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1930 Indian Four motorcycle found in OKC

Blog, Motorcycle by James Pratt 2 Comments on 1930 Indian Four motorcycle found in OKC

My friend Gerald Tims called me last week and wanted to know if I would photograph a 1930 Indian Four motorcycle he owns. Heck yea!

Gerald purchased this from a friend in Oklahoma City who said his grandfather owned the motorcycle and it had been sitting in storage for decades. It was last tagged in Oklahoma in 1948 so most likely had been sitting ever since.

Gerald bought the bike and after swapping tires and doing a bit of work, soon had it running again. He rode it around town several times before calling me to photograph this rare find. It still has the original paint. Gerald said the only thing that was not original was the carburetor. The carb on this bike is from a later Indian motorcycle.

Gerald Tims discovered this 1930 Indian Four motorcycle in the back of a shed in OKC. His friend’s grandad purchased it new in 1930. It hasn’t been tagged since 1948 – just sitting in a shed ever since. It has an Oklahoma tag. Gerald purchased it, put new tires on it and got it running again.
The bike still runs. Gerald said the brakes would barely slow the bike down, but that was probably true way back in 1930.
The bike still has the original paint from the Indian factory.
The bike has always been in Oklahoma City area, and the last time it was tagged was 1948.
No damping on the front or rear suspension. It has the original girder fork on the front.

The original Indian spedomoter went to 100 mph. Wonder if this bike would actually hit those speeds?
Voltage reading on the handlebars. I am wondering if the dial on the right is for ignition timing?
The carburator is the only item that wasn’t originally on this motorcycle. It is from a later model Indian.
Kickstart was the name of the game back in the 1930’s.
Gear shifting was by the big handle next to the gas tank.
Lots of lights but I am betting they didn’t put out much light.
The only rear suspension was the springs in the seat. The rear brake was just a device that squeezed on the rear drum and doesn’t provide much stopping power for this heavy bike.
This bike still has the original leather motorcycle seat.
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James Pratt

James Pratt

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I am an Oklahoma based writer, commercial photographer, editorial photographer and adventurer based in Oklahoma City. I love telling stories about people. A motorcycle is my preferred means of travel, and I have over 5,000 hours piloting small airplanes. My editorial photography has been published in hundreds of magazines and my commercial photography has been used by dozens of companies worldwide.

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