John Carroll, of Atlanta, Georgia, had been riding his 1939 Indian "4" since he bought the bike in 1988. It was a great bike to ride, but because of its age and the corrosive qualities of metal it was looking pretty tired. John had ridden the bike for a good 15 years but was tired of seeing its exterior in such poor condition. After a year of thinking about it, he finally decided to restore the bike to its original beauty so other people would appreciate it as much as he did. His mechanic and riding buddy Gary Lyons agreed to restore the bike for him, but told John he was going to have to be patient with the process because stock parts from 1939 aren't readily available.It is beautiful machine manufactured just before the United States got involved in WWII-during the 37th anniversary of Indian Motorcycle Co. Indian nicknamed the "4" the "Aristocrat" because it was such a refined vehicle, and considering what the bike had to offer, it wasn't a surprise. It was also the most expensive bike Indian offered at the time, as it came with a hefty price tag for that year-at $485.00, it was 25-percent more expensive than a Scout.
The 1939 "4" featured a motor almost completely redesigned, with improvements including a "silent" muffler and exhaust manifold, oil pump bypass, softer clutch action, new head design with higher compression, stronger rods, new pistons, and new cylinders and flywheels. These upgrades combined to create a 77 cubic inch motor producing a whopping (for the time) 12 horsepower-the biggest engine that made the most power out of the entire Indian line-up for '39.
Aesthetic improvements included a new blackface speedometer with an optimistic 130 mph numbering. It was easier to kick over than previous models, with a better ratio kick-starter gearing. A lower seat height gave inseam-challenged riders a more comfortable ride.
It took Gary about two and a half years to get the bike to 99-percent original, but he didn't take it any further because John still wanted to ride the bike frequently. About the only parts of the bike that aren't OEM are the stainless steel fasteners, stainless steel spokes, and a close-as-possible paint color matching. Back in April '06, Gary called John to tell him the restoration was finished and John went to pick up the bike the same day. The bike was running so well that he took it with him to Sturgis, where we had a chance to show off how well the restoration turned out, along with a really happy guy named John.
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