlook to building bikes or anything and you've cited some solid as well as interesting projects for the future. Having the bits in hand is encouragement at the start of any project whether they are eventually used or set aside as things progress. Most of my building over a lifetime has been to spec for others, commercially and to a great degree, personal projects as well. Even hot rods, custom bikes, cars and trucks were as much planned for the current tastes of "others"! I'm not saying that the input of others is not important to me because as I've stated several times most of my ideas are not original, perhaps none are, but trying to precisely replicate another's design, no matter how beautiful & interesting, isn't what I want to do. I've done that and it's tedious. With vintage style bikes I also prefer to build in the "spirit of..." and this frees up the creative juices. In the end I'm having more fun with my work and that's important to me.

Rick C.
 
Pushed the tri car out into the sunlight today. It's the first time that's happened when the bike has been together. Still on the work table regrettably but not for much longer.

The bike seat isn't on it as yet. The seat tube needs to have a drill run down it to clear it of a couple of spurs. Any screws or bolts that are missing will be in place in a few days. I need to make slack adjusters for the rear wheel as well.

I tried to take a lot of photos of all angles since this will be the last time it's in the air like this.............I hope.

Steve
 
Click on photo's to enlarge.

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Thank you Rick,

Have to take a couple of days off. Getting it outside wasn't hard but lifting it back up over the lip into the garage was a tad exciting. It's in the air but it won't move moment and Art isn't happy so neither am I.

Bit more to do to it and hoping to be able to start it be Wednesday.

Steve.
 
Thank you Tom,

Now that it's nearly finished I'm thinking, now what? It's consumed so many years of my life it may be hard to adjust to having it done. Next up will be the electric tri car. Working on sourcing a battery for it and I may go for a build it yourself.

Same but different build experience.

Steve.
 
Easy as you go Steve. Art don't like being pushed, pulled or lifted.

Tom got ir right. What can be said? "It's a thing of joy and beauty"! I did go back and compare your work to the original. unrestored 1907 Indian tri-car that Meacum auctioned. excellent photos, and I was being quite critical. My conclusion remains the same...your tri-car is remarkable!

Rick C.
 
fasteddy said:
Thank you Tom,

Now that it's nearly finished I'm thinking, now what? It's consumed so many years of my life it may be hard to adjust to having it done. Next up will be the electric tri car. Working on sourcing a battery for it and I may go for a build it yourself.

Same but different build experience.

Steve.
Click to expand...
Two observations about building a li-on pack. Use top grade batteries from a trusted source, some are counterfeit. the second is use a B.M.S. that also is up to standards. I went with assembled packs complete with battery management rather than go through the research & experimentation process. Just me but I probably have more money than time and safety with these things seems quite important.

Rick C.
 
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