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Indian Chief Reader Feedback

16778 Views 20 Replies 15 Participants Last post by turbojet, Dec 30, 2003

hubec

Discussion Starter · Nov 3, 2000

You've Got Some Work To Do

I imagine most readers are like me inthat they have news.motorcycle.com bookmarked instead of www.motorcycle.com. Do you realize that we have no way of reading your article without manually typing in the main site's homepage? Why don't you have a link to www.motorcycle.com directly from news? Better yet have a list of ALL recent features at the top of the news site.

PS: You have to come up with a better SQL parsing system, it's messing up the single and double quotes.

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

blip

· #2 · Nov 3, 2000

Re: You've Got Some Work To Do

There should've been a link to the story in the news item, an oversight...

There _is_ a list of all the MO Features in news.mo, it's an RSS syndicated channel that appears as a right-side box and updates every 20 minutes. You can get that channel yourself if you're so equipted, http://www.motorcycle.com/rdf.features, or you can

get the RSS for news.mo, http://news.motorcycle.com/rdf

Most people, 91% in fact, go to www.motorcycle.com, not news.motorcycle.com. I, however use news.mo as my homepage...

Here's a double quote: "

Here's a single quote: '

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seruzawa

· #3 · Nov 3, 2000

Nice article. I have one small nitpick. The term "suicide clutch" refers only to a spring loaded foot clutch. It does not refer to an unloaded clutch, which will stay disengaged with your foot off. A suicide clutch is called suicide because you cannot put both feet on the ground with the bike in gear while stopped. My age is showing, isn't it?

Modsmasher

· #4 · Nov 3, 2000

I will just start saying you are a complete idiot. Indian was hanging on to obsolete technology for the Chief, but this was during a time they were developing an answer to the British invasion, the Torque models. To say they were using H-D's now patented "hang on to the past" marketing scheme is ridiculous. The company lost its shirt on Army contracts during the war (damn near impossible, but it happened). Then, spent what they had left to try to develop a bike the masses would want. Unfortunately, after developing the Torque models, they were open to a corporate takeover, which occured, and the company ceased to exsist. Just because you have some penis envy for H-D, don't take it out on a good example of an Indian. Show me a bike that was "modern" in 1946, and I will show you a Harley that will beat your Yamhonkawzuki.

Go stick your head in the sand!

john

· #5 · Nov 3, 2000

It's ok you don't appreciate this motorcycle. I mean, sure, perhaps if it didn't exist in its time, the motorcycles of today might not be as good as they are, but who cares? Ignorant people don't, that's for damn sure. It a piece of history. With your attitude you might as well say that a early thirties Bugatti is a piece of **** because it is not up to today standards. If it wasn't for that vehicle, however, we wouldn't be where we are today. Why don't you go kill your grandparents while your at it.

backroadbandit

· #6 · Nov 4, 2000

Yes, it is. I'm 49, and currently ride modern stuff (R1100RS, Bandit 1200, KLR) but over the years have met several long-time Indian riders, not all on Chiefs, some on Scouts, who have had the same bike for like 40 years! Sure, they've rebuilt the clutch and top end so many times they can't remember how many times. There is something to be said for familiarity with your motorcycle, especially if you're planning to keep it for a while, a long while. Also pass time sometimes with H-D riders who have had the same Panhead since 65 or whenever. I admire that in a person.

lanesplitter

· #7 · Nov 4, 2000

Yeah, I agree that old Indian is antiquated junk.

But lets talk movies, Citizen Kane...What a piece of ****,hell no one watches black and white films anymore.

And what about that P51, what a death trap any modern fighter plane would kick its tired old ass in a dog fight.

Hell dont even get me started on that Shakespear guy....

SamBlob

· #8 · Nov 4, 2000

First of all, I wonder why you didn't put in a link to your "museum" article on restoring a '48 Chief ( http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcmuseum/dt-chief.html )

A few quotes grabbed my attention:

"Much to our surprise, the Chief sounded a lot closer to a 650 cc Yamaha V Star we recently tested than any Harley."

"Small compared to today's cruisers, the 550 pound Indian maneuvered with surprising ease and perfect balance."

Doesn't this suggest that the current "nostalgia" cruisers are somewhat off the mark? For the W650 and the new Bonneville to be heavier than the '60s British twins they emulate is one thing, for cruisers to be bigger and heavier than the "big bikes" of yore is a bit ridiculous IMO.

SamBlob

· #9 · Nov 4, 2000

Re: Good example of a bad bike

Hm...the Cadillac OHV V-8 came out in '49, Ford didn't go OHV 'til the mid-50s, H-D was still making WL bikes and didn't make a small OHV until the '57 Sportster...side valves may not have been state-of-the-art in 1947, but they were rather more the rule than the exception...

H-D's first rear suspension appeared on the K-series in '52, and the big bikes didn't have them until the Duo Glide of the late '50s or early '60s. The "state of the art" at the time was probably Triumph's "sprung hub", which was next to worthless.

OTOH, Indian had a bike with rear suspension in 1913 and one with rear suspension and electric start in 1914, but the ideas exceeded the technology (and maybe the market) at the time.

The manual ignition advance might have tradition holding Indian back somewhat. Indian had twist-grip advance from the Teens or before.

Indian was about sport and glamour, H-D was about transport and utility. I would much rather an old Chief than a new one, which isn't much of anything, really.

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SamBlob

· #10 · Nov 4, 2000

If you think the new Chief is bad, take a look at the Scout! What a POS! The original Scouts were smaller, nimbler bikes than the Chiefs and were sporting machines in their day. To call a stripped-down Chief a Scout is a disgrace!

bikearch

· #11 · Nov 4, 2000

Yeah I agree with your sentiments about the indian. I am sick and tire of fringe and the reto cruisers. out here in La La land Harley reconizition and appeal is on epedemic porportions. Citzen kane Is a strong movie but As far as it being the definitive american made movie i do not know. The reason people do not like black and white movies is the same reason we have musical groups as the backstreet boys, britney spears(nice tits though) and whatever MC rapper flavor of the month.

bikearch

· #12 · Nov 4, 2000

Hey Hey Hey! I played college ball at the University of Idaho and Graduated with a 3.8 GPA While Majoring In ARCHITECTURE. MY day started a 5:00 am (actual get up time 4:55am) and generally ended sometime past midnight, everyday. Try doing Your studies on travel days while dealing with that weeks game plan. Though the Chief is a pease of ****. And as far as being a classic. Classic what I even think the style sucks. Remember If a whole bunch of people (namely the american public like, it is probable a mundane piece-o-****.

brassmeister

· #13 · Nov 4, 2000

Perhaps you should learn how to spell "Shakespeare" before you "get started" on him...

flyntiger97

· #14 · Nov 4, 2000

The P-40 rules! It will kick the snot out of anything. The F-16? Puh-lease. Fly-by-wire and no prop, what is that crap? Oh, I'm sorry. I thought this was Warbirds.com.

john

· #15 · Nov 5, 2000

What does any of this have to do with the motorcycle??

Apparently you skipped all of your English/grammar/rhetoric classes, as your post has sentence structure on par with a two-year- old's.

ducatirdr

· #16 · Nov 6, 2000

Foot clutch on 1950 Pan

I had the opportunity to ride on a 1950 Panhead Harley this past summer. A club buddy has a restored daily rider that he takes on runs. I was talking to him about the bike and he offered me a chance to take it for a ride. A quick lesson on the foot operated rocker clutch, "Toe to go, heel to stop" and some points on starting should the thing stall and I was ready to go. I yelled to my girlfriend, "Hey take a picture of me on it before I go, while its in one piece".

I manually advanced the points and with the second kick , the beast fired up. A lot of vibration and mechanical noise came out of this machine. I rocked the clutch back and reached down and grabbed the shifter rod under the seat and threw it back into first. Easing forward using the foot clutch out of the driveway wasnt as bad as I thought it would be. Down the street I went staying in first as I approached the stop sign getting ready to pull out onto a busy secondary road. "Heel to stop", I think as I come to the stop..

As I wait at the stop sign with the bike shaking beneath me I contemplate the task before me. Was I nervous? Hell ya! This was a nearly priceless bike that my buddy was letting me ride and the thing wasnt like anything I had ridden before. My oldest bike had been a 78 Triumph Bonni that had modern controls on the correct sides.

I said a little prayer and eased the toe forward as I felt the dry clutch start to grab and I was off. Bringing up to speed in first I rocked the clutch back and moved the shifter rod forward. I rocked the clutch forward and gave it some gas and found neutral. Oops! Quick clutch and push the rod forwards another six inches and I think I was in second. I rocked the clutch forward and I was off again. Into third and into forth I had the bike up to 50mph. I couldnt believe my buddy rode this thing all over the place with trips into Boston for commuter duty once and a while. The bike was wandering all over the road. Any crack in the pavement had it requiring constant corrective steering. It had an old pan head springer front end with the wide tire and fender much like the new Heritage Springer. I can see why everyone loved the Hydra Glide. Springers are tough. Any bump had the front bouncing.

This ride made me appreciate my own modern bikes. It felt like the bike had every fastener loose compared to my Road King never mind my 996. I brought the bike back and in one piece. I pulled into the driveway and brought it to a stop and shut it down. Wow, what an experience.

Later on I took off on my Road King and thought how sterile it felt. A good and bad thing depending on where you stand. I can see why Steve loves that old bike. Its alive.

Tom Seed of Abraham

http://www.tiac.net/users/mpbcds/seedofabraham.html

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1163

· #17 · Nov 6, 2000

Re: You''ve Got Some Work To Do

Top left, select "Navigate @MO" pulldown, select www.motorcycle.com and hit Go!

Once I found that thing got a bit less agrivating but only a bit.

Still think MO is doing a great job though. Growing pains are inevitable but they'll get there. To much to lose.

Kiwi

· #18 · Nov 6, 2000

We had a club ride on Sunday and a guy turned up on an Indian (a Scout I think). My buddy and I were both on Honda 650 Bros's (Hawk GT's). When we saw the Indian we thought "Here's the tail-end charley" and sure enough we left him behind quickly. But a funny thing happened. Every time we slipped back into cruise mode there was a smooth v-twin burble as the Indian slipped by. He was sitting on a constant 120-130 km/h (75-80 mph) and when we dropped close to the New Zealand 100 km/h limit he would catch us quickly. When we got to our mountain destination (after more than a couple of chin on the tank efforts on the straights) he was about 5 minutes behind me. Outdated?...yes. Effective?...definitely. Fun?....judging by Paddy's grin, I say so.

Very Cool

Modsmasher

· #19 · Nov 7, 2000

For some reason my reply was removed from the board, i guess for being to cruel to the jerk for not knowing what he was talking about. Good for you that you are happy with your H-D. They are good bikes, just like some other brands. Finally a guy I can relate to.

(Triumphs (old) are better, but you seem pissed, so I won't go into it now.)

Modsmasher

turbojet

· #20 · Dec 30, 2003

I ride an 03 Chief an am in love with it. I had many jap cruisers, a hog and here I am with something I appreciate more than the rest. Why, well can we ever really explain it?

It's probably the least refined cruiser I've had, it's raw, big, strong, it vibrates, the beach bars are huge. It's a handfull to manuever slowly and has the funniest start up sound. Man do I love this thing!

For me, some how it's what is in the Indian name and the undisputedly American roots that name has. There is a proud heritage that I am proud to ride. And when I pull up to some bike stop somewhere, everyone and his brother does NOT have one.

I hope the Indian name can find a home again, a home that lasts this time.

MG

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