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Actually, at the present time, the 'we' on these pages should be an 'I' as IPE is a one-man show, but it may not stay that way for long. If this thing takes off like it has the potential for, there will be too much work for one person. So if you are 100% dedicated to quality, service and the love of Indians, and you can live on a rock (as no way there's ever going to be fat pay checks in this!), there may be a dream job for you at IPE HQ in sunny Denmark. Introduce yourself at the first given occasion and we'll see what happens. Anyway, the 'I' behind IPE is Steen 'Moen' Tønnesen, Indian nut and coordinator of the Virtual Indian internet magazine and general cyber venture. I'm not
much for mixing making a living with non-profit fun, and I absolutely don't
want to capitalize on the VI, but a while back things came to a point where
it suddenly looked possible to put some fun into making a living - by applying
some of the Virtual Indian ideas to the supply side of the Indian parts
scene.
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For starters we have the most comprehensive range of Indian parts you will find just about anywhere on the planet. We have parts for models from 1916 to 1953. For some models, like the 1928-32 101 Scout and the 1946-53 Chiefs, we have pretty much everything and we are constantly adding to our range. We don't have everything in stock, and we may never get to that point as some parts are in limited production, but we will get you what your need as fast as humanly possible. The key words are: Order Early! -So your project won't get stranded while we make another batch of some critical part. We have the most common parts permanently in stock for fast delivery, and we are adding to our list of 'always in stock' parts all the time.
Second, we're quality nuts. Every part we sell is among the best on the market. We don't make a big deal out of how authentic for a given year/model our parts are, because that is kind of taken for granted. Our parts are very authentic, and we see our mission as improving function and reliability within that envelope (as well as coming up with some innovative new parts that were not fitted by the Wigwam but will add to the enjoyment of your Indian - e.g. electronic ignition kits). We are constantly looking for ways to improve the parts we sell, but you can be sure that we won't sell anything we don't trust 100%.
Third, we try to keep prices reasonable. This sometimes isn't easy as quality costs money, but our contacts to manufacturers in the US and Europe mean that we can offer the highest quality at fair prices. There are lots of cheaper Indian parts on the market, but usually you get what you pay for...
We decided to set up IPE to primarily give European Indian Riders ready access to all the new quality parts seen on the Virtual Indian. Sure, you can import from the US yourself, but it is easier and cheaper to get your parts from IPE right here in Europe. We usually manage to keep European prices the same as US prices, and only add local sales tax + shipping costs within Europe. This means you get your parts faster and pay less for them than if you imported them yourself. We are also a lot closer if there should be some problem with a part.
In addition to selling US made parts in Europe we also handle sales of European made quality parts in the US. That may sound like paradox (importing parts for an American motorcycle from Europe), but the fact is that many of the Avant Garde Indian parts on the market today are Made in Europe, and we want to make it easier for our American friends to get these parts.
So, the basic idea behind IPE is to provide a wide selection of brand name quality Indian parts (kind of like Custom Chrome and such for Harleys, only with an emphasis on quality!) to help raise the standards and to come ever closer to providing 'one stop shopping' for all your Indian parts needs. At the same time we want to provide an outlet for innovative smaller manufacturers and part time projecteers. If you fit that description and have something that fills a hole in our line of parts, let us know.
The bottom line is that we want to play our small part in keeping Indians on the road, and keeping their riders smiling!