Fred Fosse’s 1941 Indian Scout sees plenty of use and abuse throughout the year. Since being shipped across the atlantic in WWII to liberate france, it has journeyed back and forth to race along both american and danish sands in modern-day beach invasions.
The concept of planned obsolescence is alien to Indian and always has been. So there’s nothing in the least surprising in seeing a Scout at the venerable age of 78 gearing up for its next racing season. That’s in addition to racking up the miles year-round on the French roads, once its lights and license plate have been put back on to make it street-legal! The proud owner of this machine is Fred Fosse, who manages a real estate company based west of Paris. He’s a far from the usual cliché of an estate agent in a suit and tie – even though he can work that look when he wants to. Fred’s more of a counter-culture kinda guy. And it’s a bug he caught very early, riding trial bikes with his brother from the ages of 11 to 14.
When he found he couldn’t afford motocross racing, he luckily discovered the joys of BMX instead – and propelled himself to elite level, competing at Bercy in 1984, making his mark at the World Championships and achieving top eight status among French BMX riders.
Then came what’s commonly known as “the age of reason”, which in his case began when he was about 25. Fred got him-self a steady job and settled down with a family, but he couldn’t shake his passion for motorbikes and at 33 passed his licence for riding heavy motorcycles. He very quickly gravitated towar-ds the older models rather than more recent ones, because he wanted the lightness and easy handling of his old BMXs. It was these qualities that drew him to a 741 Scout model from 1941, which had landed in wartime France along with the US Army. It’s hard to establish exactly what this motorcycle’s military trajec-tory was during the War, or who owned it and how it was used throughout the following decades. But one thing’s for sure – its engine runs like clockwork, thanks to the loving care of Fred Dufrêne, one of France’s top specialists in “pre-1953” Indians from Springfield. He took the opportunity to push this 42-degree V-Twin from 500 to 600 cc and make it look like a crossover between a bobber and a vintage racer. Which is just the look you need to compete in The Race Of Gentlemen – T.R.O.G. for short – a series of beach races featuring pre-1948 American motorcycles and hot rods with Flathead engines.
But in a last-minute dramatic twist, the day before the beach trials – the engine wouldn’t start! And its handlebars had got broken du-ring transatlantic shipping. Everything had been tested before the machine was despatched from Paris to Los Angeles, and yet… But instead of panicking, Fred and the rest of the team took control of the situation. They headed for a workshop in San Luis Obispo, where they got the handlebar welded. Next stop was a second workshop, where they searched for the fault – which turned out just to be a blown capacitor!
The Saturday runs went well, but Sunday’s racing had to be called off due to a hurricane. This turned out to be the last time T.R.O.G. was held in California, before returning to its roots in New Jersey.
Meanwhile, in 2017 Fred took his Indian to Romo, Den-mark, for the first time, to give it a run there. Once again, the atmosphere was fantastic, and it was only a hop and a skip away from Paris by truck. But America being what it is, Fred had his heart set on taking part in The Race Of Gentlemen on Wildwood Beach, N.J. – and he did, in 2018. This time there were no major incidents, although some of his competitors suffered accidents that sent them to hospital – proof that these riders aren’t simply here for show. They let rip on the compacted sand, which offers a rock-hard landing to anyone unfortunate enough to come off their bike or hot rod. Fred was totally hooked on these races, which insist on an authentic period look for both machines and riders. With no anachronisms allowed, the steel-spoked rims are fitted with old-school Avon MKII tyres, the carburettor works with the perennial Linkert mixer, and the brake system features a pair of mechanical drums machined by Ri-chard Schönfeld in Germany to turn perfectly. The transmission now has slightly shorter ratios since the rear sprocket was changed from 35 teeth to 48. This gives the Scout better acceleration, which is crucial since the races are held over short distances.
Now that Fred Fosse is sponsored by Indian France, thanks to the goodwill of Pierre Audoin, he can proudly represent the brand and its prestigious past in this type of event. After competing in Romo again in 2018, he plans to return in 2019 for the centenary of the races on this Danish beach. Perhaps he’ll also take the opportunity to surf a few waves, like he has already in many other parts of the world, including at Pismo Beach after T.R.O.G. – the weather will decide. But one thing is certain, his faithful Scout will be as ready as ever, with a new Hunt magneto to help shave a few pounds off and give a stronger spark. And who knows, maybe one day it might boast a 1948 “Big Base” racing Scout engine… well, anyone can dream!
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