DAMN INDIANS!

They are absolutely unreliable, undependable, no matter how much folks talk about their heritage! Especially those from Gilroy, California.

The real problems seemed to start in the early 1950's...

But I'm sitting here staring at the open guts of one right now. the connections under the tank console have vibrated apart! I am now experiencing the same electrical problems that another Indian owner that I know had a few years back. The closest mechanic (who is excellent) lives in the South Sound Area and the idea driving through Tacoma traffic with a trailered bike sucks! No one closer than him will even touch an Indian.

The local Harley shop won't even talk about working on them. The only thing worse is trying to find parts. A few years ago when I blew up the guts in my crankcase, I had to have the engine shipped all the way to florida for a rebuild. 4th corner to 2nd corner and back. One of my riding buddies laughed that my Engine has travelled farther than I have. I made a few disparaging comments about Harleys being bastard children of bowling alleys and golf carts and about his Marine Corp heritage... (oops, Once again I was outnumbered, and forgot that you insult one of 'em and they all gang up on you...) After the beating was over and they were picking me up, they did try to make me feel better by telling me that yes, Indians are the sexiest bike on the road, and they would all love to own one, but that they're not good enough mechanics.

Thanks, I think...?

Anyway, back to the present, I am contemplating trying to cobble together my wires and whether to try to find an aftermarket coil on the internet or find a way to put a 'harley' coil on it. I don't mind twisting wrenches and even enjoy it under the right conditions, but electronics are for folks who have much more patience than I can muster. I've noticed that the new era harley shops are way too much into OEM parts and have run into a couple of Harley shops who won't work on REAL Harleys. They only seem to work on Evo's and newer.

Don't tell me about OEM parts, either. I could no longer care less.

One fellow who stopped by yesterday has an old chopped 45 with welded rebar for footpegs and forward controls, mousetrap clutch, and suicide shift, a set of Chevy points, and other various dodge and ford parts. it is a scary death machine, only a crazy vietnam vet would ride. In other words, my favorite kind of bike! But he wasn't too much help as his bike is 6 volt with a positive ground. I've seen farmers' tractors that were less cobbled together.

So, while I'm contemplating solving my electrical dilemma, I'll visit a couple other blogs, then go ride this itty bitty one lung hard tail suicide shift (no Mousetrap) around the block a few times. ( my block is about 13 miles) Maybe later I'll go to one of the local Harley shops and tell 'em I need a coil for an S and S motor. If I take mine in, they'll know it's for an Indian, and not be very helpful. I think they prefer checkbook cowboys over us backstreet skum, these days...

...anyway, pray for global warming to continue and keep the shiny side up!

(p.s. check out THE HORSE on my sidebar, those guys showcase some incredible home built bikes and none of that theme-bike nonsense)

IT'S A NO BRAINER! SARAH WINS AGAIN!!!

Round about Noon -thirty I met up with a couple of my buddies,
after a morning of political stuff.
We took off and had a great ride!
We covered several counties and finally came home via Chuckanut Drive.
What a view of Samish Bay!

Well along the way at one point I thought about what kind of leadership do we need with changing our energy policies?

We need some futuristic thinking,
and we need some practical solutions until we catch up with Asimovian, Heinleinian, and Clarkist solutions.

So, when I think about it...
...do we want to go backwards to the buggywhip and pedal pushing days of the 1800's while we wait for our best physicists to develop Fusion Reactors, Zero Point Energy, Wind, Tide, and Solar Farms in space beaming energy via lasers to earth?

Or do we want to drill in locations that there is actually oil?

Do we want to build the first Refinery since the Reagan Administration?

I think practical solutions far outweigh waiting for the future...

Do we want powerful independent solutions?

Or do we really prefer impotent solutions designed to take us back to the days of wood fired steam engines and pedal operated bicycles and whirligigs of fantasy...

What kind of change would you prefer?

Awesome Ferocious Practical Power?

or weaky squeaky pedaliwanks...?

MCCAIN / PALIN 2008!

KILLER WHALES; BIKERS OF WHALE WORLD

(Guest Writer: Indian Aaron)

Killer Whales, Not Orcas, but killers of whales, sea lions and salmon. (mmmm, sealions, chewy on the outside, crunchy on the inside...)

Well, Dexter talked about going Reef Net fishing, but he's a nerd and couldn't tell a Bunt from a Breast winch, Or a Head from a Bridge winch...

Occasionally this year I walked on a friends ReefNetter after having thought I had this stuff all out of my system. You know, I don't miss Crabbing or long line pot fishing for Prawns. I kinda miss Gillnetting, but not really.

But the wonderfully tar-healed technology of reefnetting is deep down in my blood. From 1985 through 2002 I regularly fished all 4 of these fisheries, and retired with my land and my home 100% paid off.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Reefnetting, it is two 40' boats, anchored to an artificial reef made of giant anchors, netlines, buoy lines, wall lines and floor lines all shaped to funnel fish up to a net that is strung between the two anchored boats, that drift from side to side as the flood tide changes back and forth from onshore flood to offshore flood. Behind and to the sides of the gear are two breast anchors connected to the Breast winches. Reefnetters are always pulling breast or cutting breast. (sounds kinda weird...)

Anyway, we're standing in the towers like monkeys on a stick staring in the water looking for sockeye...or color changes deep in the water that don't quite look right so we can haul the Head winches up to close the door behind them as they swim in. The Bunt winch aids in trapping the fish from going through and the Bridge winch makes a cut across the net to make for less work in hauling the fish on board. (Until you've hauled 200 to 300 fish in one haul, you have not lived!)

It wasn't a productive day yesterday for the crew and operator, but for me it was nice to be back out there. We noticed these tour boats converging to the south of us and were pushing their way in toward where the reefnet fleet is anchored. Well these nitwits were chasing "Orcas" so their clients could observe nature and whatever else it is they do on those tour boats. It was too bad that the coast guard didn't arrive earlier to chase off the tour boats as they eventually did, but not after we had an encounter that was well AWEsome to use an overused word.

We noticed a group of 2 juveniles and 2 adults aiming right for our Head cans (Buoys) in the front of our reef. As the captain of the gear picked up the heads of the net to allow them to go under us if they actually came down the gear, I barked to the crew and other guests to get in the big skiff and be ready to cut the lines (in case everything goes bad and the whales get entangled in the gear, anybody who doesn't need to be on the gear isn't taking any chances.)

Before the captain, his dad, one senior crewman and myself could get down out of the towers

we could see 3 of the 4 in the reef.

A small one stayed way back from us, but Mom and Pop came right down the outside wall lines an and first one rolled almost right against the net and on the first couple of floor lines to the inside wall lines and back out. The other came like a giant torpedo right down the middle and rolled to the outside and back out the wall lines as if to let junior know, "You ain't playin' here!"

Being that close to some behemoth that is the size of our boat moving that fast with that much power, damn near made me piddle my little britches...Anyway, this group of renegades was not the only group to come roaring through the reefnet fleet that day as another group of Whale watching "experts" chased them into the area. At least these roared through inside of our gear and not through it. Behind us, both groups took some time to brutalize some of the local seals. They will pick them up and throw them, smack them around with tails like a bunch of rugby players, and the water becomes almost as bloody as a rugby field...

This isn't the first time during my years as a commercial fisherman that I have had these Killer Whales approach me while I'm fishing, and every time I wonder if the kayakers and tour boat operators really truly have an appreciation for the power and damage that these beasts can do intentionally or even unintentionally. I won't be surprised if some giant Bull someday or an over sized aggressive teenage whale decides to finally uncork all that power on some tour boat or group of kayakers. If they're surprised, then they truly don't understand why I give lots of room to any Critter that is as big as my boat. Even the "passive" locals have the power to do serious damage while being "playful" but the nomadic Killers of Whales mean business as they roll through, even the local pods give them room.

The bikers of the whale world...fearsome power as impressive as any mammal I've ever seen.

I intend on giving them lots of room.

TRANSPORTATION COLLECTIVE

There is a new Car Co-Op in town.
I came across this during a debate between DJ and Stan over at Eye on Whatcom: http://www.eyeonwhatcom.com/yaf_postst188_Bike-Lanes-to-Replace-Parking-on-Cornwall-Avenue.aspx
Stan mentioned "flex cars" during their debate on removing rare parking for bicycle lanes.
Of course, a couple of us chimed in like Statler and Waldorf heckling Fozzie and Kermit,
but I was curious about this Flex Car thing.

My first thought of course was, "is it some kind of articulated thing like a 988 Cat Front Loader?"
So, in the middle of my throwing tomatoes and kibitzing, I asked Stan what it was?
He posted a link to a local group, that I found interesting. If I comprehended what I read on their website it seems to be some kind of Co-Op like Cenex, the Bellingham Food Co-OP or some such.

It Appears that for purchasing a membership, one gains access to Bicycles, Cars and it looks like they even have a pick up truck now too. ( I wonder if they'll ever add Motorcycles and Muscle Cars or Farm, Timber, and Mining Equipment? I won't hold my breath.) Obviously, for those who know me, my perspective is if it looks like a collective, smells like a collective, talks like a collective, it'll probably cost me some of my hard earned pay at some point.

Anyway, I'm curious about this, even though it offers nothing for someone like myself, but if it is truly a membership paid for operation, or better yet, a for profit business, then I could favor something like this, as buses are not much more than cattle trucks for shoe wearing primates and very limited in their capacities to do work such as carrying groceries, animal feed, or hauling lumber, gravel or even tools.

But I suspect that similar to other collectivist ideas, at the first sign of fiscal failure, they will run to the city and county councils and want some of our taxes to keep it afloat. So, here is coffee and toast to these folks proving me wrong and creating a successful for profit Business or (yeccch,) CO-OP, and not asking for a single plug nickle from us taxpayers.

Good Luck, duck.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SUCKS

(Guest Writer: Indian Aaron)

Dexter whined at me to write something Poly tickle. Here goes:

I keep hearing all these people talking about publicly funded transportation and they're planning to spend Hunnerds and Hunnerds of Millions of Dollars of our state taxes to benefit some folks in King and Snohomish county. According to those guys at the Washington Policy Center the cost will average about $185,000 per person.

Holy smokes! just like subsidizing farmers not to grow crops, Pay these guys not to work.

Buy each one of 'em a Harley, especially that new badass Harley Crossbones! Maybe around $16,795msrp. (they're finally starting to build a motorcycle that looks like a motorcycle should again. Too bad it don't come with a knucklehead! I still prefer INDIAN!!!)

That leaves $165,000 per person. Well if they earn what I do, then they should be able to stay home for about 4 years.

What these guys who want us all on busses don't get is that it will not work in areas like the West. We have had our attitudes for too many generations. It is a cultural problem for them.

" I got my horse, you get your own horse, Dammit!" Got it figured out yet smart guys?

What benefit is there for me on a bus?

What if part way through the busride, I see a road I want to go on? Will the driver change directions for me? NO.

How about grocery shopping?

Or hauling lumber,

or gravel?

Or just opening up the throttle with a hot Babe on the back and enjoying the day?

Every real American male should have a Motorcycle and pick up Truck! Then find a hot babe to marry who owns a Jeep. (not an SUV, but a Real JEEP dammit! If she is a hot babe and her JEEP says WILLY"S on the back with a PTO winch up front...Bonus!)

What about picking up hot babes?

Hey baby, wanna ride with me on the bus?

or...

Hey baby, wanna ride my shovelhead?

Who do you think is going to have a better chance?

Finally, I pay for my ride and subsidizing your ride is as silly as the rest of us buying a bunch of people in King and Snohomish counties a Harley. Or as silly as the rest of us buying your busses for you. Busses are great for Socialist countries like France and Cananda, But not for Americans. The Motorcycle and Muscle car is our culture.

When I was overseas, every European I met described Americans as wearing Cowboy Hats and Giant Revolvers, Racing Big Muscle Cars, Riding Big Loud Motorcycles and We all listen to Hank Williams Jr. and eat Big Greasy Hamburgers and Drink Cheap Beer by the case, and spit Skoal in the Dirt and Pee on trees! We open doors for ladies, and love our moms! We'll fight in public and buy the loser a beer.

I gotta agree with 'em, even though they were tryin' to insult me with this "of course you know" attitude and lookin' down their collectivist nose at me. That is our contribution to World Culture! You sure as hell can't do all this in FRANCE!!!

Don't know 'bout anybody else, but it looks like a fine day to ride! I sure as hell don't mean the bus! As for my biker buddies, If yer waitin' for the sun, I'll have thousands of miles on my bike this year before you stop polishing yours.

Watch out for cages, and remember, none of 'em see us. Always give the cage the right of way, cause they're probably in a hurry and the cell phone is in their ear, their radio is on NPR, their wrapped up in their own little world. Watch for them kommuniste group transportation cages too.

I have seen 'em turn with no signals and blow yeelow lights with a very RED tint. (I know, they're not supposed to do that, but the closer you get to the BIG cities, the ruder and arrogant the bus drivers are. been there done that you can have my @#$%ing shirt!)

OPEN THROTTLE AND RIDE FREE OR DIE, BABY!!!

JUST A BIKER (AUTHOR UNKNOWN)

(forwarded to Indian Aaron from fellow Iron Indian L.P.)

I saw you hug your purse closer to you in the grocery store line.

But you didn't see me put an extra $10.00 in the collection plate last Sunday.

I saw you pull your child closer when we passed each other on the sidewalk.

But you didn't see me playing Santa at the local mall.

I saw you change your mind about going into the restaurant when you saw my bike parked out front.

But you didn't see me attending a meeting to raise more money for the hurricane relief.

I saw you roll up your window and shake your head when I rode by.

But you didn't see me riding behind you when you flicked your cigarette butt out the car window.

I saw you frown at me when I smiled at your children.

But you didn't see me, when I took time off from work to run toys to the homeless.
I saw you stare at my long hair.

But you didn't see me and my friends cut ten inches off for Locks of Love.

I saw you roll your eyes at our leather jackets and gloves.

But you didn't see me and my brothers donate our old ones to those that had none.
I saw you look in fright at my tattoos.

But you didn't see me cry as my children where born or have their name written over and in my heart.

I saw you drive by as I was broke down on the side of the road.

But you didn't see me volunteer to fight your neighbor's house fire.

I saw you change lanes while rushing off to go somewhere.

But you didn'tsee me going home to be with my family.

I saw you complain about how loud and noisy our bikes can be.

But you didn't see me when you were changing the CD and drifted into my lane.
I saw you yelling at your kids in the car.

But you didn't see me pat my child's hands knowing she was safe behind me.

I saw you reading the newspaper or map as you drove down the road.

But you didn't see me squeeze my wife's leg when she told me to take the next turn.

I saw you race down the road in the rain.

But you didn't see me get soaked to the skin so my son could have the car to go on his date.

I saw you run the yellow light just to save a few minutes of time.

But you didn't see me trying to turn right.

I saw you cut me off because you needed to be in the lane I was in.

But you didn't see me leave the road.

I saw you waiting impatiently for my friends to pass.

But you didn't see me.

I wasn't there.

I saw you go home to your family.

But you didn't see me.

Because I died that day you cut me off.

I was just a biker.

A person with friends and a family.

But you didn't see me.

Repost this around in hopes that people will understand the biker community.

If you don't repost this, it sucks to be you.

I hope you never lose someone that rides...

EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE US,

RESPECT OUR RIGHTS TO RIDE WHAT WE CHOOSE

AND TAKE A FEW EXTRA SECONDS

TO BE SURE WE ARE NOT IN 'YOUR' WAY!

LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES

GERBER BABYFOOD WITH STEROIDS!

(Guest Writer: Indian Aaron)

I stopped by Dexter's last night for the Vikings vs. Bears game, and that candyass was sitting in his chair whimpering about a tooth-ache. I guess he won't go for a ride today. (delete)ing pansy! So anyway, he starts off about steroid usage and feeling sorry for the players who don't use steroids. I mistakenly popped off my opinion, so here I am writing.

By god, as much money as I pay for tickets to watch professional sports and 9 figure salaries for guys like A-Rod who can't even hit a baseball in the POST season, they better be taking Steroids! I mean I expect the Best, Teflon tendons, Titanium bones, and Nylon joints. Build those muscles up with Steroids, too.

Gatorade should have a steroids option and so should Captain Crunch! But why wait?
Gerber babyfood with steroids. Why should steroids be limited to only Asthma patients. Every man in America should be taking steroids, not just for sports but for our military too.

So if the hippies want to legalize dope, then let us jocks have legal access to steroids!
AMERICA SHOULD BE ON STEROIDS! My motocycle is.

(what was I thinking... -Dexter)

MORE TO LIFE THAN (delete)ING POLITICS!

(Guest Writer: Indian Aaron)

Thanks Dexter for letting me write on your poly -tickle site, I'm sure you'll edit my language and I'll sound like a (delete)ing (delete).
I just took a look at what I think is the first good looking bike that Custom Bike manufacturer from Kansas, Big Dog Motorcycles, has for 2008. I have test ridden several of their motorcycles in the past few years from their stretched K-9 to their lesser known pro street models. they are (delete)ing great! lots of power and once you remove the factory pipes and put on Pythons or Big Radius pipes they sound like a bike should! The fat tire takes a little getting used too, but that's the good news, 'cause you NEED to ride it more!
I have always preferred a bobber style bike, and the (delete-delete)ers at BIG DOG said that they are not going to build one in the near future. But their modifications to the Pit Bull is fantastic. Although it has the excessively wide rear tire, it is a hard tail with a bitchin' spring seat and a 4.6 gallon squared off tank reminiscent of the early days of motorcycles. This bike is the first one that is closer to my taste that they have built. All that's missing is a set of Ape -hangers and a suicide shift!
With machine welds and production of over five to six thousand bikes a year, they seem to me like more of a production bike than a custom. ( I guess since you can pick paint schemes they call it a custom) They are well built, but the (delete)holes that I know who own them say the early models have had many electrical problems as they use microchips and other (delete)ing blasphemous things like electric starters. Even with compression releases, kick starting high compression V-Twins of 117 cubic inches takes some additional fat sauce that I haven't built up quite yet.
By the way, in addition to Whatcom County having several custom bike builders, treat yourself to a rainy afternoon at the Lynden Museum, there are 3 bikes last time I looked and they are my taste of motorcycles. All the other historical items from dishes to buggies are worth the afternoontrip too. Last time I went I took the ol' lady and had lunch afterwards. The pipes sure echo off all them storefronts!
Granted, I seldom let the rain stop me, but I turn into a (delete) when the winds get over 30 knots, both bikes in my barn will probably stay there today.

(DELETE) Politics! Let's Ride Open Throttle!
Indian Aaron

P.S. there are FIVE local High School Football teams in the Playoffs!
Go Whatcom County! Sweep State! I especially want to see the Lummi (B-8) Blackhawks win it all this year!!!

(he's not very civilized, but should I let him write again? -Poindexter)