prototype Chief

Hey, just seen new prototype 100 inch Chief, personally, thought new motor real sharp, whole bike, except air cleaner, dont know what they were thinking here, big black plastic, looks like hell, left leg dont clear it. also new chiefs saddle little high . but in case of the new motor, hope she runs as good as she looks. Kittery dealer getting Demo next week so get to ride her, listen to er. $ 21G lotta cake. Later

Well guys, any of you check em out??? just wanna get some in put, see what all think. Later

No interest - they aren't real Indians...just some suits ripping off a rich motocycling heritage.

The latest Indians I've heard of were the 1955 Blackhawks that were the overrun from the NY police contract production run built from their 'off the shelf' parts inventory. They didn't haveta buy the name to produce them either.

Way to spell Guy, I like the way you worked that in, you and HOOT are right of course, I could almost stand it if it was a real proprietary engine and drive train. I told a dick on a Kawasuki Drifter one time that he had the ugliest motorcycle I ever saw, and to move it before I puked on it. I think I broke his cheap ass jap bike ridin fuckin heart. Couldna had much heart anyway...jb

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When you're riding lead--don't spit.

Agree, newest only minor improvement over earlier - another Slow-rider clone with Indian emblems and an S&S motor. Nothing Indian (or even non-H-D) on it. Yet another ego-extension for those with too much disposable income and no taste. Want a nice Indian? Get Kiwi to make you up a brand new 84" motor, get a repro Scout frame and make your own Chout (still the fastest un-streamlined Indian at 135 mph).



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Yea, Kiwi is making superb parts for the real Indians. Well represented at Oley this year. Starklite has an expensive OHV conversion topend from downunder, been words of a replacement 4 speed, foot shift conversion that fits in the stock tranny case too.

Hooter an I looked at those Kiwi's at Oley. VERY nice. Don't know what they're asking for them. G

KIWI has some good stuff, ther parts they don't build are from good companies like Flathead Power cylinders, and Truitt & Osborne wheels. The shafts I got from them were Jims, but I heard they are making some now.. Not factory stuff, better!

They had an interesting streamliner at Oley. engine sprocket shaft was splined. Other than that it appeared to have stock castings all around. Turbo with a large plenum hooked up on the stock intake manifold. That caught my eye cause I picked up the same plenum and turbo at a swap meet years ago.

Hear ya Hoot on last of real indians in 50s, ya boog , I seen those shiity jap clones, but aint these new ones at least made here??Panic, new 100 inch is not SS, suppose to be indian motor and tranny, on Chiefs only. got one thing answered on Kiwi, that was a question i was gonna ask ya. I just like to see, another USA Co putting out bikes, one sided now. Victorys look like shit, price aint bad. At 21K think Indian going same road as Henderson. well thats Input LOL Later

No, the one I saw wasn't S&S, it was a TP with a weirdoh cylinder/head configuration and the oil pump on the front of the cam chest. Smoke and mirrors, still based loosly on a Harley.

As Boogs says basely the HD but refinements from TP. TP has a good pinion design using a beefier bearing/shaft setup, making for a more rigid crank assembly. Whether this design is incorperated into the "new" so called Indian, I don't know (their advertised specs are so limited) but their bore/stroke ratio is promising. Me, I haven't seen a clue that TP is involved. (maybe they are)

HOOT

I'm basing the TP connection on the casting and machining of the cases is near Identical to the TP/Midwest Optima

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When you're riding lead--don't spit.

Do you mean Ultima by MidWest Motorcycle Supply? If it is, I'm looking at both catalogs and see only similarities in the front motor mount and the timing plug hole besides the use of differnt material. The "new Indian" cases appear to be very differently shaped around the bottom in the flywheel area and especially just below the cylinders on the drive side. Haven't seen anything on internals other than the la-de-da specsthat have been published.

Check out the "Indian" inner and outer primary, then look at the TP catalog, pretty much exact.

Just went to TP's and "Indian's" web sites. Primary covers are different.

Well, the new one i saw, had the black round Cylinders, with a kinda serrated lookin rocker box, looks sorta like narrow pan. course, they going after old look, but these dont look like those shit jap clones at all. But far as i know the new 100 inch and tranny has been put together by Indian on Chief only. Cal aint Springfield but still here.

I went back and looked and I still think the cases are cast by whoever casts the TP, and or the optima. Indian says H-beam rods, TP doesn't use them, I'm sure it is changed some, but those are still evo lifter blocks, gearotor pump? Could be a few people, looked like a tall deck block. Who knows exactly, its still a 45 degree v-twin, that I'll bet you I can find other engines that most parts will interchange with, or changed only slightly. Whatever it is, doesn't matter, Its not the totally propreitary drive train Indian promised two years ago.

The Victory may not look like a Harley, but it is totally proprietary, and made here, and runs like jack-the bear. If I were to buy a non-harley to ride, I'd buy a Victory or a Henderson. I've ridden both, and other than the corney front end on the Henderson, both worked well.

As for Indians, I gues I'll have to stick with `47......jb

The Victory (complete co-incidence - I don't own any stock, I've been using the name since the 1980s) is also made by a company (Polaris) about 1000 times larger than the clone outfits - whose "factories" don't make anything - they assemble out-sourced parts. As with the H-D clones - most of those places will be day-care centers in 3 years, and the bikes will only be serviceable to the extent that they DO use H-D parts, and will have no resale value.
Of course, if Polaris had given me some $$$ I could have given their product a face-lift...! Yes, it's pretty dorky looking but I understand they do run well.

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