SPORT SCOUT
The Indian 57cu" Stroker Sport Scout Project
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A wee bit of Background: The Indian Sport Scout was the Springfield factory's challenger on the race track against Harley Davidsons 45cu" racers, in the late 40's racers squeezed more power out of the motor by "stroking" it to 57cu" using the longer stroke Chief flywheels with Scout rods giving a capacity of 930cc This project uses just such a "Stroker" motor in a 1936 front Sport Scout frame bolted up to a 1940 640SS rear frame, the motor gains an extra 45cc by being bored 50 thou oversize. |
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Bought as a basket case in December 2005 the project really got underway at the end of January 2006, when the rear section from Chris Ireland's 741B 'Bella' arrived . Originally I had planned to build a period perfect 1950's Bobber, but then i started to bolt bits together to see what could be done! |
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| 31/01/06 - With the front frame section and engine plates bolted loosely together I set them up on wooden blocks then bolted up the rear section .I'm still waiting for the shackles and top yoke for the 741B girder front that I have so i bolted up a Yamaha XS 650 front end that was lying around with a Triumph 16" rear wheel to keep it up! |
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Raking around
for a tank in the spares pile I found an alloy trials one and dropped
it on, a single sprung seat, and a set of bars from a T140 Triumph
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Starting to
look like a bike now, the wee fella jumped on with a pair of upside
down Renthal trials bars to try it for size!
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Dont miss the next thrilling installment !
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Update 15/02/06 On close inspection of the front frame we found a crack running vertically down through the front of the headstock, a trip into Inverness and a neat repair was carried out by Richie Foss. |
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Just as i'd given up hope of the rear frame section coming from the States, the postie arrived this morning with a triangular box and an Import duty bill for £50, two months wait after having paid extra for air freight, must have been sitting in a container in a yard somewhere!
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Front
frame was dropped in to Ross-shire Engineering to get head stock line
bored and bearing adapters made up to take Triumph T140 yokes and taper
roller bearings. The single disc front end will take a 130/90 x16 tyre
(just) , the same set up as the Triumph Bobber. Matching Triumph T140
hub and 130/90x16 on the rear will give single disc brakes front and
rear, plenty of stopping power for a rigid Bobber.
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Update 24/03/06
Heads are now back from the welders shop fins have been repaired
And the combustion chamber on the rear head has had a hole filled and reground
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Next job on the list is to rebuild the transmission meanwhile the frame has been given a coat of Smoothrite satin black, ready for this season's build up and shakedown. |
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Starting to take shape
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Chromed
Junior scout tanks will be mounted slightly wider than standard to keep
clear of the seat hinge mounting a leather strip to match the seat will
be fitted to cover the gap
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Update 23/05/06 Decided to notch the frame seat tube rather than cut into the rear barrel and cyluinder head fins, so the front frame went off to Richie foss in Inverness again and once again he did a great job. |
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The engine
plates and motor were bolted up and stapped to a work stool, then the
front frame was bolted up, followed by the rear section and then tanks
for a trial fit - everything fitting together nicely.
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After a bit of a lay off on this project due to other commitments, I have recently started to make some progress. A Joe Hunt Magneto was bought secondhand from one of the Chopperbuilder Forum members, he had used i on his Harley Shovelhead and decided to put it back to standard ignition. Grizzy kindly converted it to Indian spec and tested it on his Hotrod Chief/BSA Geronimo. Grizzy also fabbed a Stainless steel manifold adapter so that I could experiment with different carb set ups. I've got a 1.25 " SU which was kindly donated by Chris Ireland and a 32mm Amal Concentric bought off ebay, waiting for trial. |
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| I am also experimenting with a Triumph rigid frame 4 speed gearbox, which looks like it will fit in behind the motor niceley and let me use a Hayward belt drive kit which was left over from the Triumph project. |
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Just took delivery of this fantastic hand carved mahogany gearshift knob by Pete Vivian Raven in a Warbonnet |
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after a long lay off, while i moved house, and worked, and got involved with a rusty Land Rover, etc etc. I finally got the big bits all bolted up again, |
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not happy with the seat, so I think i'll revert to the big Indian pan saddle which is lying on the shelf, Ive got hold of a mountainbike seat post with built in damping which shouldtake a bit of the bounce out of the ride 8-)
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the eagle eyed will notice that plan a has been shelved, the original 3 speed hand change gearbox has been rebuilt, cheers Colin, and is now sitting where it belongs. The Triumph 4 speed box sits waiting for another project. 10/02/09 Set myself a deadline, the Indian has to be running and on the road for the start of June, the plan is to give it it's first outing at the Highland Classic MCC Loch Ness Rally mid June and then take it to the "Old Indians never die" International Indian Rally at Traquair at the end of July. |
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April 2009 Finally down off the bench and outside to see the progress and get the seat position and foot controls where I want them, Still a fair bit of work too go but at least I have a roller. |
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July 2009 Didn't make my ddeadline to have the Scout ready for the Old Indians Never Die Rally at Traquair, just too many things on the go, and a lot of little jobs needing done, we did, however, get the bike loaded into the Speedshop's tour wagon and headed south to have pow wow with over 250 other Redskins 8-) Picture above is the Scout with Grizzy's "Geronimo" Chief Hotrod |
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August 2009 Back on the bench, still to fit the King Clutch and primary (supplied by IPE ) rear brake cylinder to plumb in, oil lines and fuel pipes to fit and magneto to time etc etc!!! Now fitted with a pair of 741b Military tanks. |
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| October 2010 The Stroker Scout took a bit of a back seat over the last year, lots of other bikes needing work and too many commitments. Neil (Indianscot) came up from the borders and gave me a hand to get the motor commissioned, a couple of beer and pie fed days in the workshop resulted in a running Injun!
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| November 2010 ~ March 2011 The Scout was taken in to Richi Foss at Foss Fabrication and Welding to get some exhaust pipes made up. After a bit of discussion I asked Richi to make up some race spec pedals and fabricate the linkages and spacers needed to get the bike complete. Richi has worked on the Scout over the winter months, as the work has progressed other jobs have been added to his list - The more I see of Richi's work the more I want him to do to my bikes!
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Credits
Parts and advice - Grizzy, Moen at Indian Parts Europe, Rock Dillinger at Iron Wigwam, Jerry Greer Engineering, LP Williams, Robin Oakley, Chris Ireland, Alan Gould
Help with the build - Neil Fallas, Colin Craig, Grizzy
Specialist Welding and Fabrication - Richi Foss
Machining - Ross-shire Engineering, Moray Firth Precision Engineering
Wood Carving - Pete Vivian