I strongly believe in modifying your vehicle to suit your taste. As long as there’s one in a museum somewhere, there’s no need to preserve yours for the next generation or anything. Do what makes you happy, don’t worry about what happens next. That’s why this power swap 1929 India is great.
Back in 1927, Indian acquired Ace Motor Corporation and with it designed the four-cylinder Ace Motorcycle. In 1928, this bike was called the Indian Ace, but in 1929, the name was changed to the Indian Four to emphasize the large engine. It’s a neat bike and an interesting piece of American motor racing history. But there are so many perfect examples, the bike was sold out until civil production ended for the Second World War in 1942.
Man passing through Detroit, selected as an invitee builder for 2022 Born Free show in California later this summer. Instead of building a traditional custom bike, he decided to build something to “shake the foundation on which you stand.” The Indian Four was chosen as the basis for the construction, with a touch of classic Americana. Detroit then pulled just enough power to fit an electric motor in the front of the bike. Classic leather saddlebags hide the batteries needed to power entire kits and doodles. It’s a very interesting package.
Indian itself, as well as Detroit, gives any indication of the bike’s specs, but based on the shape and size of the engine, I’d bet it’s a Zero Z-Force engine. crammed into that Indian frame. It’s a pretty cool way to run the swap, because it’s already set up to power a motorcycle, and while the Zeros is belt-driven, swapping it out for a chain drive is a no-brainer. a pretty easy one.
This is quite an interesting one that I hope we see more of in the future. Classic bikes look great, but they’re so bad provide energy and hard to find parts for. If you want to do it quickly and fairly easily, just fit an electric motor into it.
