Rat Bike Project

[willedoo]

The airflow in and out, but particularly intake air, has to take a lot of undesirable paths on a flathead V8 which restricts effeciency and performance. The trade-off is that it contributes to that unique sound they make. Cool sound at the cost of performance. Even stock standard they sound good. I think rodders mainly use them for looks and effect.

[facthunter]

The Main problem with Flathead motors is the Heat near the exhaust port cracking blocks and distorting the Cylinders causing excessive Cylinder Blow By and oil contamination. The Large combustion chamber area and volume makes them impossible to get High compression Ratios.  Nev

[willedoo]

This is an interesting video featuring an original, unrestored 1948 Indian Chief.

 

 

[facthunter]

It's not a good idea to Put a Bike like that back into use without a complete strip and Inspection> Fair chance you will damage it in some way. also the Indian Tooling was Worn out during WW2 and the Postwar bikes were not a good standard. They went broke a few years later with some badged English Made Bikes wearing the Name. The BLACKHAWK Bigger inch variant is quite troublesome but by some regarded as the one to Have. There was a "Brockhouse" Brave and various "Badged" Royal Enfields made at the  Redditch Factory Before they Migrated to INDIA . Later revived by Polaris Made Models..  Nev