Topic: Bikes and 'Nam

[gerhed]

Got shipped over to S. Vietnam in summer of '68.
As a draftsman/surveyor in the U.S. Navy Seabees, I was posted to the
3rd Naval Constuction Brigade at a location 10 miles north of
DaNang,--They called it "Red Beach".
During that year, I lost two friends and, inconsequentially,
my girlfriend dumped me
(to her credit, she married a guy with an XKE Roadster).

But I still had my '48 Indian Chief, so when I got back to Chicago,
I put the battery on charge for a few minutes and that bike
started up on the second kick !
I carried the photo below during my "tour"
and looking at it brought me comfort--still does.

gerhed

[BobbyR]

Got shipped over to S. Vietnam in summer of '68.
As a draftsman/surveyor in the U.S. Navy Seabees, I was posted to the
3rd Naval Constuction Brigade at a location 10 miles north of
DaNang,--They called it "Red Beach".
During that year, I lost two friends and, inconsequentially,
my girlfriend dumped me
(to her credit, she married a guy with an XKE Roadster).

But I still had my '48 Indian Chief, so when I got back to Chicago,
I put the battery on charge for a few minutes and that bike
started up on the second kick !
I carried the photo below during my "tour"
and looking at it brought me comfort--still does.

gerhed

1968 was a bad year and I too lost two friends that year. What was it like riding one of those old Indians with the springer forks, and by the looks of it a crude  suspension and brakes? I am sure the Bike was more reliable than the girl and certainly more reliable than the XKE.

[754]

Gerhed, how long did you ride that bike as a chopper?? Looks like it was a great bike to ride to clear your head when you got back.. bet it was hard to go back to working...

Will try to get a pic  I took posted of a car engine that gerhed will like....soon I hope..

[Uncle Ernie]

Mr R, it may be pickyunish, but that's a girder, not a springer.  They're OK up to 65, depenmding on the road.

Gerhed, have any current pictures of the rebuild? 
(If the answer is "no", just ignore this post)

[gerhed]

Bobby R,  754, and U.Earnie

There is a fair amount of side to side flex on that front end when moving at a good clip !

Rode the bike as a chopper well into the 80's.

Brought it back part way, but I never had the cash and/or inclination to get the fenders.
I still have the chopper seat and pillion--I may go back to 'em.

Sorry about the handle bar treatment.

[Uncle Ernie]

New bushings?
Thoise bolts pull from one side.  Unless you adjust them on a semi-regular basis, it's REALLY hard to remember how to do it.

Except fo some whack-job in the pictures, the bike looks pretty good.
(shouldn't leave it outside- you never know who will mess with your bike)

[754]

Some girders are ok
 Look at the 100 mph one in the Bonneville thread

 Or the one Bert Munro had at 190 mph...  Altho reading about him he had his share of get-offs...

 Indian looks fine Gerhed.. a rider that you dont have to worry endlessly about..

[andy750]

Good story Gerhed and I liked the before and after shots. You havent changed much and neither has the bike (although as 754 said - it looks like a good rider as opposed to a showboat). Although I WOULD lose the handlbar threads.....

cheers
Andy

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Thats pretty cool. Your dad by the rebuild and your son in the before pix    . I find it very interesting that all my friends have gotten old but not me. I just can't figure out how my granfather shows up in the mirror.

Nice bike.

[toycollector10]

Keep the handlebar thingies....so cool !! 

[Sam Green Racing]

Thought you guys down under were tough nuts, not sissies

Sam.

[BobbyR]

I guess my question is are those bikes as struggle to ride. It look like you have to do some work on low and high speed turns. Sorry I called  your girder a springer.

[gerhed]

I guess my question is are those bikes as struggle to ride. It look like you have to do some work on low and high speed turns. Sorry I called  your girder a springer.

It definitely seems like a more pronounced "feature" ,on the Indian,
that if you don't concentrate on your counter steering in a high speed turn
you're into the fence--had some close calls early in my stewardship.

[Uncle Ernie]

Mr R, the hardest part is larning to accelerate from a stop on a hill. 

Once you get used to it, it's kind of fun in turns;  working the gas with the right hand (assuming the gas and shifter have been switched), spark retard wi the left hand, clutch with the left foot, a little brake on the right foot and then pull the shifter a little into 2nd that you just get used to because there's no "gate" like on Harley so all the while the only thing hanging on to your bike is your hairy butt.   

[BobbyR]

That was where I was going Uncle E. While I am about as old as you boys my bike days start in the mid 70's. I had to shift right footed, but that was it. When Gerhard was coming home I was beginning my adventure. I figure if you could muscle that thing around you could ride anything.

[gerhed]

Mr R, the hardest part is larning to accelerate from a stop on a hill. 

Once you get used to it, it's kind of fun in turns;  working the gas with the right hand (assuming the gas and shifter have been switched), spark retard wi the left hand, clutch with the left foot, a little brake on the right foot and then pull the shifter a little into 2nd that you just get used to because there's no "gate" like on Harley so all the while the only thing hanging on to your bike is your hairy butt.   

U.Ern and BobR,

For a very brief time I would come up to a stoplight ,leave it in gear, and just kick out the clutch.
I was cured of this when the clutch pedal suddenly snapped back on its own and put me out in the traffic !
The stock clutch pedal mechanism is not a pure "suicide", but it can work like one !

gerhed

[BobbyR]

I still say if you can ride one of those things, you can ride anything. Wish I had that experience.