As most of you probably know, every year there is an International Indian Rally in Europe, hosted by one of the European Indian clubs on a rotating basis. More and more people from outside of Europe are discovering how cool and unique these rallies are (see below for the Aussie take on it!), so maybe you should consider going some time? This year the rally was in Scotland. Links to photos below.
 

Next year's International Rally will be in Norway. See the Norwegian club website for more info.

While you are there, check out the video from the hill climb the club runs every year! A good introduction to next year's rally too. Lots of gravel roads in Norway, but also lots of perfectly paved, near traffic-free roads winding through breathtakingly beautiful scenery; mountains and waterfalls and lush green meadows. The Norwegians are friendly and fun too, and anyone going to the rally is bound to have the time of their life. Really.

The 2011 Rally will be in the Netherlands, 2012 in Poland and 2013 in Denmark. Just so's you can start planning your holidays!
 

Staying with the international theme a little longer, the Danish Indian Club launched the first 44 page, full color, English language, issue of an annual international Indian magazine in 2009. 

The non-profit magazine is basically for Indian clubs in various countries around the world to give a report once a year of what they have been up to - and what they are planning in the future. 

Due to the close cooperation of the European clubs, the first issue mainly has contributions from these clubs, but the editorial team would love to hear from Indian clubs from in other places! Deadline for the 2010 issue is January 31, 2010 - email super.carla@mail.tele.dk or jesper@storm-jensen.dk for more info on how to contribute. Inexpensive ad space for dealers is also available.

Most of the magazine copies have already been distributed to members of the Euro clubs. With my IPE hat on, I have offered to help get magazines to folks outside Europe - or inside, but not in one of the clubs; anyone who would like a magazine is welcome! 

They are sold at cost price + postage. Payment by PayPal - remember to include your name and address and write "magazine" in the message box on the PayPal form.

Magazine costs EUR 3,50. See approximate exchange rates here. Postage for one magazine in Europe is EUR 3,00. Postage for one magazine to somewhere in the Rest of the World is EUR 7,00, but I am going to subsidize that a bit. So...

If you are in Europe, send EUR 6,50 - PayPal address: info@indianpartseurope.com

If you are in the Rest of the World, send EUR 10,00 by PayPal.

If you want more than one magazine email me at info@indianpartseurope.com
 

Click for sample page. I'm sorry my little pocket camera couldn't get it clear enough to read - you will just have to buy a copy! :-)
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Bob Swanson found a collection of photos from the Oakland Motorcycle Club in California, that appear to have been taken in the early 1920s. Several good Indian shots among them - including the 1916 Powerplus engaged in a refreshing game of Moto Ball to the right of here! (hey, what happened to moto ball??)

See the photo album here.
 

When Esta Manthos donated the world’s largest collection of Indian motorcycles to the Springfield Museums, the gift also included an extensive library of correspondence and personal photos of founders Oscar Hedström and George Hendee, company sales literature, old photographs, parts manuals and other papers. 

Here is a brief look at a tiny corner of it - including this amazing 101-based street sweeper seen to the right of here. Read the article on the Thunderpress website.
 

I wasn't sure what this was all about when I saw the photo of a Chief engine in a drag racing sort of frame, so I tried to find out. Here is what Carol Blair told me:

Sunbear of course has been riding and collecting Indians for over 30 years. He is of Cherokee descent and is originally from the Carolinas. Currently residing in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for the past 15 years and working with local at risk teens, mainly entry level gangbangers. Through the Office on Youth, Sunbear ran a program called SPOKES, an after school program working and teaching the youth how to repair old donated bicycles and the importance of having skills, working with tools and taking personal pride in building something. The bikes are eventualy passed out during Christmas and throughout the year to underpriveledged kids. 

Anyway, Sunbear noticed some of the older gang members took to the old Indian Chief he would ride to the Spokes bike shop in the rear of the Boys and Girls Club. At that age they tend to like things LOUD. Sunbear often used the movie World's Fastest Indian to encourage, teach and show the boys, through the story of underdog Burt Munro, how, with a working knowledge of tools and a lot of determination, personal dreams can be obtainable. Sunbear built Chief Still Standing as a tribute to Burt and to his Native American heritage. The speed bike was to help teach the older guys how to change oil, plugs, chains, repair, tune-up, just basic level motorbike skills. 

Pretty soon, these older boys were soon acquiring mopeds and scooters and Sunbear and them would be well on the way to becoming grease monkeys. Sunbear has a leg brace and walks with a cane. He is still standing tall and the old Indian Chief is still standing so thats where the name came from. Sunbear and the old '44 Chief are both Still Standing and can be found ripping it up on the East Coast.

Pics to the right show Sunbear, DJ and Dan, two of Sunbear's best upcoming mechanics. There is also an article on Sunbear and Chief Still Standing on Mike Tripp's website here.
 

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There is a cool looking new WoD book out now, Wall of Death - Theatre of Motorcycling by German photographer Olaf Tamm. I haven't read it yet, but it looks like a nice addition to existing WoD literature (someone ought to compile a list of this...). For more info go to Olaf's website.