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Indian model 640


welbike

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/18/2024 at 4:09 PM, welbike said:

Also had a go with spoking the wheels, just to see if it worked, before painting the hub and rim, Indian used a complicated spoke pattern!

Lex

2015-11-18 15.57.37.jpg

2015-11-18 15.58.01.jpg

X3 on the drum side, X4 on the other side... Not so special...?

Edited by rewdco
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  • 3 weeks later...

Found another difficult part, a rear cylinder, mine wasn't really usable, valve pockets too deep, and liner fitted, that was bored off centre, and bottom locating ridge half gone, so bit the bullet, and bought an NOS one in Australia when it came up last month, very expensive, but what isn't these days?

Lex

Last two pics of the old cylinder, as you can see, no valve seat can be added on the intake.

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005.jpg

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009.jpg

010.jpg

 

Old rear cylinder 01.jpg

Old rear cylinder 02.jpg

Edited by welbike
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  • 3 months later...

That appears to come from the same contract as mine (S/M2404)10,248 machines, The only information I know of is in British Forces Motorcycles by Orchard and Madden. It's very incomplete but they list a series of only 4984 WD serial numbers for the UK (I Guess) I just picked a number at random.

Scan_20240616.jpg

DSCF5590.jpg

Edited by Ron
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This is what I have written down about it, from the fronts of various manuals and parts lists, a bit confusing.

Indian 741 Frame and Engine numbers chart

 Engine No’s.      Frame No’s.       Contr. GB           Contract US       Date              Amount

 

GDA101-              741101-               2193 and 2220?                                 ?                           5499

GDA5600             7415600

 

GDA5601-            7415601-             2384 and 2404?  W398-qm11749    Feb1942            13104

GDA18705           74118705

 

Subtotal Brit contracts:                                                                                                            18603

 

GDA18706           74118706            Lend Lease?         W398-qm11769    Feb 1942            13330

GDA32036           74132036                                                                      

 

GDA32037-         74132037-                                        W478-ORD-3409    June 1943         3120

GDA35157           74135157

 Total amount:                                                                                                                           35053                                                                                                          

 1 US Registration number known: USA 642364  1942 Model 42-741 B

 

British Contracts info, see also O&M;

 

Contract                             Engine No’s         Frame No’s          WD No’s          Date      Amount

 

S/M2404                            GDA ?                   741 ?                    C4896842-           1942      10248

                                            GDA                      741 ?                    C4898825

                                                                                                       C4953034-

                                                                                                       C4955034

                                                                                                       C5574052-

                                                                                                       C5575051

 

S/M2220                            GDA ?                   741 ?                    C4782691-           1943      1800 or 4900 ?

                                                                                                       C4784490

 

S/M2384                            GDA ?                   741 ?                    C4895721-           1943      1121 or 2624 ?

                                                                                                       C4896841

 

S/M2193                            GDA ?                   741 ?                    C ?                        1943      1100

 

Total amount:                                                                                                                           14269               18872? 

 

 This is by no means complete, just written down what is known at the moment of writing, more research will be needed.

 Lex Schmidt 24-09-2014

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These figures come from Rob Van Meel's version of the Chilwell List.  There are one or two discrepancies with your figures which may be of interest.  Of course, the Chilwell List is quite dodgy in places - for a variety of reasons, no doubt, not least that the original would have been compiled over a long time by a number of different clerks with varying degrees of accuracy.  But I offer them for what they may be worth - 

C4369589 – 4369674  Dds1624 Motor cycle combination 1204cc model 340B

C4372332 – 4372518   ---------------------------ditto-----------------------------------

C4370932 – 4370981   ---------------------------ditto-----------------------------------

C4448086 – 4448087   ----------------------------ditto-----------------------------------

C4501466 – 4501601    SM2039 ---------------ditto---------------------------------

C4648240 – 4648339    SM2289-----------------ditto----------------------------------

C4896842 – 4898825    SM2404 Motorcycle Solo 500cc model 741B

C4952859 – 4953033    SM2404 Motorcycle Solo 740cc

C5574052 – 5575051    SM2404 Motorcycle Solo 500cc model 741B

C4782692 – 4784490    SM2220 ---------------ditto------------------------

C4895721 – 4896841    SM2301 ---------------ditto------------------------

C4782629 – 4782630    SM2164 Motorcycle Solo 750cc model 640B

'Dds', I presume were direct purchases prior to the introduction of Lend Lease when the British Army was desperately short of vehicles of any type.

Edited by 10FM68
Bottom line was incorrect
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Posted (edited)

Interesting, I forgot about that source, have a copy of one page from the original, but the C numbers are a bit difficult to read. But your info on contract SM2164 is wrong, these are the only 4 models 640 (45 cubic or 750cc twins) supplied to the British, and are not 741's, also there were 4 C numbers, not 2, my 640 is from that contract and came from India.

As said my info on the numbers in my chart above comes from the various Indian publications I own.

Also Contract SM2404 C4952859 – 4953033 were  741's and not 740cc. that must have been a typo!

SM stands for Supply Mechanical.

Below an enlargement of that part of the list, plus a Lend Lease chart, with numbers.

Cheers,

Lex

51 - Detail.jpg

LendLeaseNumbersSheet.jpg

Edited by welbike
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"But your info on contract SM2164 is wrong, these are the only 4 models 640 (45 cubic or 750cc twins) supplied to the British, and are not 741's, also there were 4 C numbers, not 2" 

I don't doubt it.  This isn't my info, though, it is, as I said, from the source I mentioned and, as I also mentioned, that source is riddled with inaccuracies.  But the specifics you refer to - the model numbers 340B & 741B are an addition to the Chilwell List by R V M taken from Orchard & Madden.  So we are faced with two sources appearing to confirm a particular piece of information when, in fact, it is only one!  And, if many more of the original pages are as difficult to read as the ones you show above, then it is unsurprising that RVM struggled here and there!

You mention that your 640 came from India - I note at the bottom of the Lend Lease page above that, the figures don't include theatre transfers - so, I wouldn't expect them to be on the Chilwell List as that didn't cover (apart from acknowledging the allocated blocks of numbers) vehicles in overseas theatres, the Sappers, allied armies etc. 

Anyway, as I said, its there for what it's worth!

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It seems that some are confused by the model numbers of the military Indian's 741-640-340-344-841 etc. It's actually the date of design or inception. 741= July 1941. Etc. Ron 

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Ron, after the war it only got worse! the books that were written, like Iron Redskin, got all the military stuff wrong, and we're still dealing with the legacy of that! 

Been trying to set it right for years, but it's an uphill struggle.

Cheers,

Lex

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Sorry Ron, I might have added to a bit of confusion.  I have been trying to fathom out what you meant by "the four 640s" all afternoon - and now I have!  The list I gave, of course shows only 2: C4782629 and 30 and Orchard & Madden says there were 2.  But, I see your list has 31 and 32 hence your 4!  The listing them as 741s, though, is my typo and I have corrected it above.   But, your list, being an original, is authoritative I would say, so 4 it is and not 2.  

I checked with my copy of 'Army Transport - Data Book of Wheeled Vehicles" and that merely offers the contract numbers SM2193, 2220, 2384 and 2404 for 741Bs.

I should also add that you unwittingly answered a question for me - one I have wanted to know the answer to for ages and that is the number of Allis Chalmers M6 High Speed tractors the British Army had - 132 acording to your list - which would be about right seeing as they would have been rare.  Also - that there were just 2 M4s so many thanks for that!

Edited by 10FM68
Added a couple of paras
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I would liked to have called you by name. Your pseudonym seems a bit formal and doesn't mean anything to me. 

The list you refer to was posted by Lex, not me. 

 

Cheers Ron

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6 hours ago, rupert condick said:

Hi

wow thanks to you all,

I have  M4953034 - M4955463   as White Truck  SM2277   15CWT more typo?

 

regs

Rupert

That is a White Scout Car, British called it a 15cwt truck. The Prefix letter should be Z

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hi,

it is listed as 4x4 personnel, I agree with Z for truck,

but I do not know about these it just comes within the Indian M/C listing

As listed earlier

 

C4953034-C4955033, ? Indian M/c  SM2404 I think this maybe a typo

M4953034-M4955463  White P/Truck SM2277

some Indian combination numbers model 344 I think the C should be G

G= Govt,? then date letters, as with the 741B eng. nos.

or better just GDA = 741

CDD,= 344 

I guess O=0

As FDO = 640

EDB = 542

and some are written  CCD, (C34-1934)

image.png.e610c6040cae6616cd295528d723a22c.png

image.png.7d9d5e055740f74d983c4f35fced0070.png

 

i found the us numbers sequel with the frame numbers,

all 1944.

just the odd one being out.

 

 

Edited by rupert condick
more info missed things out, more of the same
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To come back to the Indian Model 640's  I sent this information to the kind friends (Orchard & Madden) who wrote the book "British Forces Motorcycles" and they came back to me, that they want to have at least 2 sources before they change anything in the (next) book, there was also some mentioning of the other 2 numbers being Harley's !!

But with my frame number being the highest recorded one for this model, and a matching numbers bike, numbers checked in person by a friend who was at the time the chief judge of the AMCA, (Antique Motorcycle Club of America) so I know for a 100% the numbers are OK, the numbers seem to add up.

O&M mentions this:

Frame 640 4445 - 640 4446       C4782629 - C478230

Engine FDO 4445 - FDO 4446

Chilwell mentions this:

C4782629 - C478230 - C4782631 - C478232

So I say this: 

Frame          Census Number

640 4443     C4782629               (this is my bike)

640 4444     C4782630

640 4445     C4782631

640 4446     C4782632

             

Hope more info will come about, but not holding my breath. Or if someone has another explanation?

Below I'm sitting on a friends 640, he was so impressed with mine, that he wanted one too! so found him a restored one in the US, took some time to get it to Holland, but finally made it, and did some work to it, still have to get it registered though. 

Lex

640 01.jpg

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l would like to add this in 1945 batches of census numbers were allocated by central census vehicle W.D VEHICLE numbers some Z PREFIX WERE CHANGED TO C these can be found in the above document RVM contacted me about this a few weeks ago as he had seen it while researching the ARCHIVES at BEVERLEY the 1944 list that every one quotes was not amended which is why the list does not show them

Edited by wally dugan
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What you are asking is never going to happen as it was broken up when the museum closed and the NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM gave a lot of it away some was sold off when FORT PAULL had their sale some it was  said ended up in skips some appear at local car boot sales and l have bought them if l see the museum's accession number on a item. As l told R V M ask the national army museum or the RLC MUSEUM as to what they have from BEVERLEY's archives but do not hold your breath look at what they did with the vehicles

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Ah, I assumed, when you said that Rob contacted you some weeks ago, he had just been to see the archives again!! It must be his formidable memory that he still knew stuff from back then.

Cheers,

Lex

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