Sunday July 23rd Springfield Massachusetts and a red brick building looms up on my left as I head towns downtown Springfield.

I had selected a motel based on location that should put me pass an old red brick building.

Could I dare to imagine that after some 8034kms the Indian was actually home?

The building looked like those photo's I had researched of the original Indian factory in Springfield?

Something was not quite right it looked similiar but not quite right.

I turned in the street and went back it had to be I thought. The area was not exactly one that would entice someone to hang around but after such a long ride I decided to park in the street and walk over to the building.

Rounding a cornor I saw a plague "Home of the Indian Manufacturing Co Springfield IL"

Indeed the Indian had reached its ancestoral home. Further study showed how the building should have looked before a front part had been removed and turned into a concrete park. So we were home. Were we welcome , well the local gang members didn't come over so I guess we were ok. They just hung aroung the laundry and drove rapidly up and down the side street.

Back on the Indian we too went up and down the street, around the block and even parked in the doorway to what is now apartments. We also parked in the No Parking Tow Away zone as you people needed to see the proof photo's after all.

It had been a 1600 km diversion to get here after the disappoinment of no factory tour in Iowa but there was some immense joy in that Sunday 23rd July was not just any Sunday in Springfield but it was INDIAN DAYS!

So An Australian representation was in Springfield for that day and them there streets echoed to the vibrant strain of Indian motorcycles exercising their Freedom of The City. (well that was going to be the excuse should intervention occur but no law officers were seen)

Springfield had heard Indian motorcycles in their streets since 1901 up until 1954 on a contingious basis and as our spiritual home Indians be they carrying any different British motors such as Royal EnField, the four cyclinders still made to exact specifications in Edinburgh Scotland, the broadtrackers still made in Edmonton Canada, those carrying designed in the USA Taiwanese 2 stroke motors or the S&S from the Gilroy California era or the real revival in Kings Mountain North Carolina to the present day Spirit Lake Indians these streets always are reverbrating to the Indian motorcycle America's oldest motorcycle still in production.

Yes this trip had take my Indian to Gilroy, Iowa,Springfield and Kings Mountain so now it was at rest in the spiritual homeland.

Rest was however short lived as Frank & Jim at the Springfield Museum had my company on the Monday at what was a wet & miserable day so the museum inside and heated was a great place to be.

The display covers many many variations of the Indian motorcycle including the only remaining one of 4 Indian prototype cars, Indian outboards and those variations man has imposed on what is truely one of America's greatest motorcycles.

The museum is not politically correct and very rightly and proudly tells the history of the Springfield Armoury and the production of Smith & Wesson pistols especially- long live the USA's Second Amendment is the message.