Random thoughts with some photography from the southeast part of Connecticut and beyond.
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Indian 'Eighty'
Springfield, MA 2017
I have never been on a motorcycle and never had any great desire to ride one. Seeing some of these classic bikes makes me wonder what I might have missed in life.
My first motorcycle was a used and abused Indian, at least that was the name on the gas tank. In reality it was a rebadged 500 cc single cylinder scrambles racer. Brake light and headlight were by dry cell battery. It was very fast where it ran at all. I went on to more sensible BMWs. The Indian 80 (named for its 80 cubic inch motor) is one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made. They were fast, reliable, and good for long distance cruising. But riding one was not for the faint of heart. The gear box shifted with a foot clutch and tank shifter requiring the rider to remove a hand from the handlebar. It was called a "suicide" shift. The brakes could have been much better for a heavy bike. They were already collectable items back in the 1960s, so I never had a chance to own one. Now they are museum pieces.
Thank you for looking and taking the time to comment. I was hoping you would enjoy seeing some of these Indian Motorcycles. There will be a few more pictures in the coming days. They had quite a display of these bikes at the History of Springfield Museum, which isn't too far from where these bikes were made.
My first motorcycle was a used and abused Indian, at least that was the name on the gas tank. In reality it was a rebadged 500 cc single cylinder scrambles racer. Brake light and headlight were by dry cell battery. It was very fast where it ran at all. I went on to more sensible BMWs. The Indian 80 (named for its 80 cubic inch motor) is one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made. They were fast, reliable, and good for long distance cruising. But riding one was not for the faint of heart. The gear box shifted with a foot clutch and tank shifter requiring the rider to remove a hand from the handlebar. It was called a "suicide" shift. The brakes could have been much better for a heavy bike. They were already collectable items back in the 1960s, so I never had a chance to own one. Now they are museum pieces.
ReplyDeleteThank you for looking and taking the time to comment. I was hoping you would enjoy seeing some of these Indian Motorcycles. There will be a few more pictures in the coming days. They had quite a display of these bikes at the History of Springfield Museum, which isn't too far from where these bikes were made.
Delete