1945 Indian Special
Jim Seidell’s Very Special Bike
When Buzz Kanter of American Iron magazine posted a photograph from Choke And Kick It Classic Motorcycles's Facebook page of a 46 Indian with a set of Suzuki GSXR front forks, the comments came flooding in. As you would expect, some of the comments were favorable, like: “He likes it! Why not?”
But there were some who definitely did not: “You asked for opinions. Freakin hideous.”
But most comments hit the middle ground, “I like to see old bikes on the road not the museum floor .
. . If this is what he needed to do with HIS bike to use it . . . No problem for me.”
It is that last comment that sums up most American classic and vintage motorcycle owners’ ethos: just ride them, that’s what they're for.
A similar bike, or rather the frame, came to Indian specialist Jim Seidell some time ago from an eBay advert. It did have a set of Harley FXR forks and rims, and a FL front fender on the rear and met Jim’s idea of building “an Indian chief that would perform and handle like a modern bike.”
As the project evolved, the basic specification has changed a number of times. The first example saw Jim fitting a 1974 Bonneville motor (the Indian Bonneville motor was their high performance 74 cubic inch.
motor) . This first spec was ridden by Jim for a season before it got painted!
First item to go was the rear fender, and a shortened Indian skirted fender, with the skirts removed, was substituted.
Having ridden the bike with a more powerful motor than it was originally designed for, Jim knew that the original frame could stand the extra loads, so he set about building the 84” stroker motor that is in the bike today.
This motor also boasts Bonneville lifters with a Shuck camshaft. With dual exhausts Jim claims “The motor just pulls from the bottom to the top of the rpm range.”
Harley Sprockets
By using Harley rims/wheels, Jim was able to re-gear the bike by changing the rear sprocket from a 43-tooth piece to a 40-tooth item. This lowered the RPM at speed, and, combined with an overdrive transmission, made highway riding easy on the motor.
What's interesting, considering all the changes this bike has gone through from stock, is that only two modifications were needed to the base frame: two tabs were welded on, one for the rear brake reservoir and the other for the rear brake caliper stay (the rod is a modified snowmobile steering link!).
Besides the snowmobile steering link brake rod, some other interesting additions include an US Coast Guard approved spark arrester air filter, a headlight and speedo are from a Gillroy Indian and the fuel tank is a 5-gallon Sport Scout Daytona item.
Jim is renowned for riding the bikes he owns and this 46 Indian special is no exception. He currently has put some 20,000 miles on the odometer, including a trip all around Florida in 2013 during which Jim claims he had no problem keeping up with 70 and 80 mph traffic in the sunshine state.
So when thinking about the various comments on Facebook, it may be worth remembering that, without the likes of people like Jim, there would be no interesting old bikes on the road, and that piece of asphalt occupied by Jim’s 46 Indian special would have been taken up by another Honda Civic or a Toyota Camry!
Good job Jim, keep’em coming.
When Buzz Kanter of American Iron magazine posted a photograph from Choke And Kick It Classic Motorcycles's Facebook page of a 46 Indian with a set of Suzuki GSXR front forks, the comments came flooding in. As you would expect, some of the comments were favorable, like: “He likes it! Why not?”
But there were some who definitely did not: “You asked for opinions. Freakin hideous.”
But most comments hit the middle ground, “I like to see old bikes on the road not the museum floor .
. . If this is what he needed to do with HIS bike to use it . . . No problem for me.”
It is that last comment that sums up most American classic and vintage motorcycle owners’ ethos: just ride them, that’s what they're for.
A similar bike, or rather the frame, came to Indian specialist Jim Seidell some time ago from an eBay advert. It did have a set of Harley FXR forks and rims, and a FL front fender on the rear and met Jim’s idea of building “an Indian chief that would perform and handle like a modern bike.”
As the project evolved, the basic specification has changed a number of times. The first example saw Jim fitting a 1974 Bonneville motor (the Indian Bonneville motor was their high performance 74 cubic inch.
motor) . This first spec was ridden by Jim for a season before it got painted!
First item to go was the rear fender, and a shortened Indian skirted fender, with the skirts removed, was substituted.
Having ridden the bike with a more powerful motor than it was originally designed for, Jim knew that the original frame could stand the extra loads, so he set about building the 84” stroker motor that is in the bike today.
This motor also boasts Bonneville lifters with a Shuck camshaft. With dual exhausts Jim claims “The motor just pulls from the bottom to the top of the rpm range.”
Harley Sprockets
By using Harley rims/wheels, Jim was able to re-gear the bike by changing the rear sprocket from a 43-tooth piece to a 40-tooth item. This lowered the RPM at speed, and, combined with an overdrive transmission, made highway riding easy on the motor.
What's interesting, considering all the changes this bike has gone through from stock, is that only two modifications were needed to the base frame: two tabs were welded on, one for the rear brake reservoir and the other for the rear brake caliper stay (the rod is a modified snowmobile steering link!).
Besides the snowmobile steering link brake rod, some other interesting additions include an US Coast Guard approved spark arrester air filter, a headlight and speedo are from a Gillroy Indian and the fuel tank is a 5-gallon Sport Scout Daytona item.
Jim is renowned for riding the bikes he owns and this 46 Indian special is no exception. He currently has put some 20,000 miles on the odometer, including a trip all around Florida in 2013 during which Jim claims he had no problem keeping up with 70 and 80 mph traffic in the sunshine state.
So when thinking about the various comments on Facebook, it may be worth remembering that, without the likes of people like Jim, there would be no interesting old bikes on the road, and that piece of asphalt occupied by Jim’s 46 Indian special would have been taken up by another Honda Civic or a Toyota Camry!
Good job Jim, keep’em coming.
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