Britten To Help Revive Indian
BRITTEN TO HELP REVIVE INDIAN
WHILE AMERICAN Wayne Baughman struggles to build Century V-Twin Chiefs, Australian entreprenuer Maurits Hayim-Langridge has teamed with John Britten to create Indian motorcycles, including one based on Britten's V-1000 racer.
Langridge, from Perth, Australia, is a former Harley-Davidson importer and the apparent owner of the Indian marque. With Britten's help, Langridge says he’ll make modern Indians, from a basic “Scout,” to a top-line version of Britten’s exotic V-1000 (see Cycle World, June, 1992).
Britten, a New Zealander, will serve as an engineering consultant and is responsible for the bikes’ design. He has already built a full-scale mock-up of the V-1000-based bike. No debut date has been set, but Britten says he will have a prototype running in 1995.
“It isn’t finished yet, but I’m very happy so far,” he says. “In
designing it, I’m trying to bear in mind that this is an American bike, which involves getting tuned in to the American motorcycling psyche in terms of how it ought to look.
“I’ll be using the basic engine from the V-1000, with dohe, four-valve heads, fuel-injection and liquid-cooling, but it’s an American Superbike, not a Kiwi one, so it will look more flamboyant, more aggressive, more sinister-looking than the Britten. There isn’t a full fairing-you can see the engine, same as on the Britten-and the bodywork and ducting is quite different.”
To make the Indian, Britten says the powerplant will likely do without the V-1000's beltdrive cams. “We’ll still use the 60-degree V-Twin configuration, but probably adapt chain drive to be contained inside the castings,” he says. “The engine still acts as a stressed chassis member, but it’s in a different position, relative to the V-1000.” -Alan Cathcart
