Gophers and Cheese

I thought Indian had one of the best displays at the 2016 Progressive IMS and it wasn't just because of the pin-up models (they certainly didn't hurt).  Indian had a good mix of stock and custom bikes on display and did a nice job showcasing both the nostalgia and the modern technology of the brand.  I own three Harleys and was pretty disappointed with Harley's display.  Last year was much better because Harley had the LiveWire on display and it was rideable... sort of (blog post here ). Roland Sands purpose-built an amazing Indian Scout for flat track racing.  It was one of my favorite bikes at the show (see more photos on his site here ).  When I first saw the new Scout in 2014 (blog post here ), I really didn't like it.  After seeing versions like this, the Scout is definitely growing on me.  This bike is cool.  I think ditching the stock seat, fenders, and speedo helped the aesthetics a lot. While it was technicall...

Look what showed up at First Thursday at Dulono's Pizza this month... the new Indian Scout .  I saw photos online when it launched but was happy to finally see it in person. As a HUGE fan of Sportsters, I was eagerly anticipating a re-launch of the Scout as a similar model from a rival brand, but I'm disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, you get a lot of bike for the money in a new Scout (100hp, 6-speeds, etc.) but I am having a difficult time with the styling, especially that damn radiator.  I understand the desire to make a modern machine with modern parts and performance, but (I know this is an odd question) is that really what people want?  To me, this odd-looking, fin-less, liquid-cooled engine makes more sense in a sport bike.  It is especially disappointing after seeing the beautiful air-cooled Thunder Stroke 111 motor used in all the other new Indian models. I think the motor in the Harley Street looks better than this and I am not a fan of the Str...

While I strongly prefer Harleys, I thought Indian Motorcycles had a better display than Harley this year.  I liked the mix of old, new, and custom. This 1935 Indian Chief was featured on American Pickers . Right next to it was this 1948 Indian Chief. I really liked the Spirit of Munro Streamliner.  From the front, it looks like a jet.  I can't even imagine what it would be like to ride with the throttle wide open. Of course, they were featuring their new line of touring bikes.  Personally, I prefer the naked version seen here.  I think there's a ton of potential if you could start a custom build with this: The Thunder Stroke 111 cutaway motor was much better to look at than Harley's waterhead (see previous post). We'll keep the salt flats-racing theme going with a very special Triumph up next.

So how do you make the best out of a bad situation?  For starters, I was able to check out the new 2014 Indian Motorcycle lineup on display there in the Polaris parking lot. 2014 Indian Chief Classic: 2014 Indian Chief Vintage: 2014 Indian Chieftan: They weren't offering demo rides, but you could sit on them.  The seats were very comfortable and so was the handlebar position.  The bikes seems to be well-balanced with a low center of gravity.  They seemed like they were set up very well for touring.  Compared to the pictures I had seen, I thought the bikes looked better in person.  I really don't like the light brown leather on the vintage but to each their own. I'll still happily keep my Sporty and Road King. I was glad I wore one of my Gophers and Cheese t-shirts to this event as I met up with Jeff, who I have known mostly through the Internet.  We had only met briefly in person before.  He saw my shirt and introduced himself...