January 2018 - Issue #36 Let's Make a Plan - Kiwi Indian
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Presenting Partner:
January 2018 - Issue #36
Let's Make a Plan
The new year has started off with a lot
of work. Some of it’s been here a
while, some of it has been waiting for
the customer’s okay, and other projects
are in process.
The new year is a good time to take a
good hard look at things, form a battle
plan and HONESTLY move forth on
that plan. How is your plan going?
Mine’s working fine and I’m keeping it
that way. Honestly!
Mike Tomas, President
Kiwi Indian Motorcycles Inc.
Sign up for the most informative Indian MotoCycle Newsletter on the planet for
both vintage and new Indian owners!
http://www.kiwiindian.com/sign-up-form
Springfield Goes Vegas Conde’ Nast Traveler recently posted on their website about the new MGM casino complex in Springfield Mass, a city whose place in the American Industrial Revolution is unquestioned. But slot machines mixed with Americana? According to the article, historic emphasis has been respectfully integrated into South End neighborhood location, including an Indian Motorcycle of Springfield satellite store. After all, this IS the home of the original Indian Motorcycle factory! Read more here: https://bit.ly/2M8RXyz 1 + 1200= Fun The 10th Annual One Moto Show in Portland, OR, this February welcomes a new partner in Indian Motorcycle who’ve stepped up as title sponsor of the event. To celebrate the new partnership, the show’s founder, Thor Drake, will unveil his custom FTR 1200 that won’t only be displayed but also raced at The One Pro Super Hooligan Race that weekend. The One Show has grown from its humble beginnings to a one-of-a-kind motorcycle event known for showcasing a variety of unique, unconventional bikes and serving as a gathering place for riders from all over the world. As title sponsor, Indian Motorcycle will feature a display that highlights the FTR 1200 and the stripped-down, blacked-out Scout Bobber along with a variety of customs by builders like Roland Sands and Carey Hart. Along with Drake’s custom FTR 1200, RSD’s Super Hooligan race team will compete at The One Pro Race aboard the all-new FTR 1200 as well. The One Moto Show Presented by Indian Motorcycle takes place February 8-10, 2019. For more information and ticketing for the show and races visit The1Moto.com.
Cannonball Run 1919 When Vahan Dinihanian bought a 1918 Indian Powerplus from the family of its original owner, Erling J. Hangerud, he got a bonus in the deal. See, Erling had kept a diary of the ride he’d taken from Portland, OR to New York City in 1919 and that diary, along with photos and memorabilia, came to Vahan with the bike. Vahan was delighted and intrigued by the history revealed in the diary and turned it into a book: “Cannonball Run 1919, A Transcontinental Motorcycle Journey.” The book re-lives Erling’s cross- continental trip with his cousin, relating the realities riders faced when traveling long distances in those uncertain days. Check out the website: cannonballrun1919.com. And we’ll tell you more about how Vahan came to buy the 1919 Indian Powerplus next month. New Section! Kiwi Mike is a curious and creative guy. So it’s no surprise when messages like this arrive and demand to be placed in the Kiwi E-news: “I was thinking it would be a cool addition to our newsletter to ask our readers to send in pics of either their bikes or their in-progress restorations - along with a few brief words about them. It’ll be of interest to other readers and, to tell you the truth, I like to see what people are riding and working on myself!” So there’s your mandate, readers. Show us your bikes and your projects. Email: bigchief@kiwiindian.com
It's Las Vegas Time! Welcome to fabulous Mecum Las Vegas! The 2019 Mecum Las Vegas auction gets underway at South Point Hoel and Casino on January 22 and runs till January 26. With more than 1,750 motorcycles and hundreds of Road Art items it’s one you don’t want to miss. See the lots on offer and register here: https://www.mecum.com/motorcycles/. And we’ll also mention the Tiny Strider Bikes being auctioned on Wednesday, Jan. 23. They were built for the Flying Piston Builders Breakfast, unveiled at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip last August, and now head to new homes before the 2019 class of builder is announced. Proceeds benefit Motorcycle Missions and Technical Education. Visit https://www.theflyingpiston.com/flying-piston-charity- program/ or on Facebook. Register and bid at www.mecum.com. Celebrating Chopperfest Kiwi Mike and Carolyn never miss David Mann Chopperfest, the SoCal celebration of all things Chopper. Sure, it’s in their backyard, but they say it’s also like hanging out with family. Their son, Ross, grew up running around the Chopperfest grounds. Here’s a look at the gatherings details, compliments of Biltwell. See more images – and a video – at the link. Thanks for the fabulous coverage, Biltwell! www.biltwellinc.com/wtf/2019/01/custom- motorcycles-chopperfest-2018/
Ross Tomas Award Each year at ChopperFest a special award is presented to a distinctive bike in honor of Mike & Carolyn's late son, Ross Tomas. Promoters Tory DuVarney and Dave Hansen commemorate Ross's love for the event every year. This year's winner was Roger Herbison who had a very cool '36 Chief Bobber. Congratulations Roger! Meet, Swap, Ride If you’re busy filling in your 2019 calendar, here’s the first batch of AMCA National Meets to add. Find the rest at www.antiquemotorcycle.org. February 22-23 Omaha Chapter National Meet Fremont, NE www.omahachapteramca.org March 8-9 Sunshine Chapter National Meet, New Smyrna Beach, FL www.sunshineamca.org April 8-10 Cherokee Chapter National Road Run, Kerrville, TX www.cherokeeamca.org April 26-27 Perkiomen Chapter National Meet, Oley, PA Perkiomen Facebook Page May 17-19 Southern National Meet, Denton, NC www.amcasouthernnationalmeet.com May 24-25 European Chapter Meet, Raalte, Netherlands www.amca-europe.eu
Nepal Adventure:
Part 1
Kiwi Mike’s latest epic riding trip was to
the Himalayas and he’ll be telling us
about it in the next few issues. To
begin, he lays the groundwork; where
he headed, why, and how he prepared
for this rugged, overseas adventure-
riding experience.
Many people ask me: Why ride in
Nepal? Well to be absolutely honest I’m
into riding motorcycles anywhere in the
world. I didn’t even know where Nepal
was until a week before I left. I’d heard
about a planned trip there a few
months earlier, then met up with a
couple of guys in the motorcycle
industry at Sturgis who said they were
going. It was all on from there to get my
stuff in order.
Part of being in order meant business
wise, visa, overseas insurance. The
other part was motorcycle related like
my motorcycle riding gear. It’s warm in
the lower regions of Nepal but can be
cold way up in the Himalayas. Then
About to dip my toes in the Persian
there are the river crossings which can
Gulf in Qatar.
be shallow or deep and short or long
(they change from day to day.) So
keeping your feet dry and the gear on
your bike dry is the challenge. You ain’t
gonna dry out easily in the high
altitudes and cold conditions.
Since everything is pretty much rock
and dirt, one has to also prepare for a
topple, so good safety gear is
essential. In fact, one has to prepare
for all sorts of circumstances and
variables. Now keep in mind if you
forget some item of motorcycle gear
there’s no bike shop to stop into and
buy it. You are going without. Big
bummer.
Thankfully I covered my bases well -
until I lost my left glove on day 2. I was
farting around with my helmet video
cam and I was sitting on my left glove.
Then I hit a section of road that was
This scene in Kathmandu gives a
rough (which is most of Nepal) so I whole new meaning to the term "a
stood up on my pegs. I didn’t realize wiring bird's nest."
my glove was missing till about an hour
later. Luckily I’d packed a second set
of winter gloves and I don’t even know
why, as I didn’t duplicate anything else.
Another thing to keep in mind is to
travel with minimal clothes. I usually
have spares of clothing just in case the
pants get wet or shirt gets dirty. Just 4
pairs of socks, half-dozen undies,
couple of T-shirts, couple of winter
shirts, 1 pair spare jeans and I’ll call it
good, planning to wash them along the
way. The more you travel the more
Paying one’s respects.
streamlined you get.
There is no way around motorcycle
gear as it’s just plain bulky but you’re
wearing it for most of the trip so it’s not
likely to be in your luggage other than
traveling to and from (flying). I even
wore some of it on the plane to keep
my bag minimized. The more you take,
the heavier it is and the more stuff you
gotta lug around. Nepal is all mountains
so everywhere you go there are steps.
After a longs day’s ride, do you really
feel like lugging a heavy bag up stairs
to your room? I’ll answer that question
for you: NO.
Some asked why I didn’t take my
Indian. Well, some parts of the world
are just not suited for such a bike and
Nepal is one of them. It just isn’t going
to work there, nada, no darn way.
I did meet two guys on BMW 800’s and
they gave up part way into the trip.
Their bikes were too big for that kind of
terrain. Sometimes it’s best to go with
what the locals advise. After all it’s their
country and they know best.
Next issue I’ll get into the ride. Till then,
as they say in Nepal, Namaste.
These bare feet have walked a lot of
kilometers.
Michael Lichter tries out a singing
bowl.
Nepal Postscript:
Makes perfect sense: NOT!
When I disembarked in Kathmandu, Nepal, I filled out some paperwork and got in
line. It was an old airport which, to describe it properly, would be to say it’s one
big room made from wood from a long time ago: simple, smallish and rather
stuffy. I finally got up to the counter and the guy tells me I need to go to that one
over there first and get my permit. Not a sign anywhere that says any such a thing.
Not to mention, I did all of this online before I left home, but apparently that was a
waste of time.
To the right of this counter was the money exchange office so I figured I better
change my U.S. bucks to Nepalese money first. Logical thinking would be they
deal in their own money, right? Well, when I got back in line to get my permit, lo
and behold, I had to pay it in U.S. bucks. Nepalese money wasn’t accepted at all. What the heck?! Oh well. It was early in the trip. And the one thing you’ve gotta do in foreign countries is maintain your cool, don’t sweat over anything even though you’re tired and worn out. Some stuff doesn’t make sense but YOU are a visitor in THEIR country. And the bigger picture is: we represent the country we are from so that’s important, too. Yeah, ya just gotta roll with the punches. -- Kiwi Mike Damn Yankees in Thailand Part 7 From Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai In case you’re new to this publication or the holidays faded your memory, let us bring you up to speed: Kiwi Mike and his good mate Dennis Bolduc, who owns Indian Motorcycle of Springfield Mass, traveled to Thailand last February. We’ve been telling – and showing – their trip in sections. In this episode, they finish their miles on modern bikes as they arrive in Chiang Mai, one of the top tourist destinations in the country. Tune in next time as they wrap up the trip on vintage Indians. Eager to start our day we jumped right on our bikes in the morning after a quick breakfast of coffee and toast. Hey, it is Thailand. No bacon and eggs here. In the cool morning air we headed back up into the mountains. Once again we had great corners. We would climb a mountain and then descend down into lush valleys. The scenery was awesome in the morning sunshine. Farmers were out working the rice paddies in the cool morning air. Our big American V-twins rumbling through the fertile valleys were the only vehicles on the road. Talk about awesome! Our first stop was the fish cave, a very large spring which comes out of the base of a mountain. The fish gather around the mouth of the spring to enjoy the cooler water and local villagers have capitalized on that, selling fish food to tourists. It was a beautiful place. After a quick lunch of pork neck, ribs and intestines from the food vendors
on site, we hit the road. Pork intestines? Once again, it is Thailand. Our next stop was the Doi Kiew Lom View Point and the view was incredible. Thai mountains as far as we could see. There was a public swing here like nothing you would see in the USA. Four people rode on it and at the peak you were about 20 feet off the ground. Another biker had run out of gas here and being Thailand the villagers are always quick to seize an opportunity. A villager was set up here with gas in Pepsi bottles and a funnel. You pay a premium price but it’s full service. Back on the road again we headed into Pai. Here we had nice riverside bungalows waiting for us. Thank you Lee! The town was full of college kids from Europe having fun. Guess it’s a popular spring break location. The next morning we had a normal breakfast of sausage and eggs. We didn’t ask what was in the sausage but it was good. We fired up the bikes and headed out to our first stop, the Tai Pai WWII bridge, a.k.a. “The Bridge on the River Kwai.” This was not the bridge in the movie, which was fictional, but a real one built by POWs during WWII. Cool history! Getting back on the bikes we headed up to Huai Nam Dang National Park. A very tight one-lane road led us in. You did not want to meet a truck on this road. Steep drops were on either side. Thai people are very serious about their national forests and any poaching or unlawful use is dealt with very harshly. We were told there are Thai lions in this forest and it was a very beautiful place. With sightseeing over we headed down the mountain and after six days of winding mountain roads we got on the highway. We set the cruise control and it was very liberating. With the big Indians rumbling along we rolled into Chiang Mai, Thailand’s largest northern city. It’s a very beautiful city and one of Thailand’s top tourist destinations. Our trip on modern bikes was over. Tomorrow we would be getting on antique Indian motorcycles for a two- day ride back into the mountains. Join us as we wrap up this amazing trip next
issue.
Chief owner and happy customer Paul Having decided to try and resurrect this
Pry dropped us a note and some bike, I soon realized I was in over my
pictures of his restored motorcycle. head. That’s when I chose Kiwi Indian
Here’s the story of the bike, in Paul’s to help due to Mike’s tremendous
words. experience as reflected in his personal
life story, the innovations and
My brother bought this bike from Larry improvements he has invented for the
Sipple of Barneveld, New York. Now brand, his free educational videos, plus
Larry was a tin knocker and traveled his approachability and wiliness to
the state doing heating and air teach - and I had a LOT to learn.conditioning ductwork. But his real Thanks to Big Chief Mike and the passion was Indians. He found this one whole Kiwi tribe this bike is now up and in northern New York state, it was an running after 38 years. I started my old police bike. He sold it to my brother break in rides at the end of September and I followed him as he rode it home. 2018 I had hoped to have it inspected That was in 1980. My brother worked in October 2018 but the weather in as a registered nurse at a prison for New York turned foul so I set my sites the criminally insane. He was attacked on 2019. It runs GREAT. It is a THIRLL at work and sustained a subdural to ride. Like nothing else. hematoma requiring skull burr holes. After that he could not ride and this Chief sat, not ridden. Two or three years ago my brother gave this Chief to me! The engine had seized and the wheels had sunk 4-6 inches into his dirt garage floor. My wife and I dug the bike free and trailered it to our home where it took up residence in my dry garage. At one level I would have been happy to just to keep the Chief as is; a touchstone to our past and days long gone; but this old Indian deserved a better fate. Work Smarter, Not Harder When lacing 16” wheels, always make sure the valve stem is on the left side of the bike. Having it on the left side makes it far easier when checking air pressure and filling with air as the brake drum is not in the way. Note: 18” rims have the valve stem in the center of the rim so this does not apply. More Tech!
Socket Set Tool One of the biggest pains working on Indians is checking the tightness of the head bolts. Most of us have a conglomeration of tools to accomplish what should be a simple operation - which it’s not. But this super nice head bolt socket set is perfect for getting to all your head bolts and with these 2 sockets you can get to them all. Not only do they work well but they also look super professional with their high chrome finish and Indian script logo. And they’re made right here in the USA. Reasonably priced at $49.99 per set. It’s a must have tool in your tool box if you own an Indian. (Head bolt tool part number 37216T) 1936 Chief This is a very original bike that’s been waiting for attention in an old guy’s garage. There’s no rust and he said it ran good before he parked it. To me, the 1936 Chiefs are the beginning of the modern Chief models with their better oil pump and distributor ignition. It’s just a more all around reliable bike. This bike has a new dash panel and instrumentation. It also has the correct gas tanks, which are pretty rare. I refer to these as the “pregnant” gas tanks as one side bulges out to fit between the frame rails. Matching engine and frame numbers. It’s a very decent bike and needs very little to get her back on the road. Interested? Email bigchief@kiwiindian.com
Feedback & Testimonials
Make Us Smile!
We really enjoy putting together this newsletter for you, our loyal readers and
friends. But we get so sad when we don’t get mail!
This newsletter provides Indian owners and riders with pertinent information about
a topic we enjoy in common: Indian Motorcycles. What do you like about this
publication? What are we missing that you’d like to see included? Do you have a
story to share?
Come on, you’ve read this far: tell us what you think! We want to hear from you!
Email: office@kiwiindian.com or BigChief@KiwiIndian.com.
WHERE TO FIND US:
Texas Vintage Motorcycle Fandango - April 5-
7th 2019
Texas/ National Road Run - April 8-10th, 2019
Please note we will not be attending Oley Swap Meet this year.
Kiwi Indian MotoCycle News
Kiwi Indian Motorcycles Inc.
www.KiwiIndian.com
Riverside, CA 92504
951.780.5400
If you have ideas, want to contribute to
CONTACT US
upcoming Newsletter articles, would like to
order parts or have questions, feel free to
contact us!
You can also read
