1940 Indian 45ci Sport Scout, Engine no. FDO 250

1940 Indian 45ci Sport Scout
Engine no. FDO 250
• Matching numbers
• 42 miles covered since restoration

Like its bigger brothers, the Four and the Chief, in 1940 the 45 ci. Sport Scout also gained the signature full skirted fenders however it retained the rigid rear frame like its predecessors. The Spring Cradle frame would have to wait one more year for the Sport Scout. And unlike the Chief, the Sport Scout used a Keystone frame where the engine and transmission were bolted together, and the entire motor assembly was secured to mounting plates to the frame rather than supported in a cradle like the Chief and earlier Scouts. The rear section of the frame also bolted to the front section instead of being manufactured as a single frame. While the assembly created more time and expense at the factory, it provided more ground clearance than earlier Scouts and may have been a wink at the important American dirt track races. A new front fork was marginally larger to clear the newer front skirted fender but overall the fork remained the same girder style as it was in years past. New gas tanks with stamped steel tear drop emblems embellished the motorcycle while aluminum strips defined not only where the fender skirts met the fender crowns but were also used to decorate the top of the fenders. With the introduction of the full skirted fenders, the rear stand that clipped to the fender became obsolete and a new center stand bolted to the bottom of the frame. A side stand remained where the rider simply used his or her foot to extend the support stand. A new tool box was mounted alongside the battery.

The Sport Scout series had many improvements over earlier Scouts to maximize power output and reduce manufacturing costs. A significant difference was the change back to chain primary drives, eliminating the costly helical gears introduced in 1920, however the chain drives were retained in the same oil-tight cast aluminum cases. For 1940, the engine had larger finning on the cylinders and heads, and used a one-piece exhaust system. It was the first year for a new Linkert carburetor and Edison-Splitdorf RM (rotating magnet) magnetos became optional. And as on the Chief, a Purolator oil filter made a brief appearance but was soon withdrawn because if mounted improperly it would create an oil blockage which could damage the motor. A correct and one-year only rain boot covers the distributor.

This 1940 Indian Sport Scout is a matching serial number motorcycle and expertly restored. It is an AMCA Senior Award winner verifying the quality and accuracy of the restoration. There is only 42 miles on the motorcycle since restoration and is finished in Indian's Fallon Brown.