1941 Indian Scout Project
Mark's decision to purchase and restore an Indian was initially inspired by Steve McQueen. Like most bike enthusiasts, Mark knew McQueen was a big motorcycling fan and had a number of Indians in his collection. Another motivation in choosing an Indian was that Mark prefers something a little different from the norm, hence the decision to not go down the Harley-Davidson route. After a lot of research, Mark was hooked, so the search for a suitable Indian began. That search led Mark to a small farm off the New England Highway near the NSW-Queensland border. He'd seen photos of the bike, a 1941 Scout that the seller described as being 90 percent complete. However, closer examination of the bike - after he'd paid for it and brought it home - revealed that only around 40 to 50 percent of the Indian was there.
"It had a lot of 'home made' stuff on it, like the fuel lines," Mark said. "The wiring harness didn't really exist - just enough to run the bike - no ignition switch, no lights, no horn, handle grips were missing, home made extractors, no muffler."
The long list of missing and incorrect components may have caused many restorers to throw the towel in there and then, but for Mark, it actually made him more determined to take on the project and see it through to completion. The man obviously likes a challenge!
The project got underway in March of 2007 and due to Mark's work and family commitments, the Indian wasn't completed until January 2010. In a similar vein to his desire for something different, Mark also decided to go against the flow with his method of restoring the Scout. Military-spec restorations of Indians from this era are very popular, but Mark wanted to restore his to civilian specification and livery. That meant the deep rich red with gold pinstriping you see on many civilian Indian Scouts, rather than olive drab from nose to tail.
From the outset, the project was something of a family affair, with Mark's wife offering great support - and allowing the engine rebuild to be done on the kitchen bench! Mark's dad, Ron, also chipped in, supervising the painting of the tank and tinware.
With so many parts missing, getting all the right bits was the first challenge. Things like engine internals were hard to track down, with most parts eventually coming from Ziggy's Motor Works in Washington, USA. Surprisingly, most of the parts at Ziggy's - even the 0.20 thou oversize pistons - were genuine NOS Indian, not modern reproductions.
Some engine work needed to be done, and the boys at the E.A.M.C. (Early American Motorcycle Club) not only honed the cases and balanced the flywheel, but also gave Mark some invaluable technical support for when it came time to put the motor back together on the aforementioned kitchen bench. A Canadian-made King clutch, purpose-built to suit antique American motorcycles like this, was also fitted as part of the restoration.
With the original wiring loom virtually useless, Mark fitted a new one and this proved to be the project's biggest - and most frightening - challenge.
"I copped a few 'zaps' and one day thought that the bike would end up in smoke!" Mark said. "A wire earthed out somewhere and heated the wiring harness, the next thing I knew white smoke was everywhere!"
Frantically disconnecting wires, Mark narrowly avoided a fire and potential disaster for his beloved Indian. With that wiring loom fried, a new one was ordered. This was later fine tuned, after another earthing drama, by Jim Parker of Parker Indian in Ashwood, Victoria, who also fitted a new generator.
With most of the running gear either restored or in place, the time came to pay attention to the tinware. The tank, front and rear guards, and chain guards were all stripped back to bare metal, and the tank internals were treated with Kreem preservative before painting. Mark's dad Ron got involved with the project at this stage, and proved to be a great asset.
"My dad Ron, who is a french polisher by trade, helped me strip the tanks and guards back to metal, then showed me the painstaking process of undercoating and spray putty and sanding back until it was perfect.
"We spent a good month on preparation before we started putting on the first coats of paint. I painted the tanks and guards under the watchful eye of Ronny (cheers Ronny!); I put the decals on and the pinstriping, and practically put the whole bike together myself."
Once the Indian was completed, it spent a fair bit of time in the family living room, so it was well looked after! Mark has taken the Scout on a few runs, including two major rallies, with Victorian members of the I.M.C.A. (Indian Motorcycle Club of Australia) and it never missed a beat. The runs with the I.M.C.A., who Mark describes as a great bunch of blokes, gave him an even greater appreciation of Indian's history and popularity amongst Australian enthusiasts.
Earlier this year, after enjoying the Scout for close to 18 months, Mark decided to advertise it with JUST BIKES so he could focus on future challenges. With 400 miles on the rebuilt engine - just nicely run in - the 1941 Scout was an attractive package. However, after much soul searching and a few offers, Mark decided to withdraw the Indian from the market and keep it as a family heirloom for his 5-year-old son, Ewan. We're sure when his time comes, Ewan will enjoy this Indian as much as his dad has.
