1920s Indian Monkey Bike

A couple of decades ago (or more) I picked up this interesting little bike. It is made up of mostly 20s Indian parts. I thought it was mostly 101 Scout parts but looking at the frame a friend thought the frame might be a four cylinder. The engine is from a 20's Prince. The trans is a Power Plus. The tanks are unknown to me but Indian and very cool. I'll bet there's a racer that would like 'em. I believe the front hub is HD.

Obviously everything is cut down and miniaturized. The story goes that a monkey rode it in the circus (believe it or not!) maybe not, I don't know. The old fellow that owned it began restoration at one time and the bike was all apart. I stuck it together to wheel it around and had it in the basement for many years.

In 2005 I decided to put it together. The motor was apart, the trans was apart and a million and one little home made "One Off" parts filled several boxes. Well I spread everything out on an old door and began the puzzle. What an interesting job it was trying to figure out what fit what! I would go out to the garage from time to time and try a few things to see if they worked then try them again when they didn't. I would pick up parts that I was convinced were thrown in by mistake only to find that combined with another weird part it fit some purpose on the little freak! The shifter and clutch linkage were a real challenge!

This was one of the best "therapy" projects I have worked on...no pressure just put it together like a (not so) big toy. Of course when all was said and done I had a box of left overs...just like Christmas morning. I believe it had a sidecar at one time based on some of the spare parts I have!

Well then came the task of figuring out what to do with it. I took it out to an AMCA meet in Jefferson PA where it met its bigger cousin (Frank Westfall's) Super X Mini circus bike.

After that outing my sons and I hoisted it onto the kitchen table and into the perfect opening in the wall! It probably still has a little scalp and hair on the floor board..Oops careful kids!

47 Knuckle Assembly from 2008

I came across some pictures of the final assembly of my 47 Knuckle from March 2008 when I re-did the bike for the umpteenth time since I was a teenager. The paint is still the same from 1990 or 1991. The motor got a rebuild and the frame and fork a fresh powder coating. Oh yeah and an NOS Superior exhaust system.

41 TT Knuck

Well it looks like it may be time to get off my ass on this project. I have had the chassis together for probably eight years.

I grabbed up a bunch of cool parts and had a buddy (Paul) paint all the black stuff. My vision was to build a TT knuckle. I am using an ELC (Canadian Knuckle) fork which is 2 1/2 inches longer than stock, similar to an XA. The frame is a 41 and happens to be the first knuckle frame I ever bought back when I was 19. The ride control is NOS and came out of Williams HD in NJ also back when I was 19.

I laced up the original Kelsey Hayes 18 inch rims with stainless spokes that I glass beaded to look like Cadmium (old restoration trick) and I mounted original 4.50 X18 Goodyear Deluxe All Weather (yeah right!) tires. I used a bunch of original and NOS hardware, Springs, rockers, etc. to put the forks together.

The handle bars are low Flanders and the risers are the shortest Flanders they made. I like the look but they hit the cats eye dash so I'll have to figure something out...hey just leave the dash and speedo off! What the hell it's a TT bike anyway...

The motor needs some finishing up. The lower end has been done for over 15 years (waitin' on me) so it shouldn't be too much to get it buttoned up. I would love to get a front mounted magneto for it.

I really don't know why I waited so long to get back to this one, maybe it was just too clean!

57 Panhead Revival

Well the kid is tearin' into it. Brake drum changed out, cut down Pan rear fender painted and installed, taillight mounted, primary coming apart to see where all that oil is coming from and the foot shifter bracket removed for welding. Checking off a few tasks on our "delousing" list! After the primary and shifter are straightened out we'll move on the the front end and get a proper front brake cable eliminating that nice tight streeetch across the triple trees.

Revival in process.

Two Wheeled Mayhem!!!

Any poster for an event that includes Two Wheeled Mayhem!!! is worth checking out! These events started this summer and I haven't checked it out yet. July 11 there should be a whole bunch of old bikes heading down there. I know I'm looking forward getting a knuckle out there and really fuckin' something up bad! What the hell you can always fix it...

Wall of Death!!!

California Hell Riders put on a great show if you get a chance check it out.

More Rhinebeck 09

Too Much of Both!

Man down! Rhinebeck 09

Rhinebeck 2009

Just got back from Rhinebeck NY AMCA Super Meet. There was a lot speculation as to how it would go based on some new and strict rules. I had a great time and aside from a friendly reminder from two Dutchess County Sheriff's officers that drinking out of a glass container while riding my knucklehead was probably against the rules (law) all the rules and regulations didn't affect me personally. Some others may have had a different experience. All in all the show was great! Three days of bikes, hot rods, The Wall of Death, stunt shows, old machinery, grease grime and beer. I will post some more pictures when I get 'em off my phone.

Next!

Well Junior #2 wants to revive the old 57 "Black Jersey Pan". I helped a buddy back in Jersey build this thing back in the mid 80's. I bought it from him in the spring of 06 along with a lot of my parts that I "loaned" him to get it going 25 years ago. It was laying in his shed with two flats, no oil, no battery, and all fucked up. You know... missing 4 out of 5 bolts that hold in the oil tank that kind of thing. I will admit that he rode the shit out of it back when... just never fixed it much.

I straightened it out so I could ride it and did for about a year. I set it aside and yes like everything else that sits too long around here, I started pulling parts off it for other projects (just a few). Well now my middle boy wants to put it back up and ride it so I dragged it out and it's time to straighten it out again!

One Down Three To Go

I taught the kid how to ride a tank shift trike when he was 11. He's finally putting it to good use nine years later. What the hell he's finally coming around. Good or bad that's yet to be determined. At least he's starting to dress normal...

Wiring Diagram

If anyone cares. Here's a Wiring Diagram I drew up and emailed to a buddy for his knuckle Bob Job. I thought it cartoonish and simple and then I looked in a panhead manual some time later and they had the same kind of 4th grade drawings.
Well it worked for him and utilizes the original color code.

Got Distracted By Miss Monroe

Before I got distracted by the unpublished pics of Marilyn Monroe I was talking about Vic Salvador. Let me get back to that again.

I found a few more pics from a visit a few years ago. I actually met Vic through another HillClimb Champ Charlie Jacob. Many years ago a friend bought a couple of Ice racers and stuff from Charlie. I ended up with an HD 45 Ice racer and another friend got the Norton. Well the Norton had the HD rear wheel and the Harley had the Norton rear wheel on it. It turns out that the Norton had belonged to Vic. He and Charlie used to ice race (before global warming). I hooked him up with the new owner of the Norton and not long after that they made a deal and Vic got his old Norton back. I told Vic about the wheels and he was willing to trade! It took another five years before we got together and traded wheels. But at last the bikes had the proper parts. We were both happy. Above is a picture of the Norton Ice Racer and Vic's shop with a couple of WLs that he put together and rides not to mention his GREAT 57 Chevy and a bunch of other stuff. Vic is still putting old shit together in the shop in his mid 70s. Oh yeah his racing Jersey from the 50s is still hanging on the back of the door! And no shit he is into Heavy Metal!!

You gotta love this one!

Vic's WR Powered Hillclimber Resurfaced in 2007

A few posts back I told you (if there is anyone reading this crap) about my friend Vic who was a National Champion Hillclimber back in the 50's and early 60's. I forgot to mention that back in the early 60's he sold his hillclimb WR and always wondered what became of it. Well for whatever reason I have a knack for remembering numbers and having seen his old racing licence with the serial number to his WR written on it, I committed it to memory.

Well I was at Rhinebeck in 2007 riding around the meet on my U model when I spotted a hillclimber and some parts sitting out at a vendor space. I love these old climbers and already own a few so I immediately pulled in to see if it was for sale. It looked vaguely familiar so I checked it out the serial number and no shit it was Vic's old bike. It had changed a bit over the years substituting the old single spring fork with a more modern hydraulic one. (the spring fork was among the parts sitting next to it).

I spoke to the owner who was not selling it by the way and let him know what history I had on it. I called Vic and sent him the pictures and gave him the new owners number. From what Vic tells me the two ever hooked up. Oh well.

You never know whats gonna pop up.