# A newbie with a bunch of Indian Princess questions



## Coreyk (Apr 23, 2008)

Hi all,

Another new guy here - the guys at Memory Lane pointed me toward this forum. I am in Santa Cruz, CA.
What a fun place you all run here!

 I just got ahold of an Indian Princess bicycle from the original owner, now a grandma. It appears to be of Phillips manufacture.
It's one of the late-40s to early-50s English middleweights, but is different than the others I've seen here and elsewhere in that it is a single-speed, with a Perry rear hub and coaster brake. Anyone else ever seen an Indian Princess in this form?
I would like to either restore it, or perhaps do a "kustom" paint job and some modifications since it isn't worth much money even fully stock and mint. My wife, whose bike it will be, is in favor of the latter.

What I would like to ask is whether it would make sense to the English bikeheads here to repair the dented, bent fenders, or replace them with better examples? And if repair is better, how best to do it?

It has the hockystick chainguard that also needs straightening. Are these commonly available as spare parts?

Also, I need decals.  I cannot tell just what decals were originally on the bike, since it was painted over decades ago with house enamel. I know it probably had the "made in England" decal on the top tube, and there is a decal on the seat tube which I have partially uncovered with paint stripper; It looks like it might be similar to others I've seen posted on the net-a large red/gold crest, but I have no clear detailed pictures to post. I cannot find evidence of any "Indian" logo decals on the tubes. I do not think it had the "Indian Princess" decal on the chain guard; I've only seen those on the 3-speeds with the llarger guard. It'd be nice to have, though.

Does anyone have clear pictures of these decals they could share? I can make artwork for repro decals If I can get good examples of the originals to start with. 

Anyway, here are some pics. The bike is now back together and mostly functional. The seat is not original; the rest apparently is. It will wear a Brooks B-66 when finished.














Thanks for any ideas or answers anyone may have!

Corey K


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## sam (Apr 25, 2008)

Your story starts during the Crimean war---The Biringham England gun makers formed the company Biringham Small Arms in order to better compeet for contracts with the british Army.But when the killing stopped the poor gun maker (BSA) had a slump .A travling salesman went by the factory to invite an old friend of his(the forman) out for a beer and a game of pool,seeing they had extra space in the factory he ask the forman to build Bicycle pedals(and he would sell them)well that's how BSA started building Bicycle parts---they made your Perry Hub
Next Tube Investments owned several bicycle companies which they orginazed as the British Cycle Corp. (B.C.C.) The BCC also built motorcycles.The American motorcycle company Indian imported bicycle built by the BCC(yours)When the Indian Motorcycle was going broke they were sold to the BCC so that the BCC could market their British brands in America at the Indian dealers.Your bicycle company owned Indian


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## kunzog (Apr 25, 2008)

Your wheels are probably replacement. I have never seen them with a coaster brake. I have some original Indian lightweight  bicycle literature and all it shows is Sturmey Archer 3 speed hubs, Dunlop Enrick rims. Available in Black, Maroon and Dark green with gold striping. 
http://oldbike.homestead.com/


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## Coreyk (Apr 26, 2008)

*Thanks for the info!*

I didn't realize that B.C.C ended up owning Indian for a while in the mid-late '50s, nor that Perry was owned or made by BSA. That's always interesting stuff. So much in this world happens over a pint, it seems.

Kunzog, thanks so much for the advertising literature- it even has a version of the "Indian Princess" artwork they used for the chaincase decal. That is very neat stuff.

The thing that confused me about wheels and hubs that the rims seem to be correct Dunlop Endrick 1 3/8 with 36 and 40 hole pattern-they have the smooth external shape, but a recessed center section for the liner. 
The liners I removed were very rotted cotton with rusty steel that connected and around the valve stem. Tires were 50s-60s Guaranty Roadster cotton belted. The front tire is still usable.

I am pretty sure that the bars and grips are Schwinn/Wald items, now....the original owner is out of town, so I can't pick her brain for another month or so.

Anyway, today I went out to get replacement parts for the non-standard stuff, and came across this beast locally for $25:






....I was going to cannibalize it for parts, but it's in such _promising_ mechanical shape that I'll keep it intact, and obtain the parts to do the Indian Princess restoration at my leisure. It's a Hercules, with a date of 7 60 on the SA AW hub (which works quite well, but ticks for want of oil) and has serial # 10871JV on the usual left dropout that Raleigh used. It still has the original Dunlop tires, and Dunlop Airseal tubes, with the aluminum valve stems and caps with the valve tool on the top...

So now my wife has *two* cool English middleweight bikes....


Does anyone have a source for Indian Princess decals? 

Can anyone recommend a fender/mudguard repairer? 

Barring that, does anyone have any good-condition 1950-53 Phillips chaincases and mudguards?

What about 40-hole Sturmey-Archer AW hubs, and Dunlop Endrick rims? Complete rear wheel sets?

(Admins, should I really be placing this in the classified section?)

I've gotten bitten by the bug, I fear. I blame you all.  

Thanks again, 

your verbose newbie, Corey K


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## Monark52 (Aug 19, 2009)

Are you still looking for parts? I just picked up an old Royal Lion girls bike that i think has everything you need. It`s a 3 spd Sturmey that works great. Front hub has oil port too. Chrome not bad. I can post pics if needed.


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## Adamtinkerer (Aug 21, 2009)

I'd say your best bet for fenders, chainguard, and hubs would be ebay.


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## Coreyk (Aug 23, 2009)

*Parts*

Holding off on parts for now while I get some house repairs taken care of.
I will probably go for a custom-restoration as it would be fun to do up a combo of the newer frame with some classic Indian design and color elements.

Monark 52, this Royal Lion is a 26 x 1 3/8 wheeled bike? Ribbed fenders? What sort of chainguard? What date is the Sturmey? 

(okay, maybe I'm interested in some parts...)

Corey


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## Monark52 (Aug 24, 2009)

Hey Corey, here`s the Royal Lion. The numbers on the hub are 55 and 4. Shifts perfectly. Fenders are pretty good and i think it`s been repainted. Let me know if you`re interested. I`d like to get rid of the whole bike.


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## Monark52 (Aug 24, 2009)

*More*


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## Coreyk (Aug 31, 2009)

*Looks nice and useful*

Monark52, please check your private messages...

Thanks,

Corey "Royal Lion+Indian Princess = Royal Indian Princess Lion" K


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