Replica Indian V-twin 1911, Isle man of TT

The Indian v-twin shower here is an exact replica of the one ridden by Oliver Godfrey to win the Isle of Man TT in 1911, the first occasion that the 37¾-mile Mountain Circuit had been used. It was constructed by Canadian, Pete Gagan in time for the 100th anniversary celebrations in June of this year and was scheduled to be first away on the 'Milestones of the Mountain' lap of honour ridden by Dave Roper, the first American to win an Isle of Man TT. Pete Gagan has a lifetime of experience with early motorcycles, having been a member for more than 50 years of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, of which he is past president. He has also served as president of the Antique Motorcycle Foundation and was founder of the Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group.

None of Indian's TT works racers has survived but fortunately Peter Gagan located a 580cc Indian racing engine in England around 10 years ago. It may have been from one of the original 1911 TT machines but no there are no records existing that could verify this. Working from his home in White Rock, British Columbia, Gagan constructed a replica using a 1911 Indian frame and transmission. No drawings of the 1911 TT racers exist, so the necessary frame modifications were made and exhaust pipes fabricated using photographs of the originals for guidance.

Bearing Godfrey's 1911 race number '26', the Indian was run on the Douglas promenade at the TT in June of this year. Unfortunately, on the morning of the lap of honour, one of the handlebar sections came loose while Dave Roper was practising at the north end of the Island. The Indian was rushed back to the workshop to be repaired but the Senior race was delayed and the 'Milestones of the Mountain' lap brought forward two hours, leaving insufficient time to get it ready. It spent the rest of the day on display in the paddock. All has since been repaired and the Indian is now in running order, though it has not been road tested and further work may be required.

#race #tt #indian #tt1911