Sixty-five years later: how a 1911 Indian re-entered preservation

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Walking around the paddock at the end of Pioneer Run in October, an Indian with scruffy paint caught my eye, which I did not remember ever seeing before. There was a good reason for that, and it was made known to me when I was introduced to its owner, Karl Foulkes-Halbard, who explained that nobody has set eyes on it for 65 years at least.

In all that time, it had been in Karl's family, having been bought by his late father, Paul, the well-known vintage car dealer and collector. The family collection remains together, on display at Filching Manor Motor Museum. The bike in question was made in 1911, equipped with a 498cc, 3½hp single-cylinder engine and two speeds. It uses a Bosch magneto and has a left-hand throttle and right-hand advance/retard and clutch controls.

Although Indian, like Harley-Davidson, would become associated in later years with lazy 1,000cc vee-twins, its earliest models were singles. It had started building twins by 1911, but the single-cylinder models still had a few years left. All the same, they are very rare—Karl has only managed to find one other 1911 model with the same engine and gearbox configuration as his in Britain, and it was held in the collection of the Science Museum. All the others he knows of are clutchless, pedal-start models.

The Indian must have a rich history, but unfortunately much of it is obscured. A few early details are known, however, and it was acquired for preservation in the very early days of the hobby, because it was issued with the Pioneer Register certificate number 205; the register was only started in 1938. The registration U 3146 was issued in Leeds, Yorkshire, and local records reveal that it was once owned by a Mr. Joseph Greer. Greer, it is thought, was an Indian enthusiast and may have been using the bike in the early '50s. Karl is still undertaking research into this area.

By the time Paul Foulkes-Halbard acquired it, it certainly was not in a preserved state, and required extensive restoration. Now aged 60, Karl says, "I remember it was all in bits when I was kid. The frame was like a banana, the forks were all twisted..."

When he came of age, Karl started to help with the restoration, but it progressed slowly. Being collectors, they had lots of other projects, not least among which was the restoration of Malcolm Campbell's 1937 Blue Bird K3 speed record boat, which was started in 1988 and only completed in 2012. Paul died in 2003, after which the completion of both K3 and the Indian became Karl's personal passion projects.

Besides the straightening of the bent frame and forks, Karl also had to do something about certain pieces which were missing. Given their rarity, that meant fabricating them from scratch. The handlebars, inlet manifold and clutch lever were among the pieces which had to be made anew. The fuel tank leaked like a sieve and required extensive resoldering, hence the heat-damaged paint.

Mechanically, there are still one or two things to do, but the bike got Karl from Epsom all the way to Shoreham reliably enough. "I had to play all sorts of games with the carburetter, and the clutch keeps slipping, which causes it to jump out of gear. There are still things to iron out. I stopped at Pease Pottage and adjusted the inlet tappets, clutch tension springs and gear selector linkages. I think it needs a new clutch lining."

Teething problems notwithstanding, the Indian conducted itself very well. Leaving Tattenham Corner at ten past eight and taking just one half-hour break, it arrived at Shoreham Airport at quarter past eleven. "I always said I'd get it to Brighton," Karl adds contentedly. "Well, it's Shoreham now, but it's done it."

It might have taken 65 years or more, but we'd say it was worth the wait. Speaking of waiting, one doesn't have to wait long to see a plethora of Pioneer machines like this on display and in action. Brooklands is hosting its first Veteran & Vintage Motorcycle Day, only for pre-war machines, on April 6th. Keep an eye open for more information nearer the time.

Words and photographs: Zack Stiling
 

Kommentar abgeben...