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Indian MC pic

Geo-TH,In

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member
Found an old pic of my parents and their Indiana motorcycle. What year is it?
a143651.jpg
 
they stopped making the old indians in 1953--there were a few models and that looks like a Chief--looks similar to the one i had but i had no fender skirts.
I also had a 1947 Scout.
 
well while we have the attention of the old motorcycle guys, here is a pic of my dad from about 1949 on his Harley. I don't know what model it is but the saddle bags were still out in the barn a few years ago next to the F-20 parts, to keep it tractor related.
a143658.jpg
 
George, every family has a few legends and the Indian Motorcycle plays a big part in one of ours. My family owned a small Chevy dealership in Indiana back in the '50's and once they took a giant old Indian MC in on trade on a used car.
Well my Uncle, then about 25 years old and a bit cocky, decided he would show everyone how well he could ride that cycle. He fired it up in the service shop and let out the clutch and either the clutch stuck or the throttle stuck. Away he went, out of the shop, across the lot, across the street and through the front wall of the grocery store across the street from the dealership.

Legend is that as he was laying in there amongst the canned goods and produce and trying to appologize to the store owner "Charlie". The store owner, who knew him well and said "Oh hel* Walt, don't worry about it, I'd pay $50 bucks to see you do it again"

Within the hour, my grandfather loaded the Indian Motorcycle on the back of a truck and left town, no one knows where he went, but the motorcyle was gone when he got home.

I was a little kid when it happened but it was big news in town and my Mom took me down there to see the damage. That story gets retold every year at the family picnic.
 
Great picture, of your parents. I'll bet that's a new purchase. The Indian in your picture could be from 39 and up. That's when the full fender models came out. Around 46 Indian removed the leaf spring front end, and went to coil springs. Here is my 47 Indian Chief with an old guy on it. I guess my wife is right, it's time for a diet. It's kind of hard to keep things tractor related during the winter. Stan
a143666.jpg
 
My Dad had a Harley back in the 20's. Wish I had a picture. Those saddle bags from a original Harley are hard to find. Stan
 
Stan,
I decided to post this pic after seeing your in-line 4.

My pic was lost for 70 years. The house my parents rented when first married was being torn down. The pic was found in a wall or hidden someplace. I can't imagine how someone knew it was my parents, 70 years later, but my mom saw the pic, confirmed it was her and dad.

Do the math, my mom was born in 1923, 18 in the pic, so that puts timeline around 1941. Dad had the bike before they were married. So that fits what you say, around 1939. When did you say Indian put rear shock/spring on?
George
 
Rob, Indian made the scott and cheif. I think they were a 45 and 74 cubic inch. I think Harley have two models about the same size?

Not sure, but looking at the size of your Dad's tires is it possible this is the smaller Harley?

Back in the day, motorcycle tires were not rounded on the edges, instead flat on the bottom.

So, do you know the size of your Dad's Harley?
George
 
Thanks for the pictures guys....I have no interest in current bikes but love to remember my grandfathers stories about his. We do have a photo of Grandpa on one of his Indians, the license plate reads 1929 I believe.
When my grandparents were "courting", my Grandmothers Dad wasn't too impressed by "that young man and his go devil". They got married just the same....their marriage outlasted several Indians and Nortons. Real Bikes in my grandfathers words.
 
no I don't unfortunately. I have another pic of him and my mom on it but this one was the clearest shot of the bike. A good friend of mine's father had an Indian at about the same time, wish I had a pic of it. Those old motorcycles are really cool, like the old tractors, they have a little bit more character.When I saw that picture of your mom and dad with that bike, I immediately thought of the pics of my dad's old bike.
 
Kind of heartening, Polaris bought the rights to Indian motorcycles and are reproducing them. I like the antique look.
a143669.jpg
 
Stan, I love the color and style of your Indian. I went to a massive motorcycle auction a few years back in Las Vegas. They really had some nice old bikes there, including an old (early 50's) Triumph still in the crate!
 
That's amazing how the picture was saved. From some pictures I have, 1940 was the first year of the rear springs. speaking of rare finds. When my Dad was removing shingles form our barn. I picked up a shingle and it was signed by his grand father, my great grand father. One shingle of the hundreds I happened to pick up. Stan
 
If you can just make it out, the tip of the seat is near his left leg, it's called a chumee seat. It has room for two riders, Stan
 
I'll take a guess at it. It appears to be a flat head, probably 74 ci(UL) or 80 ci(ULH). He has most of the high end trim and the name is removed. They made flatheads until 1953 and it appears to be a late forties. As George said it might be the smaller WL(45 ci) except it looks like the drive chain is on the left side, WL's had them on the right side, and the gauge cluster is different from stock, it looks like late 20's, I think he did some customizing. Looks good, wouldn't mind riding it myself.
 
Full fenders and plunger rear suspension came out in 1940 so I would guess the bike is a 1940. Pearl Harbor made it a short production run in 1941.

Jerry
 
This is a VL 74" or possibly a 80" Harley Davidson if a 1936. Made from 1930 to 1936 but with that front fender it would have to be 1934 to 1936 but the bike has a touch of customization so...
 
George,
That is a great picture! Your parents made a good looking couple, not the mention the Indian. Glad you found that photo. I always read your posts.

Garry
 
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