Springfield, Massachusetts
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 is Indian motorcycle?
Indian Motorcycles are one of the most iconic American motorcycle brands. The original Indian Motorcycle Company (you read that right) was founded 119 years ago. Being one of the first motorcycle companies ever, they were responsible for some of the earliest advancements in motorcycle technology and some impressive early motorcycle speed records.
How many times has the Indian motorcycle failed?
The real history of the Indian Motorcycle Company is an absolute rollercoaster. Since its founding in 1901, the Indian brand in various forms had failed four times. Throughout the second half of the 20 th century, a whole slew of companies and individuals tried to resurrect Indian Motorcycles. With such a long bad-luck streak, it’s surprising …
How long did it take to travel from coast to coast in 1914?
In 1914, Erwin “Cannonball” Baker new record for coast to coast travel with a time of 11.5 days, 20 days shorter than their ride to New York just eight years prior. During the First and Second World War, Indian produced thousands of military motorcycles to support the Allied war effort .
Where is Chuck from?
Chuck is orignally from Long Island and grew up going to classic and antique car shows. He graduated from the College of William & Mary in Virginia and has since moved to Brooklyn to pursue a career in Environmental Science. Although he loves classic muscle cars, Chuck is always looking out for exciting new releases.
When did Indian motorcycles go bankrupt?
In 1998, nine companies joined forces to create the IMCA, which sold Indian brand motorcycles that were made in America. Unfortunately, this company went bankrupt in 2003.
Do Indian motorcycles have speed records?
Although Indian motorcycles haven’t set any new speed records lately, Indian owners can take pride in the fact that they’re supporting American manufacturing and own a piece of motorcycle history. Sources: Indian Motorcycle Company, National Motorcycle Museum.
Who set the record for the fastest motorcycle under 1000cc?
But these didn’t sell very well either and in 1977 business ground to a halt. At the same time, Burt Munro, a 68-year-old New Zealand native, set a new record for the fastest streamlined motorcycle under 1000cc with his modified 1920 Indian Scout.
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 was the Indian Chief’s motif?
In 1940 another Indian Chief motif was introduced, the large-skirted or ‘flared’ fenders (mudguards) – although these were initially only used up to 1942. While the Chief also gained a sprung frame that delivered a far superior ride to its Harley rival. As a result, by the time America entered WWII, Harley may have become America’s biggest seller, but Indian – and the Chief in particular – stood out as great-looking, reliable and luxurious tourers.
How many Indian Chief models will be released in 2021?
With three new 2021 Indian Chief models being revealed already this year, Visordown thought we’d take a look at how the model came to be
Who made Indian bikes?
Indian was actually set up as a brand by a bicycle maker, the Hendee Manufacturing Company. In 1901, the same year as the firm set up a new factory in Springfield, Massachusetts, boss George Hendee, who was a passionate bicycle racer, hired Oscar Hedstrom to help develop a powered bicycle capable of pacing bicycle races. After toying with the name ‘American Indian’, ‘Indian’ was settled on and, after a successful prototype, the first two production examples were built that year which were then sold in 1902. In 1903 Hedstrom gained valuable publicity for Indian by setting a then world motorcycle speed record of 56mph. Then, in 1904, the company introduced the deep red livery that would become one of its signature features.
When was the first bike made?
That first bike in 1901 was a single but in 1905 the first Indian V-twin racer debuted which proved so successful a street version followed in 1907.
Did the Chief use flared fenders?
But then, as a look through history reveals, the flared fenders, warbonnets and ‘whathaveyou’ were never used by the Chief for very long in the first place…
Who owns the Indian motorcycle brand?
Over the next 58 years ownership of the Indian brand and attempts to revive motorcycle production varied with all ultimately failing until, in 2011, it was bought by Polaris Industries, parent of Victory Motorcycles.
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.
