Indian Tadpole

GoldenMotor.com

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
I'm glad you guys are mechanically smart. I'm not. The brilliance light bulb rarely flickers in this head, but I sure do appreciate mechanical smarts in others when I see them. Please proceed in figuring this stuff out... a cold can of Lost Lake beer awaits at the end of the tunnel and then some great rides will follow.

Here are some of those photobucket pictures as thumbnails...

So what I've been referring to as forks are like the front forks minus the forks... it would have the upper part with the threaded headset that fits into the head tube on the bike and the lower part would be what... welded to the apparatus below which goes to the axle, spindles and such? How dat works?
SB
 

Attachments

fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,475
4,961
113
British Columbia Canada
Silverbear,
Having seen your builds I would say that you are up front with the leaders when it comes to mechanical smarts.

My thoughts are that we will need an outer tube from the neck, welded to the tube coming out from the crank housing as the original had.
Inside we will have to run a 1 inch header tube that has been threaded like a regular bike tube but goes down to an inch or so above the lower tube. From there through the lower tube and out the other side a piece of 3/4 inch round bar that we can weld the pitman arm to, so we can hook up the steering.

I'd like to have a bearing on the lower end of the steering so it won't bind as we turn the steering but that can be figured out as we go.

I have a feeling that the welder/machinist will become our new best friend. May have to help him build a bike. At least he's a close friend of a good welder that can do the work.
Hope this helps.

If it doesn't work we can take it over to BarelyAWake. He'll figure it out because he can make anything.
You otta see his trike. Now that's genius!!! :}

Steve.
 

curtisfox

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2008
6,081
4,056
113
minesota
Curtis, when I get back home this fall I'll put an ad in the paper on Vancouver Island for Atco Villiers mowers and motors. There should be some there since I've seen old ad's selling them, on the computer.
I'll try and get a few lined up at one time since it costs $130 each way on the ferry for my camper and trailer.

If that fails I'll get ahold of people in England that repair and sell them and see what they cost to ship over here and to you.
That would be awesome, I will stash some green in the mean time. Sure love the looks of that Viller
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
FICHTEL SACHS 98 CCM 48 MM BORE 2 1/2 HP WHIZZER LIKE. | eBay

Just when I thought it was safe to look at ebay again. This is from the same fella I bought the Atco Villiers from that Silverbear picked up.

Not sure just where it will go. Maybe Silverbear at the salt flats????

Steve.
Wow, that's a beautiful engine... and it is 2 speed! It doesn't look much bigger than the Villiears from the photos. That's going to be a wonderful motor... congratulations!
SB
 

harry76

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2011
2,557
47
48
Brisbane, Australia
FICHTEL SACHS 98 CCM 48 MM BORE 2 1/2 HP WHIZZER LIKE. | eBay

Just when I thought it was safe to look at ebay again. This is from the same fella I bought the Atco Villiers from that Silverbear picked up.

Not sure just where it will go. Maybe Silverbear at the salt flats????

Steve.
Just when i thought we had one of the nicest looking engines out there Fasteddy goes and raises the bar..... through the roof. Thats possiblt the prettiest motor i have seen.

Congrats Fasteddy.... do you have plans for it yet?

Now im going back to stare at that motor again...lol
 

curtisfox

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2008
6,081
4,056
113
minesota
FICHTEL SACHS 98 CCM 48 MM BORE 2 1/2 HP WHIZZER LIKE. | eBay

Just when I thought it was safe to look at ebay again. This is from the same fella I bought the Atco Villiers from that Silverbear picked up.

Not sure just where it will go. Maybe Silverbear at the salt flats????

Steve.
What are you doing to us now I want one of them to.(just kidding) That is just what SB is looking for the 2 speed.
Steve what do you look for under or on e-bay?
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Back to the front tri car assembly. I was thinking about the front tube and had noticed that on some of the earlier ladies models the head tube is longer by an inch then the head tubes on either the Worksman or the diamond frame you're using. I have three of them available for scavenging; two Elgins from the fire (1938 and 1939) and a 1939 Hiawatha. Since they are longer why couldn't we use these and weld up the little shoulder deal a bearing fits up against an inch from the bottom and that would leave 3/4 inch or so to weld a pipe to for fitting up the pitman arm and such. Would that work? The threading for the headworks would already be there and we could avoid expensive machine work. Use our goosenecks and handlebars and off we go. Yes?
SB
 
Last edited:

fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,475
4,961
113
British Columbia Canada
Best of Antiques, Vintage, Collecting | Collectors Weekly

This is where I found both engines and the transmission. Oddly enough from the same seller who is about 4 hours drive from Silverbear.
I just look at it once in a while but they compile what they feel are the best items offered on ebay.

Most of the auction have a very short time to run. Many less than 24 hours.
A good source if your looking for brass bicycle lamps.

Put bicycles in the search box when the page comes up and then you can pick either from highest bid or most watched page. I look at both.

Steve.
 

NEAT TIMES

New Member
May 28, 2008
1,964
1
0
PENSACOLA, FL
Sb & fast ed

looking at the orig indian tadpole pic, if "mucho me =ron" was riding it, would like a bracket under the stem nut on top of the head tube with two braces entended to the front corner`s for added support. Maybe i should look at the pic better!! ??

Off to post pic`s in kickstart thread.

Ron
 
Last edited:

fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,475
4,961
113
British Columbia Canada
Harry,
I don't know were it's going to be used yet. It really was a spur of the moment thing where I looked at it and saved it on the computer then looked at it again and said no I can't afford/don't need it, then the next morning put a bid on it with the thought that if someone beat me it was over.
I won it by going over the last bid by $10.
Thank heavens this months pension cheque will be here just before I leave.

As Silverbear said in one of our emails, it's a lot of money but if you balance it out against a PK80 or I think any of the better China Girl engines it wasn't all that much money in the end. I won't spend time and money rebuilding it.
It has two speeds and German engineering.

Still thinking that a Villiers motor is the way to go for the tri-cars. I'm hoping to here from the chap repairing mine soon. Don't want to push him since I'm sure he is up to his limit with work but I'll have to ask again soon.

Steve.
 

fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,475
4,961
113
British Columbia Canada
I emailed the fella that I bought the motor from. He has two more that he has taken apart.
He restores Whizzers and other small motorized bicycles and scooters so I'm sure the motors are apart for inspection. I will ask him if there is a price for the motors as is and the condition or will he put them together and get them running and the price.

Let me know if your interested.

Steve.
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Next up is a series of photos and comments from Curtis Fox who is making up the leaf spring front fork for both Indians. I asked if you would explain what he is up to and answer questions people might have
SB


"Here are most of the pieces. The piviting dropouts,the small tabs that go on the end of the rods. The rods were turned in the laeth using a grinder while spining. Had the rod ends milled for the tab clearence. My neighbor has a end mill so had him do it. The funny U shaped bracket is to hold the rods will be drill for them and welded brazed to the fork. The hole top end has been brazed so have to keep on brazing. Every thing was plasma cut and I have a osolating spindle sander to sand them. The triangle piece is to go on top of the fork to hold the tubes. You can see my wooden patern with a hole in it.........Curt"

(Continued)
 

Attachments

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
"You can see were the triangle piece goes on top of the fork to hold the tubes. The rods will be drilled on the end and a 1/4" bolt will go through the triangle bracket. If all goes right getting the length right then drill them might be a little tuchey............Curt"

(cont.)
 

Attachments

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
"So here are the snowmobile springs one uncut and one cut. The bolt will be reversed and the nut will be brazed inside the fork tube. The small little plate on top is miled steel and will have a couple small tabs welded on each side to keep the spring alined, and then will be brazed to the fork..................Curt"

(cont.)
 

Attachments