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A tale of two Chouts
The Ultimate Indian Motocycle Hybrid, the marriage of a vintage Scout frame with a Chief engine!
The Alchemist
The essence of motocycle, picture a rigid framed vintage roadracer, leaf sprung fork, single pan saddle, hand gearchange, foot clutch, left hand throttle and the biggest production Indian engine of the time shoehorned into the best handling Indian frame of All time! A true hotrod, the looks of a stripped down wall bike on steroids!
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Jig completed
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Building the frame jig
Just got to make up a support for the headstock then i can start to modify the frame ready for the 1940 Chief powerplant.
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Location:Achnasheen
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Starting on the frame
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Friday, 11 May 2012
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Sitting out in the sun shining like a Hobo Nickel
Finally got all the big lumps together in one place!
Introducing the "Hobo Nickel"
74cu" 1940 Chief motor in a 1929 101 Scout frame
Introducing the "Hobo Nickel"
74cu" 1940 Chief motor in a 1929 101 Scout frame
Monday, 30 April 2012
On the doorstep this morning
Friday, 9 March 2012
Wheel for the Alchemist
Oil pump
Monday, 9 January 2012
Any Old Iron
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Importing more rust
Lower half of a 101 frame coming from Ziggy's and a 101 headstock casting coming from Chicago.. more pieces of the Alchemist jigsaw
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Forks n hubs
Indian 101 forks are very narrow.. not much space between the rockers, and the pivot bolts reduce the usable width considerably.
Today I tried a few of the hubs in my parts stash for size.. 741b Scout hub (above RHS) is way too wide.. about 2", a Triumph tiger Cub hub, (below RHS) is a tight squeeze but will fit, then I found what I believe to be a pre war Triumph 3T hub, same size as the 741b hub bit 1.5 " narrower, the drum bolts to a cotton reel style hub so it shouldnt be too difficult to narrow it further and then Ill be able to use the 741b brake plate, shoes pivots and cam tyhat I have in hand... saves cutting up an Indian hub too!
Today I tried a few of the hubs in my parts stash for size.. 741b Scout hub (above RHS) is way too wide.. about 2", a Triumph tiger Cub hub, (below RHS) is a tight squeeze but will fit, then I found what I believe to be a pre war Triumph 3T hub, same size as the 741b hub bit 1.5 " narrower, the drum bolts to a cotton reel style hub so it shouldnt be too difficult to narrow it further and then Ill be able to use the 741b brake plate, shoes pivots and cam tyhat I have in hand... saves cutting up an Indian hub too!
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Quality rust
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Pre 1934 Indian Primary Study
Indian Chief and Scout primary drive was by helical gears up until the end of the 1933 season, after which they were superceded by the chain driven setup that was used until the Wigwam closed in 1953.
My 1933 motor was a one year only special, the factory had decided the more powerful motor could pull harder and changed the front pulley to a 39 tooth lowering the primary drive ratio from 2.54:1 to 2.15:1 ...
This has left me with a bit of a problem and a dilema.. Problem is I have the 39 tooth front pulley, and I have the earlier type gearbox and primary cases c/w a 40 tooth intermediate gear. I don't, however have, the rare as DodoDo, 1933 primary set and intermediate gear to suit or the earlier 33 tooth front pulley.
Dilema... should I
Try and get hold of the earlier 33 tooth pulley and run 2.54:1 gearing?
Run a later chain type primary ?(not so keen to do this because I would not be able to use the nicer looking vintage era outer primary case)
Or... get a one off belt primary made that will let me run a 1" neoprene belt on a 39 tooth front and 84 tooth rear pulley with the rear one being a modified Indian clutch basket/gear?
Big advantages here, front pulley could be made up in alloy, reducing the spinning mass on the end of the crankshaft.. massively reduced drag from the primary and with some modification to the clutch pulley a bit of weight reduction there too.
The belts used in Triumph belt drive kits are suitable for running in an oil bath or alternatively the inner primary case could be drilled, the oil holes in the transmission bunged, the transmission clutch bearing fitted with a seal and the primary could be run semi open.
Picture below the 33 gearset alongside a Hayward Triumph beltdrive kit

Top cover is mid 20's Scout lower one mid 20's Chief

The helical clutch basket gear/pulley is the same for all models and years up to 1933 with 84 gear teeth.
The intermediate gears were different on the Scouts and Chiefs from 1922 through to 1933.
Scouts ran 33 tooth front pulleys with a 36 tooth intermediate
Chiefs ran the same 33 front until 1932 with a 40 tooth intermediate to make up the difference in hub centre distance on the longer Chief primary case
This has left me with a bit of a problem and a dilema.. Problem is I have the 39 tooth front pulley, and I have the earlier type gearbox and primary cases c/w a 40 tooth intermediate gear. I don't, however have, the rare as DodoDo, 1933 primary set and intermediate gear to suit or the earlier 33 tooth front pulley.
Dilema... should I
Try and get hold of the earlier 33 tooth pulley and run 2.54:1 gearing?
Run a later chain type primary ?(not so keen to do this because I would not be able to use the nicer looking vintage era outer primary case)
Or... get a one off belt primary made that will let me run a 1" neoprene belt on a 39 tooth front and 84 tooth rear pulley with the rear one being a modified Indian clutch basket/gear?
Big advantages here, front pulley could be made up in alloy, reducing the spinning mass on the end of the crankshaft.. massively reduced drag from the primary and with some modification to the clutch pulley a bit of weight reduction there too.
The belts used in Triumph belt drive kits are suitable for running in an oil bath or alternatively the inner primary case could be drilled, the oil holes in the transmission bunged, the transmission clutch bearing fitted with a seal and the primary could be run semi open.
Picture below the 33 gearset alongside a Hayward Triumph beltdrive kit
Top cover is mid 20's Scout lower one mid 20's Chief
Friday, 25 November 2011
A tale of two Chouts
The steel arrived form Rigwood Engineering last week, enough 1.125" and 0.875" cds tubing to re tube two 101 frames, When I can afford to, I hope to get a set of frame castings from Moen at IPE and have Richi at Foss Fabrication build a second Chout frame at the same time as rebuilding the 101 frame I have. Richi is clearing space on the bench ready to make up a 101?Chout frame jig.
Yes folks.... TWO Chouts..
A road going hotrod 1940 Chief powered one and a sprinter/racer built up using the 1933 powerplant. These original 101 forks are on their way from Illinois
I have a spare top yoke/handlebar centre, and a pair of 19" steel rim wheels set aside for it.
This morning a little box from the Netherlands arrived with a 33 chief clutch basket, this will get modified to take a new outer ring so that I can run a belt drive primary in the earlier bevel drive type primaries.

Yes folks.... TWO Chouts..
A road going hotrod 1940 Chief powered one and a sprinter/racer built up using the 1933 powerplant. These original 101 forks are on their way from Illinois
I have a spare top yoke/handlebar centre, and a pair of 19" steel rim wheels set aside for it.
This morning a little box from the Netherlands arrived with a 33 chief clutch basket, this will get modified to take a new outer ring so that I can run a belt drive primary in the earlier bevel drive type primaries.
Friday, 3 June 2011
Hot Cams
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Powerplant
Transmission
Late last year i picked up a complete '46 on chief transmission. It all looks good inside, some wear on slider gear and cluster gear but still a bit of life left in it! I decided just to use it as it is. I have a full set of new gears and shafts set aside if it needs a rebuild later on.

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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Motor built
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Back on the motor build
A couple of helicoils for the transmission studs done, cases back together, flushed out and re oiled the crank, fitted the pinion, followers, lifters and set the cam timing. I fitted the cylinders without the pistons and set the tappets tight, getting full lift and no coilbind now using new 741b Scout springs

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, 4 April 2011
Wheelin and Dealin, now we're rollin
Two Indian frames head south and a box of fork arrives from Germany. add a pair of wheels and we're rolling
Light Headed
A busy weekend getting the Sport Scout running and rideable, but at the same time my good mate Grizzy came north bearing Chout parts 8o) ........... the bits i'm most excited about are a pair of ultra rare 1933 spec alloy heads, one set of only 3 sets made. head on the left is standard cast iron, one on the right cast alloy
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Friday, 11 March 2011
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Cylinder comparison
On the left we have the heavyweight contender, 1940 on Chief cylinder weighing in at a massive 12.1kg on the right we have the mediumweight contender 1933 Chief cylinder weighing in at a considerably less portly 6.5kg. Multiply that by two cylinders - thats a massive weight gain in seven years!!!!
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Thats a relief
Had a quiet night in tonight, and got the oil scraper relief cut out, a little dressing with the file and it's ready to put back together
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Cases split
Cam follower post replaced, still to do some relief work for the late 40's spec oil scraper conversion and helicoil two of the transmission mounting threads then I can get it back together again.
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