You Can't Wear Out an Indian Scout

From the early days of the Tom Davis Trio to the current day, the Wall of Death has always been an attraction and the bike of choice for the riders has always been the Indian Scout - a bike from the 1920s which was especially suited to the Wall of Death. To quote Sammy Pierce, the world's largest Indian motorcycle dealer: 'You can't wear out an Indian Scout, / or it's brother the Indian Chief. / They're built like rocks to stand hard knocks, / it's the Harleys that cause the grief.' The Indian Scout was never the best motorbike in the world, but it was the bike to use for trick riding on the Wall of Death. Indians were used because of their left-handed throttle control and low centre of gravity, which made them ideal for this risky form of entertainment. Wall of Death rider and owner Allan Ford and author Nick Corble tell the story in words and pictures of the Wall of Death and the famous Indian motorcycles used to ride this popular but but now rare fairground attraction.

“This book is a must for all those who've seen and enjoyed the Wall of Death over the years and want to find out more about the motorcycle of choice for the Wall rider.”

‘This book is a must for all those who’ve seen and enjoyed the Wall of Death over the years and want to find out more about the motorcycle of choice for the Wall rider.’ -- Guy Martin

Allan Ford is active in a number of fairground and showman-related areas and is perhaps best known for reviving the Wall of Death in the UK, having single-handedly rescued the Wall from obscurity in the UK in the 1980s. He been a travelling showman for most of his life and still travels the country cataloging and photographing the showman’s way of life. With Nick, he has written on the canals and Wall of Death, and is much in demand as a public speaker on these subjects and on fairgrounds. Nick Corble has written extensively on the history of Britain's canals. He usually focuses on an aspect of our heritage and how it still reflects in how we live today. Subjects have included the canal network and the fairground attraction the Wall of Death, with his work also featuring in a number of regional and national publications. He has also written books on rambling and walking, making him the ideal person to write an all-encompassing guide to Britain's canals.

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