early indians on e-bay

[c.o.]

There's a couple early Injuns on e-bay that you fellas should check out! Do a search under injinjoe. Enjoy!!!! I only wish I had the bucks to take a run at one of them!

[LouieMCman]

Did you see the 1912 Indian single on ebay about a week ago? It was a belt drive but the seller didn't seem to realize what he had and didn't even mention "belt drive" in the ad. He then pulled the bike off ebay stating that he had it advertized wrong. Haven't seen it since. I bet someone offered him big bucks for it so he pulled it. Looked like a real nice bike too!

Louie

[c.o.]

Yeah, Louie I did see the '12. Your probably right. Money talks!!!

[20scout]

A few weeks ago I seen an add wher as a guy was selling off his fathers estate and had an old Indian for sale for $2500.00. It was an original 1908 racer!!! Unfortunatly he would not respond to my emails. My guess is that someone beat me to it!

TR

[c.o.]

All I can say is OUCH!! That ****s......

[exeric]

Anyone that would offer a 1908 Indian or any sort for $2500 is living under a rock. I certainly would have checked it out too, but I would be very suspicious of the seller. Years ago I put an ad in our club magazine for Merkel parts. I got a call from this guy who had everything I was looking for. He acted ignorant about Merkel stuff and described the parts like someone who was looking at them for the first time. He said that he saw my ad in a friends AMCA mag and wasn't a member himself. His act was well rehearsed and his personal facts were vague and misleading. I still wonder how he figured he was going to seperate me from my money. I think he was just measuring me for gullibility and greed becuase that is what a con man has to have in a "mark." About 10 years ago our club was plagued with a few crooks who must have had an incredible line of B.S. because they swindled more than a few of our members. You just have to wonder how they think they are going to pull this stuff off. I guess the bottom line is, an honest person is going to give you an honest deal and tell you what you need to know.

[20scout]

Ya, I thought that it might be a scam. But then, why didn't he respond to my emails? Unless he got shut down before I emailed him, you would think a scamer would take advantage of everyone who sent him an email. I would like to think that someone got it and we will at least see it at a swapmeet on display. Oh-well, we may never know.

TR

[partshunt]

Hi- I got bit in the early ninys ordering from a Philyp Messens in Belgium from a Walnecks add. Sent money, no parts and he quit answering the phone after that. Walnecks did all they could to track him down. He was in Belgium and non of the authorities there could find him. I got the cleared check back that he cashed and nothing else. Anyone ever hear of him?

[trebornostaw]

hey!!!!!!!!!! that ad for the 08 indian racer was put on in portland ore too, craigslist.. 2 days later the same guy added an original 09 ex. for 8k. the racer was amazing. the bike exists some place, but the ads were most likely PHONY. i put on an add offering to sell the brooklin bridge for 5000 pepsi bottles after that. then 1000 dollar vincent, and others showed up.i put on an add saying i had photos of the bikes saved,i have pics of the racer and the ex. ad. "we"were looking for them. no more ads now.

[20scout]

Ya, that's where I found the add too. But I think he got shut down before he could respond to my email. It sounds like he listed the Indian on ebay for a few hours before he got shut down there too. I guess it was the same pictures but located in England. Wow, this bike gets around!

[trebornostaw]

here is a shot of the 08 racer. does a close exam reveal some well aged repro parts with original motor? or all real?, its hard to tell anymore.

[INLINE4NUT]

I think it will get even harder as WE get older to tell! Lets hope to many dont take advantage of this kinda stuff!!

[mcarver]

Hey! I recognize that guy's hand! He is a big time scammer! Just kidding.... Hey Robbie do you still have that '10 Indian project?
-Mike Carver

[trebornostaw]

hi mike.
i had a 1910 indian 30 cu in single for sale a couple of years ago. at that time the all of parties interested in it wanted to buy it, and chop it. who would chop a 95 year old motorcycle? unfortunately, it is happening every day in this club. this used to be about history and historic preservation. the h.c.c.a. credo is "preserve original features". that idea has gone by the wayside. the current amca idea seems to be"turn that old bike into a fake racer". ok. here is the recipe. how to build a 95 year old chopper.

start with a 1912 indian (25k). remove the original handlebars, put on fake drop bars. remove the original seat and put on a small repo seat that fits low to the frame. remove the rear brake assembly. remove the front leaf spring suspension. remove the clutch and put on a new made, barely functional, compensator assembly. remove the front fender. cut the original rear fender in half and remount it. paint it with HIGH gloss plastic paint and sell it at the lost vegas auction for 50k. pretty discouraging.

needless to say, i have decided to hang onto the bike. we all want an exotic one of a kind bike. now, if we cant get one we make it out of something else. soon someone will figure out how to turn a honda cb 350 into a 1936 knucklehead. i think i am going to buy a model t this year.
this little letter wil no doubt stirr up a buzz,but like my dad once said:sometimes you have to throw that rock at that hornets nest, just to see what comes out.

[AdminGuy]

Thankfully -Mike Smith, Fred Lange and Lonnie Isam provide outlets for this desire now. The quality produced is exceptional and fully functional for riding without fear of destroying (or chopping) a true antique.

[c.o.]

I am of the firm belief that chopping an original bike is sacreligious!!!! Things are different if you end up with a bike that has already been destroyed by another party's lack of foresight. Then I think either go about making the bike right or try to build the bike you wished you could have but not afford (ie racer). I do agree that it is really sad to see a before and after shot of a nice original machine converted to a living room conversation piece. Just my two-bits worth.

Hey Robbie is there any chance you could show us a picture of that '10 of yours?

[jurassic]

for the record,i have never,ever takin a complete street bike and turned it racer.i like to think of a racer as a glorified engine stand as that is how all of my bikes start out,as just an engine.if there is even a remote chance that a basket could be put back to a street bike then it should,because the racer market is tanked,thanks to the afore mentioned group.check out some of my "engine stands" at www.motorcyclearchives.com

[c.o.]

Very cool site jurassic!!! I do have a major appreciation for early racers!!! As far as the engine stand theory, that's a whole different story than hacking a completely original machine. I know of a fella right now that is looking at turning a '15 Thor twin engine into a racer. By the way I like your Excelsior racer project that's on e-bay right now.

[mcarver]

Well, just in the last couple of years I have seen (as I am sure many of you also have) ads to "convert" your original frame to a short coupled racing frame. I also gnashed my teeth two years ago when I ran into someone at a meet wanting Mike Smith to "convert" a very nice '11 Indian frame to a short couple style. To his credit Mike S. was trying really hard to convince the guy to have a repro frame made... but as we know a "true enthusiast" uses all original parts... I don't know how that one worked out.
I have made a few repro parts and I think that is a great idea for repli-racers. Also, why not build up "privateer" or homebuilt that does not alter any original parts????
Robbie, I will have to take you up on your challenge, I have two Honda cb350f's I will trade for your '10 Indian, then you can "convert" them and have two '36 knuckelheads!!! Now that's a good deal from where I stand.
-Mike

[trebornostaw]

i had to overstate a little to get this discussion on the table but i absolutley agree admin guy,the quality produced and many skills needed to create modern replicas are nothing short of incredible. endless hours go into these bikes.pattern making, casting, machining,are just a few of the skills that the builders are masters of. not to forget the research. they provide examples for the viewing pleasure of many. some even run and race these bikes! those whom i know that make and sell such machines are very clear as to what they have made or changed.the sales are honest and the buyers truely are after the machine they are purchasing. with the time and expense required to produce one, the prices realized, high as they might seem, barely reflect the effort.

around though, old machines are still being cut up. 100 years from now we will all be long dead, but the bikes will still exist. what then? are we diluting, or altering the antique motorcycle gene pool?

i think that all machines, even the newly made ones should have log books made for them. i have begun to make logs for my motorcycles. they document the known past owners and even the people and swapmeets where i gotten various parts for them, or the pieces to build them up. its heartening to know that the many names in these logs are of friends, some of whom have passed. these logs will hopefully stay with the machines and 150 years from now someone will be reading the names and trying to imagine this time.