1901

Are Indian motorcycles worth the money?

Indian motorcycles are worth the cost because of their cutting-edge performance-based technology, high-caliber team of engineers, mechanics, and designers, distinct style, and quality build. Owning an Indian also enlists you in the Indian dealership’s nationwide support structure for routine maintenance, oil services, and part upgrades.

When was the first Indian motorcycle made?

Indian Motorcycles originated back in 1901 with the first Indian Motorcycle being the Indian Red. It had a successful run of producing bikes until 1953. Originally they operated under the Hendee Manufacturing Company name before changing to Indian Motorcycle in 1923.

What was the first Indian motorcycle?

What was the first Indian motorcycle? The first Indian Motorcycle was sold to a retail customer in 1902 but it was two years later that the company introduced a deep red called Vermillion, which became better known as “Indian Red.” Racing victories and records helped to solidify its popularity.

Where was the original Indian Motorcycle factory?

The factory on Wilbraham Road in Springfield, which would later house the Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company. Seen here around 1892 and published in Picturesque Hampden (1892). This building is best known as having been part of the Indian Motocycle Company factory, but it has had a variety of uses over the years.

What year was the first motorcycle with electric lights?

1914: Debuts world’s first motorcycle with electric lights and starter. The ThunderStroke 111 engine may be brand new but Polaris took care to keep classic Indian engine designs. 1916: Hendee resigns from Indian.

When was the first Indian motorcycle made?

So, with Indian Motorcycles once again becoming prominent, we thought we’d look back at the rich history of the marque to find its notable milestones. 1901: Indian Motocycles (sic) is launched by Oscar Hedstrom and George Hendee in Springfield, MA. Prototype and two production units were built. 1902: First Indian motorcycle sold to public.

What year did the Chief get full skirted fenders?

1940: The Chief gets full skirted fenders and introduces “plunger” (spring coupled to an oil-dampened shaft) rear suspension.

How fast was Burt Munro in 1967?

1967: Burt Munro rides his modified 1920 Scout to an under-1000cc land-speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats. His 183.586-mph mark remains unbeaten today.

What year did the Chief add saddle tanks?

1932 : Skirted fenders and saddle tank are added to the Chief.

How many ci is the 1923 Big Chief?

1923: The Big Chief debuts with a 74 ci (1200cc) V-Twin.

When did Chief re-emerge?

1951: Chief re-emerges after a one-year hiatus with a new 80 ci engine. 1953: Indian ceases production after failing to sell many motorcycles in the post-war era. 1955: Brockhouse Engineering buys the rights to Indian and sells rebadged Royal Enfields for five years.

What motorcycles did the German Army use?

The Army did, however, request many experimental motorcycles specifically for desert combat. Indian responded with the 841. It was based off the BMW R71 which was the motorcycle used by the German Army. The Harley-Davidson XA was also based on the BMW R71.

What year were Scouts made?

The Scout debuted in 1920. Scouts originally had a 596 cc, 37 cubic inch engine, but were later upgraded to a 745 cc, 45 cubic inch engine in 1927. The most popular Scout model was the 101 Scout made in 1928. The 101 Scout had improved handling due to its lower body frame. Cost cuts led to the Scout using the bigger, heavier frame made for Indian Chiefs. This led to the creation of the Sport Scout in 1934. The Sport Scout included a lighter frame, Girder forks, alloy parts, and more improvements. Different variations of the Scout made from 1932 and 1941 include the Scout Pony, Junior Scout, and the Thirty-Fifty. Scouts also helped the United States Army get around during World War II.

How long did it take to ride an Indian motorcycle?

A man named Erwin “Cannonball” Baker rode an Indian motorcycle from San Diego to New York in a record-breaking 11 days, 12 hours, and 10 minutes. The Scout and Chief came out in the early 1920s and quickly became Indian’s most popular models. The reputation for Indian Scouts and Chiefs was strength and reliability.

What was the 101 Scout?

The 101 Scout had improved handling due to its lower body frame. Cost cuts led to the Scout using the bigger, heavier frame made for Indian Chiefs. This led to the creation of the Sport Scout in 1934. The Sport Scout included a lighter frame, Girder forks, alloy parts, and more improvements.

Why did Indian Scouts and Chiefs stop making cars?

In 1930, Indian joined forces with duPont Motors, at which point duPont stopped making their automobiles in order to concentrate on Indians. Since duPont had connections in the paint industry, Indians became available in more than 24 colors.

How fast was the 1940 Chief?

A well tuned Chief in 1940 could reach speeds of up to 100 mph, and 85 mph stock. If not for the somewhat heavy weight of the Chief, the acceleration would have been greater. In 1950, the Chief was fitted with a whopping 1300 cc, 80 cubic inch engine for even more power.

What was the 401 on the ace?

The 401 replaced the Ace’s leading-linked forks and central coil springs were all updated to Indian’s trailing-link forks and quarter-elliptic leaf spring. In 1929, the 402 had even stronger frame bases like the ones on 101 Scout, and sturdier five-bearing crankshafts than the previous three-bearing found on the Ace.

What engine does the Indian Motorcycle Corporation use?

The new Indian Motorcycle Corporation had relied on S&S engines (clones of the Harley Evolution engine) for its first three model years but all along had been working on a new engine, the Powerplus? 100, specifically made for the new Indian. That engine was introduced in their 2002 Chief models while the other Indian models continue to use the S&S engine.

When did Indian stop making motorcycles?

After Indian stopped manufacturing the classic Indian in 1953, there were a number of attempts to keep the Indian name before the public. The Indian Sales Corporation continued to sell motorcycles except that they were imported British bikes including Norton, Royal Enfield and Vincent. They also sold other makes rebadged with the Indian name.

When did AMC acquire Indian motorcycles?

In 1960 , Associated Motorcycles of Great Britain (AMC) acquired the rights to the name and renamed its dealers as AMC/Indian.

When did the Taiwanese minibike company go bankrupt?

In 1970, a California lawyer purchased the name to use on Taiwanese minibikes but the company went bankrupt in 1976.

Who wrote the classic Indian motorcycle?

For more information on Indian, I recommend a book entitled "The Classic Indian Motorcycle – A History of the Marque 1901 to 1953" by John Carroll, published by Barnes & Noble Books.

What is the Indian Motocycle Company?

Note the spelling here of "motocycle" instead of "motorcycle." The term "motocycle" was an archaic word used in the nineteenth century to denote any horseless carriage. Indian wanted to distinguish itself from the competition by using the older word.

When was the Indian motorcycle invented?

The Indian motocycle was first built in 1901 by the Hendee Manufacturing Company of Springfield, MA USA. Note the fact that George Hendee, founder of the company, termed it a "motocycle" not a motorcycle.

When was the Harley-Davidson motorcycle made?

The Harley-Davidson motorcycle was first built in 1903 by three Davidson brothers, Arthur, William and Walter, and William Harley. Although there were more Davidsons than Harleys, the company was named Harley-Davidson because "it sounded better."

Who is the Big Chief?

George Hendee became known as the Big Chief (B.C.) and Oscar Hedstrom became known as the Medicine Man. The factory was called the Wigwam and the dealer network was called the Tribe. The company finally changed its name from the Hendee Manufacturing Company to the Indian Motocycle Company in 1923.

When did the war between Harley and Indian end?

Most motorcyclists will not even remember the war between Indian and Harley-Davidson. The war, begun in 1903, did not end until 1954 when Indian stopped production with these words delivered to its loyal dealers:

When were V twins invented?

The first V-twins from Indian were produced in 1907.

Why are Indian motorcycles called Wigwam?

Because DuPont had connections in the paint industry due to his automobile company association, Indian motorcycles were available in over twenty-four different colors. Additionally, the logo at the time was a war bonnet head-dress on the gas tank, leading to Native American themed advertising for the company. Interesting enough, the factory in Springfield was referred to as the Wigwam. In addition to motorcycles, IMC and Dupont also built air conditioners, boat and aircraft engines, and bicycles.

What was the first motorcycle to be made in the 1920s?

The early 1920s were iconic for IMC due to the introduction of several new motorcycles, such as the Indian Scout. The Scout was the first motorcycle that really enticed people to ride. It was fast, easy to maneuver, and was reliable as well. This decade would see the production of not only the famous Scout, but also the Chief in 1922, the Big Chief the next year, which became a best-seller, and the Prince in 1925.

When did Hendee resign?

Co-founder Hendee resigned in 1916 as company president. The following year the US entered World War I and IMC was very dedicated to the war effort, providing much of its production to the US military. In fact, IMC provided almost fifty thousand motorcycles between 1917 and 1919. Unfortunately, this resulted in limited inventory for motorcycle dealers, allowing retail sales to drop considerably.

When was the IMC motorcycle made?

That’s right, IMC has been heading out on the highway for over a century. This American brand was first produced in 1901. However, in the beginning, the company was called Hendee Manufacturing instead, until 1928, when the name was changed to the moniker it’s still known by today. Can you imagine seeing a motorcycle driving around in the horse and buggy days? They probably caused quite a stir, which led to their subsequent success.

When was the Indian motorcycle company founded?

From the time the company was first established in 1901 until 1923, the company went by Hendee Manufacturing Company. However, in 1923 the name was changed to The Indian Motocycle Company, originally without the “r” in motorcycle. Eventually, the “r” was added back in. The company also introduced a larger version of the Scout engine which became practically legendary; this version ended up being thought of as one of the best engines the company ever built. The Scout was also the company’s most popular model.

What was the first motorcycle?

The first motorcycles were basically motorized bicycles . The first motorcycle had a single cylinder engine with 1.75 brake horsepower (bhp). Brake horsepower measures the horsepower of an engine before power loss from the water pump, alternator, gearbox, and other auxiliary components.

When did IMC start making motorcycles?

IMC focused its efforts from 1940 through 1945 on contributing to the Allied troops. The company first began building motorcycles in 1941 for the government in France. In addition, IMC also produced the Model 841 for the US Army. During this time, very few motorcycles were produced for consumers.