Wednesday 22 December 2010

Been checking valve spring lengths today, standard Chief springs, Bonneville followers and Shunk cams wont work, the springs bind up, 741b springs wouldnt bind but may be too weak for the job, tomorrow I'll check the installed/full lift pressures!


free bind fitted available lift lift
741b 59.58 31.05 45.1 14.05 10.91mm

chief 65.65 36.71 45.1 8.39 10.91mm

Thursday 9 December 2010

Show us yer nuts!!!!

12 sided stainless steel cylinder base nuts (with built in washer) arrived today from Morgo, they are made to suit their Triumph big bore kits, just the right size for Indian Chiefs too!
thanks for the tip Moen ;)

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Cams and Lifters

A month or so back I called Jim Mosher at Performance Indian in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We had a bit of a chat about cams and options for a hotrod Chief motor. He was working on plotting various cam lobes to put more info on his Cam Study web pages. he let slip that he had a set of original Shunk race cams and that he would be prepared to part with them after he had completed his study. a deal was struck, to include a set of new bonneville lifters, cam gears and shafts. This morning a gift box arrived from New Mexico 8)

Monday 8 November 2010

Next in line to get Fossed

Waiting to get a stainless hi level exhaust system built by Richi Foss, along with some other trick bits n bobs 8-)

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Sport Scout gets a set of 741 tanks

The Junior Scout tanks have been comandeered for the Chout so I fitted a set of militaryesque 741 tanks

Thursday 7 October 2010

Update on the Sammy Pierce's HD killer

Rocky Dillinger ( Iron Wigwam ) sent me this picture he took of the now restored Sammy Pierce Scout, still owned by the Pierce family, still race ready 8)

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Toms 741 Stroker build site



Tom bought the remains of Chris Ireland's bela from me, he's starting to get the parts together to build a 45" stroker motor

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Congratulations to the Saltcracker crew

Just back from a business trip south of the border, came back to find lots of updates on Moen's IPE site Lars Neilsen took the Saltcracker, blown Indian 741b special to a best of 88.198mph, fantastic result for it's first time out, cant wait to see how they get on next time!

Tuesday 31 August 2010

Wanted Indian 101 leaf spring front fork

complete fork required to suit a 1920 101 frame. please email steve@strathbranspeedshop.com

1929 101 Scout frame for the Chout

Picked up on ebay last night, just have to wait for it to get here now!!!

Saturday 28 August 2010

The heart of the Chout build arrives

1940 Chief bottom end, built up by Earl McGhee in the states, arrived safely this morning all ready for the cylinders and heads to be fitted. 8)

Saturday 14 August 2010

More Chief parts for my Chout build

New cyliners pistons valves, transmission cases, heads, oil pump. Bottom end coming in the next week or so then I can start to piec together a powerplant!

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Update from Performance Indian

Jim sent a bit more info about the twin engined Bonneville Scout "The Twin-Enginned Stroker Scout will be on the salt next year. We're still running a Norton out this year for the last time. We are at 153 MPH on the Norton, which is really fast for an old Brit bike. Here's a pic of my Twin-Enginned cranks with S&S wheels, and Carrillo rods "


"The Scout Hot Rod project bike is a 45", but with Bonneville pistons, milled, and relieved heads, and my racing lifters, and cams. With dual drag pipes, 12 volt electronic ignition, and the CV carb, it should really go. I just refurbished the top end of Matt Blake's 57"er, and it uses Honda 250 Elsinore pistons from the late 70's. Their standard bore is equivelant to .040" over Scout pistons. You have to cut a relief in the heads a funny way to clear the piston's small dome. Plus they use .750" piston pins! I use custom forged pistons by Aries Pistons (or Venolia), and S&S forged flywheels that use standard Scout pinion pins. I always modify the right case for a '47 Chief oil scraper. You have to modify the scrapers though. My little "Frankenstein" Stroker Scout has alot of head work with 7 7/8:1 compression, and Bonneville lifters with Shunk Daytona racing cams, and it is extremely fast. I can't run pump gas though. I keep some race gas, or av-gas here to add to the premium pump gas, and it is then happy. My cams, and lifters will be available very soon, and I will have 8 seperate grinds to play with. I have a full dyno, and I will test all my cams with my lifters in both my 57" Stroker Scout, and the Hot Rod 45"er that I'm building now, so I should get some interesting data."

Here is a picture of Jim with his little "Frankenstein" Tri/indian Stroker


Friday 9 July 2010

More from Performance Indian



Jim Mosher is also working on this stunning little Stroker Scout, more detail to follow, thanks for sending all the pics Jim!

Twin engined Nos Scout heading for the salt



Jim Mosher ( performanceindian.com ) is building a twin engined stroker scout straightliner to take to Bonneville.With the 1900cc NOS equipped monster will be out to bag the worlds fastest vintage bike record along with numerous class records, can't wait to see the finished machine in action!

Here is the powerplant on the bench

Sunday 23 May 2010

Sport Scout progress




Yesterday i dropped in to my mate Kevin's bike shop on th eway to work, I was looking for a set of pads for the Brembo caliper going on the back of the Stroker Scout, a pair of pads were sorted out, on the off chance I asked if he knew what size of master cylinder would suit the caliper, he dissapeared back shop and five minutes later appeared with a pedal assembly complete with Nissin cylinder and all the fittings - total bill £25 8-)

Today I pulled the pedal assembly appart and worked out the fixings to put it onto the Scout footboard bracket, only one extra hole to drill and a bush needs made up on the lathe to fit over the hex rod footboard mount for the pedal to pivot on.

I'll need to make up a heat shield to protect the cylinder from the exhaust.

Tuesday 11 May 2010

Sorting out the rear frame for the Sport Scout




Ive been looking at the caliper mount on the 741 frame section I have on the Sport Scout, it didnt work out the way I wanted. The 741 rear frame is narrower and I wanted to tuck the Triumph caliper neatly in behind the V of the frame. Today I pulled the Sport Scout rear section i have from under the bench and tried a T140 wheel and caliper for size. Fitted up nicely and the toque arm from my old T140 chop lined up perfectly with the Indian casting provided - bonus!

Thursday 6 May 2010

For Sale and Wanted




I recently bought a set of primary cases and intermediate gear for my 1933 Chief engoine and transmission, I was assured by the seller that they were the right type for my motor, but when they turned up on this side of the pond I found that I had bought a set of 20's Scout cases (already got a set of those!) So, has anyone got a serviceable set of 1933 Chief primaries and an intermediate gear available?

some useful information provided by Carl-Erik Renquist via the VI
"One of my books says -31 and on Chief got larger engine gear and
requires appropriate cover. -33 got cast in gen.drive. -34 has chain.
You got the larger clutch and If you don't need the -33 cast in generator
drive one or two years only, most likely you could use earlier helical gear
cover. Chief started in -22 I think, Scout started in -28 with the large
cluch. Or use Chief -31 to 33 cover with the larger engine gear. Then you
got a choice of 2 primary gearings. Spin the box faster with the larger gear
or slower with the smaller."

I'm not going to need a generator so I have a couple of options, if I can find a set of cases!

Sunday 2 May 2010

Ivan's Strokers


Ivan Young from Marseille got in touch via the Chout Breeders blog, he's building a Chout, turns out he's got a bit of a collection of Stroker Scouts too!

The 101 is stroked to approx 900cc using WLA wheels, linkert carb from a WLA with Bonneville Chief venturi


He built his wife this 45" (750cc) 741b bobber using WLA flywheels


and this tidy little Terrot/Indian hybrid which also has a 45" WLA wheeled stroker motor. Terrot main frame Indian 741b rear/lower frame - a French take on an Indian hotrod special!

Sunday 18 April 2010

Junior's engine plates work in progress


Started to rough out a set of temporary alloy rear engine plates to mount the Triumph gearbox behind the Scout motor in the Junior Scout frame. A lot of chain drilling, using a standard engine plate as a template, a bit of work with the angle grinder and they are shaping up. Once Ive tried them for size they will get dressed up with a hand file. I plan to use drilled steel plates for the final assembly to add some support to the lower rear frame.

Wednesday 14 April 2010

Just got my Cylinders back from the welder






Richi Foss in Inverness did a crackin job of replacing the broken fins and sorting a missing corner on the mounting flange on both the 741 cylinders going on Juniors motor and the repairs to the 1933 Chief cylinders , he also de-raked the ex Chris Ireland 741b frame - really impressed with his workmanship

Wednesday 31 March 2010

Junior progress 2



Yesterday I made up a temporary subframe fitted up the Triumph box to check chain alignment and to make sure there will be enough room to adjust primary chain once fitted and all looks ok. I will need to space the rear wheel sprocket out by 1/4" or use an offset sprocket, but that is easy to sort out later on.
To celebrate I wheeled Junior outside to try it for size, going to fit just fine, even with me racin wellies on!!

Saturday 27 March 2010

Its the small things that mean so much


Like when you get a genuine Indian 80" Stroker oil scraper in the post with all the bills and bad news. Cheap as chips from US ebay - thanks to Neil for pointing it out!

Junior progress



A bit more time at the Junior yesterday and this morning, tanks and seat offered up to see that it all fits together ok. Triumph gearbox set up on wooden blocks to work out height to keep primary level and get the rear chain run right, I'll make up a temporary bridge fixing to mount it to the frame casting above it so I can then fabricate a lower subframe, this will pick up fixings at the rear engine plates and the hand drilled and tapped bosses on the lower frame rails to stiffen the whole lot up.

Thursday 25 March 2010

Junior rolling chassis


I had an hour or so in the workshop this evening so I put a BSA front end and rear wheel onto the Junior Scout frame. I will need to make up one bearing adapter for the headstock and a couple of spacers for the back wheel but otherwise its all good to go!

19" Dunlop rims front and rear will be fine for the 4.00x19 dirt tyres I plan to go on there.

Next on the todo list is to fit the tanks rear guard and seat, then I have to make up plates to fit the Triumph 4 speed box in the space where the Indian 3 speeder used to sit.