1942 Indian 442
Item History & Price
Listing my 1942 Indian Four model 442. It has been a privilege and joy to own and ride this motorcycle, but the time he come for me to offer it to the next soul that will hopefully enjoy it as much as I have.
1942 marked the last year of production for the coveted Indian 4 cylinder motorcycles. While expert opinions vary, 1942 arguably was one of the lowest production years for the 4. Most agree less than 300 total Indian 442’s rolled off the assembly line in 1942. The majority, i...f not all, were said to be issued for “essential use” only. While many of its characteristics are common with 1940 and 1941 indian Fours, the limited production just make them so much more rare than the other skirted predecessors and rarely become available for sale.
My bike underwent a complete and total restoration sometime in the 80’s while owned by well regarded motorcycle collector/enthusiast Otto Link out of Pennsylvania. Otto’s friend and longtime motorcycle restorer (in his 90’s) is still alive and said my bike was a complete original bike when disassembly occurred. Otto had many bikes and many Indians. All of his bikes were painted the same color combo in the 1939 World’s Fair paint scheme. The reason Otto painted all of his bikes the same was so when he went to get one out of the barn, they all looked the same from afar so his wife wouldn’t ever suspect him having more than one motorcycle....he was a master at the art is deception!!! There has been many of his bikes sold over the years with the same paint scheme, and I like the paint so I never changed it.
My 42’ is a magneto model, has factory 18” wheels and has a patch on the backside of the rear fender where the hole was for the siren when it previously lived life as a police bike. It sports matching numbers on the motor and the frame. Has correct tank emblems/trim for an early 42. Linkert M441 carburetor. The cases have never been repaired or welded and the VIN pad has never been altered. I will text photos of the motor numbers and frame numbers for those who request.
The motor was rebuilt around 2, 500 miles ago to factory specs by Roy Davies out of Terre Haute, IN. I run Valvoline VR1 straight 50 and the oil pressure while hot is right at 50psi while running down the road and between 25-30psi while at idle when hot. Bike starts first or second kick in normal riding conditions and doesn’t miss a beat when running down the road. I personally rebuilt both front and rear wheel hubs, brakes and put new 18x4.50 tires on about 2500 miles ago. This bike is ridden and proven and needs nothing to ride across the country tomorrow. Note***when I took the picture tonight the generator belt and cover were removed...when the new belt arrives I will put them both back on so the mag can spin the generator to return charge to the battery***
The bike is being sold with a clear title in my name. I have many more pictures and video of my bike running and driving. If you would like to call or text for more info or photos/video I can be reached at 419.261.3313. I m not great at responding to emails in a timely fashion so please call/text for quickest response. I live in Michigan and am on Eastern Standard Time. I can be reached between the hours of 7AM and 11PM EST.
I will accept bids from out of country bidders but I will not fill out any sort of customs paperwork, etc. I will assist any buyer with shipping but it is agreed any costs/expenses will be the buyers. I have the right to cancel/end the auction at anytime for any reason. The 1942 Michigan license plate in the photos Is not included in the sale. I will only accept a direct bank wire or cash in person as form of payment. If you do not have the funds available at the time of bidding, please do not bid. Thanks and happy bidding.
On Oct-07-19 at 05:43:18 PDT, seller added the following information:***Note: I forgot to mention that I have the original heat riser tubes and they are included in the auction. When the motor was rebuilt, the heat riser holes were bypassed. Very easy to remove plugs and put tubes back in. I have included a picture of the bike prior to the motor rebuild with the heat riser tubes in place.****
1942 marked the last year of production for the coveted Indian 4 cylinder motorcycles. While expert opinions vary, 1942 arguably was one of the lowest production years for the 4. Most agree less than 300 total Indian 442’s rolled off the assembly line in 1942. The majority, i...f not all, were said to be issued for “essential use” only. While many of its characteristics are common with 1940 and 1941 indian Fours, the limited production just make them so much more rare than the other skirted predecessors and rarely become available for sale.
My bike underwent a complete and total restoration sometime in the 80’s while owned by well regarded motorcycle collector/enthusiast Otto Link out of Pennsylvania. Otto’s friend and longtime motorcycle restorer (in his 90’s) is still alive and said my bike was a complete original bike when disassembly occurred. Otto had many bikes and many Indians. All of his bikes were painted the same color combo in the 1939 World’s Fair paint scheme. The reason Otto painted all of his bikes the same was so when he went to get one out of the barn, they all looked the same from afar so his wife wouldn’t ever suspect him having more than one motorcycle....he was a master at the art is deception!!! There has been many of his bikes sold over the years with the same paint scheme, and I like the paint so I never changed it.
My 42’ is a magneto model, has factory 18” wheels and has a patch on the backside of the rear fender where the hole was for the siren when it previously lived life as a police bike. It sports matching numbers on the motor and the frame. Has correct tank emblems/trim for an early 42. Linkert M441 carburetor. The cases have never been repaired or welded and the VIN pad has never been altered. I will text photos of the motor numbers and frame numbers for those who request.
The motor was rebuilt around 2, 500 miles ago to factory specs by Roy Davies out of Terre Haute, IN. I run Valvoline VR1 straight 50 and the oil pressure while hot is right at 50psi while running down the road and between 25-30psi while at idle when hot. Bike starts first or second kick in normal riding conditions and doesn’t miss a beat when running down the road. I personally rebuilt both front and rear wheel hubs, brakes and put new 18x4.50 tires on about 2500 miles ago. This bike is ridden and proven and needs nothing to ride across the country tomorrow. Note***when I took the picture tonight the generator belt and cover were removed...when the new belt arrives I will put them both back on so the mag can spin the generator to return charge to the battery***
The bike is being sold with a clear title in my name. I have many more pictures and video of my bike running and driving. If you would like to call or text for more info or photos/video I can be reached at 419.261.3313. I m not great at responding to emails in a timely fashion so please call/text for quickest response. I live in Michigan and am on Eastern Standard Time. I can be reached between the hours of 7AM and 11PM EST.
I will accept bids from out of country bidders but I will not fill out any sort of customs paperwork, etc. I will assist any buyer with shipping but it is agreed any costs/expenses will be the buyers. I have the right to cancel/end the auction at anytime for any reason. The 1942 Michigan license plate in the photos Is not included in the sale. I will only accept a direct bank wire or cash in person as form of payment. If you do not have the funds available at the time of bidding, please do not bid. Thanks and happy bidding.
On Oct-07-19 at 05:43:18 PDT, seller added the following information:***Note: I forgot to mention that I have the original heat riser tubes and they are included in the auction. When the motor was rebuilt, the heat riser holes were bypassed. Very easy to remove plugs and put tubes back in. I have included a picture of the bike prior to the motor rebuild with the heat riser tubes in place.****
