Indian 1915 8 valve boardtrack

[Travman]

I love seeing the exposed valves in action.  Check out the flames coming back out of the intake ports.  Also notice the exposed lower cylinders.  I wonder why those holes are there.  Maybe their there so the user can oil the lower cylinders. 
Indian 1915 8 valve boardtrack film.wmv

[Howley]

That is make the beast with two backsing amazing.

[Slide Panda]

The guys who rode those things sure were dare devils... This is in the same vein as the plane engines of that era... the old Rotary engines where the whole thing spun and the throttle was just a spark kill... Bzzz bbzz bzz bz

[supertjeduc]

That's the way an engine should look like , those bleu flames on the heads

[supertjeduc]

This guy is also using very old Indians
Wall of death, 2 indian motorcycles #2, Vehikel 2007

Why i don't know

[Grappa]

The bike idles like crap.  

[dennisd]

The bike idles like crap.  

I'd like to see how many "modern" unrestored bikes will be running when they are 95 years old?  Especially the racers!!

Also notice the exposed lower cylinders.  I wonder why those holes are there.

Maybe they were put there to relieve the crankcase pressure on the downstroke.  Remember, that engine was not built for longevity but to get the most performance that was possible in it's day.

[hackers2r]

Man...that was cool.

[Speedbag]

The guys who rode those things sure were dare devils...

+1

[RetroSBK]

now THATS sick...

The flames out the head are the pre ports, to get flow but more to keep EGT in check.

The intake ports are on the other side of the motor.

The holes underneath the cylinder are multi functional, Keeping crankcase pressure down (remember that all seals back then were greased ROPE) and to aid in the cooling of the lower cylinder with air.

Remember that there are total loss oiling systems, with no oil pump (hand pressurized) 6 volt magneto with surface gap plugs, and a jet-less "carb" that was often nothing more than a rope that had fuel running down it.

AMAZING that they ran, even more so that they went so fast.

Bicycle cranks for footrests while going 100mph on a board track, with no protective gear. Yeah baby!

[MotoCreations]

if you get the chance, check out some of Dale's video's on X's, Indian, Thor, HD and other boardtrack racers here -->  Wheels Through Time Videos

Fantastic era in motorcycle racing without question.  It's amazing that some of these racers are now over 100 years old.  I've been looking for an X or Indian for my own collection but most are insane amounts of money.  I'm still looking though for an undiscovered one as a few are still out there somewhere in a barn, garage or cellar somewhere...