Indian Motorcycle (or Indian) is an American emblem of bikes
owned and produced with the aid of American car manufacturer Polaris Inc.
Originally made from 1901 to 1953 in Springfield,
Massachusetts, United States, Hendee Manufacturing Company first of all
produced the motorcycles, however the call changed into changed to the Indian
Motorcycle Company in 1923. In 2011, Polaris Industries purchased the Indian
motorbike marque, moved operations from North Carolina merging them into their
existing centers in Minnesota and Iowa. Since August 2013, Polaris has
designed, engineered, and manufactured many strains of bikes underneath the
Indian Motorcycle emblem reflecting Indian's traditional styling.
The Indian Motrcycle factory team took the first three
locations inside the 1911 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. During the 1910s, Indian
Motorcycle became the most important producer of motorcycles within the global.
Indian Motorcycle's maximum popular fashions had been the Scout, made from 1920
to 1946, and the Chief, made from 1922 until 1953, whilst the Indian Motorcycle
made Manufacturing Company went bankrupt. Various groups tried to perpetuate the
Indian Motorcycle brand call in next years, with confined success.
The "Indian Motocycle Co." became founded because
the Hendee Manufacturing Company with the aid of George M. Hendee in 1897 to
manufacture bicycles. These were to start with badged as "Silver
King" and "Silver Queen" manufacturers but the name
"American Indian", quick shortened to just "Indian", was
followed with the aid of Hendee from 1898 onwards because it gave better
product reputation in export markets. Oscar Hedstrom joined in 1900. Both
Hendee and Hedstrom have been former bicycle racers and producers, and after
constructing 3 prototypes in Middletown, Connecticut, they teamed up to produce
a motorcycle with a 1.Seventy five bhp, unmarried-cylinder engine in Hendee's
home city of Springfield. The bike become successful and sales multiplied
dramatically at some stage in the following decade.
The first Indian prototype was then built and finished on
May 25, 1901, by way of Hedström at the antique Worcester Cycle Manufacturing
Company in Middletown, Connecticut, and the first public demonstration changed
into hung on Cross Street in Springfield, Massachusetts at 12:00 midday on
Saturday, June 1, 1901.
In 1901, a prototype and
production devices of the diamond-framed Indian Single have been
correctly designed, built and examined. The first Indian motorcycles, having
chain drives and streamlined styling, were sold to the general public in 1902.
In 1903, Indian's co-founder and chief engineer Oscar Hedstrom set the sector
motorcycle pace report of 56 mph.[citation needed] In 1904 the organisation
added the deep pink colour that might turn out to be Indian's trademark. Annual
production of Indian motorcycles then surpassed 500, rising to a peak of 32,000
in 1913. The engines of the Indian Single were constructed by way of the Aurora
Firm in Illinois underneath license from the Hendee Mfg. Co. Until 1906
Aurora produced engines beneath license for Indian from
approximately 1901 to 1907. Aurora became additionally allowed to promote
Indian design engines to 1/3 parties and pay Indian a charge. After 1907,
Aurora may want to make its own entire bikes, which it did as Thor, and Indian
began manufacturing its very own engines.
In 1905, Indian built its first V-twin manufacturing
facility racer and in following years made a robust showing in racing and
file-breaking. In 1907, the organisation introduced the primary avenue version
V-dual and a roadster styled after the manufacturing unit racer. The roadster
can be prominent from the racers by using the presence of twist grip
linkages.[verification needed] One of the firm's maximum well-known riders
turned into Erwin "Cannonball" Baker, who set many long-distance
statistics. In 1914, he rode an Indian throughout America, from San Diego to
New York, in a file eleven days, 12 hours and ten mins. Baker's mount in
subsequent years was the Powerplus, a side-valve V-twin, which become added in
1916. Its 61ci (1000 cc), forty two degree V-twin engine became more powerful
and quieter than previous designs, giving a pinnacle speed of 60 mph (96 km/h).
The Powerplus become rather successful, each as a roadster and as the idea for
racing bikes. It remained in manufacturing with few adjustments until 1924.
Competition achievement played a massive component in Indian's
fast boom and spurred technical innovation as properly. One of the American
company's fine early outcomes got here within the Isle of Man TT in 1911, when
Indian riders Oliver Cyril Godfrey, Franklin and Moorehouse finished first, 2nd
and 0.33. Indian big name Jake DeRosier set several pace facts, each in America
and at Brooklands in Britain, and won an predicted 900 races on dirt and board
tracks. He left Indian for Excelsior and died in 1913, aged 33, of injuries
sustained in a board track race crash with Charles "Fearless" Balke,
who later became Indian's pinnacle rider. Work at the Indian manufacturing
facility stopped as DeRosier's funeral procession surpassed.
Oscar Hedstrom left Indian in 1913 after disagreements with
the board of directors regarding dubious practices to inflate the agency's
stock price. George Hendee resigned in 1916.
Indian added the 221 cc unmarried cylinder two-stroke Model
K "Featherweight" in 1916. The Model K had an open cradle body with
the engine as a confused member and a pivoting front fork that had been used in
advance on unmarried-cylinder bikes but had generally been replaced on
different Indian bikes with the aid of a leaf-sprung trailing hyperlink fork.
The Model K become manufactured for twelve months and become
replaced in 1917 by using the Model O. The Model O had a four-stroke flat-dual
engine and a brand new frame, however retained the pivoting fork at the front.
The Model O turned into synthetic until 1919.
As the USA entered World War I, Indian sold most of its
Powerplus line in 1917 and 1918 to the United States government, starving its
network of dealers. This blow to home availability of the bikes caused a lack
of dealers from which Indian never quite recovered. While the bikes were famous
inside the military, publish-conflict demand changed into then taken up by
different manufacturers to whom the various previously unswerving Indian
sellers grew to become. While Indian shared within the business increase of the
Twenties, it had lost its Number One function in the US market to
Harley-Davidson.
The Scout and Chief V-twins, added in the early Twenties,
became the Springfield firm's most a success models. Designed by Charles
Franklin, the middleweight Scout and larger Chief shared a forty two-diploma
V-twin engine layout. Both models gained a recognition for electricity and
reliability.
In 1930, Indian merged with Du Pont Motors. DuPont Motors
founder E. Paul DuPont ceased production of duPont motors and concentrated the
business enterprise's resources on Indian. DuPont's paint enterprise
connections resulted in no fewer than 24 color alternatives in 1934. Models of
that era had Indian's famous conflict bonnet emblem on the gas tank. Indian's
big Springfield manufacturing facility become referred to as the Wigwam, and
local American imagery turned into a lot used in advertising and marketing.
In 1940, Indian sold almost as many bikes as its predominant
rival, Harley-Davidson. During this time, Indian additionally synthetic other
products consisting of aircraft engines, bicycles, boat automobiles and air
conditioners.
The Indian Scout was constructed from 1920 through 1949. It
rivaled the Chief as Indian's most critical model.
The Scout became delivered for 1920. Designed by using
Charles B. Franklin, the Scout had its gearbox bolted to the engine and changed
into driven by using gears instead of by means of belt or chain. The engine at
the start displaced 37 cu in (610 cc); the Scout forty five, with a
displacement of forty five cu in (740 cc), became available in 1927 to compete
with the Excelsior Super X. A front brake have become general at the authentic
Scout early in 1928.
In 1928, the Scout and Scout forty five have been changed by
the Model one hundred and one Scout. Another Franklin design, the 101 Scout had
a longer wheelbase and decrease seat top than the unique. The 101 Scout turned into
widely recognized for its coping with.
The a hundred and one Scout turned into replaced through the
Standard Scout for 1932. The Standard Scout shared its frame with the Chief and
the Four; as a end result, the Standard Scout become heavier and much less
nimble than the one zero one.
A second line of Scouts turned into brought for 1933. Based
on the frame of the discontinued Indian Prince unmarried-cylinder motorcycle,
the Motoplane used the 45 cubic inch engine from the Standard Scout while the
Pony Scout had a discounted displacement of 30.5 cu in (500 cc). In 1934 the
Motoplane was changed by means of the Sport Scout with a heavier but stiffer
body better capable of resist the electricity of the 45 cubic inch engine, even
as the Pony Scout, later renamed the Junior Scout, changed into persevered with
the Prince/Motoplane frame. Between the advent of the Sport Scout in 1934 and
the discontinuation of the Standard Scout in 1937 there have been 3 Scout
models (Pony/Junior, Standard, and Sport) with three one of a kind frames. The
Sport Scout and the Junior Scout had been persisted till civilian production
become interrupted in early 1942.
Introduced in 1922, the Indian Chief had a 1,000 cc (61
cubic inches) engine based at the Powerplus engine; a 12 months later the
engine became enlarged to 1,200 cc (seventy three cubic inches). Numerous
upgrades have been made to the Chief through the years, consisting of the
availability of a the front brake in 1928.
In 1940, all models had been outfitted with the huge skirted
fenders that became an Indian trademark, and the Chief gained a new sprung
frame that became superior to rival Harley's unsprung rear stop. The Forties
Chief have been handsome and relaxed machines, capable of eighty five mph (137
km/h) in standard shape and over a hundred mph (160 km/h) while tuned, despite
the fact that their improved weight hampered acceleration.
The 1948 Chief had a 74 cubic inch engine, hand shift and
foot grasp. While one handlebar grip controlled the throttle the other became a
guide spark enhance.
In 1950, the V-dual engine became enlarged to one,300 cc
(seventy nine cubic inches) and telescopic forks were adopted. But Indian's
economic troubles meant that few motorcycles were built. Production of the
Chief led to 1953.
Indian purchased the Ace Motor Corporation in 1927 and moved
manufacturing of the four-cylinder Ace motorcycle to Springfield. It became
advertised because the Indian Ace in 1927.
In 1928, the Indian Ace was replaced with the aid of the
Indian 401, a development of the Ace designed through Arthur O. Lemon, former
Chief Engineer at Ace, who changed into employed by Indian after they sold Ace.
The Ace's leading-hyperlink forks and relevant coil spring had been changed by
way of Indian's trailing-link forks and area-elliptic leaf spring.
In 1929, the Indian 401 became replaced via the Indian 402
which obtained a stronger twin-downtube frame based at the 101 Scout body and a
sturdier five-bearing crankshaft than the Ace, which simplest had a
three-bearing crankshaft.
Despite the low call for for luxury bikes throughout the
Great Depression, Indian now not simplest continued production of the Four,
however continued to broaden the motorcycle. One of the much less popular
variations of the Four become the "the other way up" engine at the
1936-37 fashions. While earlier (and later) Fours had inlet-over-exhaust (IOE)
cylinder heads with overhead inlet valves and aspect exhaust valves, the
1936-1937 Indian Four had a unique EOI cylinder head, with the positions reversed.
In concept, this would enhance gasoline vaporization, and the brand new engine
turned into more powerful. However, the brand new system made the cylinder
head, and the rider's inseam, very warm. This, together with an exhaust
valvetrain that required common adjustment, precipitated sales to drop. The
addition of twin carburetors in 1937 did not revive hobby. The design was again
to the unique configuration in 1938.
Like the Chief, the Four became given huge, skirted fenders
and plunger rear suspension in 1940. In 1941, the 18-inch wheels of preceding
fashions have been changed with sixteen-inch wheels with balloon tires.
The Indian Four was discontinued in 1942. Recognition of the
historical significance of the 1940 four-cylinder model changed into made with
an August 2006 United States Postal Service 39-cent stamp issue, a part of a
4-panel set entitled American Motorcycles. A 1941 version is a part of the
Smithsonian Motorcycle Collection on display at the National Museum of American
History. Single examples of each the 1931 and 1935 Indian Fours are inside the
ground vehicle collection of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome.
During World War II, Chiefs, Scouts, and Junior Scouts were
utilized in small numbers for various functions by using america Army and had
been extensively utilized extensively by using British and other Commonwealth
military services, underneath Lend Lease packages. However, none of these
Indian fashions may want to u.S. The Harley-Davidson WLA because the motorbike
mainly utilized by america military.
An early battle military layout by way of Indian become
based totally on the 750 cc (forty six cu in) Scout 640 (and changed into often
in comparison to Harley-Davidson's WLA), however become either too
steeply-priced or heavy, or a mixture of each. Indian's later providing, the
five hundred cc (31 cu in) 741B changed into no longer selected to benefit a US
Military agreement. Indian additionally made a version primarily based on the
1,2 hundred cc (73 cu in) Chief, the 344. Approximately 1,000 experimental
variations mounting the 750 cc motor sideways and the use of shaft force, as on
a contemporary Moto Guzzi, the 841, have been also tried.
Indian made a prototype of a light-weight motorcycle, called
the M1 light motorcycle for the World War 2 Airborne forces. The light-weight
layout might be airdropped with the troops. The layout in no way made it beyond
prototype.
During World War II, the United States Army asked
experimental motorcycle designs appropriate for barren region preventing. In
reaction Indian designed and built the 841. Approximately 1,056 fashions were
built.
The Indian 841 turned into closely inspired via the BMW R71
motorcycle (which, even though no longer used by the German Army later was the
idea for the Soviet M72, which is the basis for the Ural and Chiang Jiang bike)
as become its competitor, the Harley-Davidson XA. However, not like the XA, the
841 became not a copy of the R71. Although its tubular frame, plunger rear
suspension, and shaft force had been much like the BMW's, the 841 was specific
from the BMW in several factors, most incredibly so with its ninety-dgree
longitudinal-crankshaft V-dual engine and girder fork.
The Indian 841 and the Harley-Davidson XA were each examined
by means of the Army, however neither motorcycle changed into adopted for wider
military use. It became determined that the Jeep become extra suitable for the
roles and missions for which these motorcycles had been intended.
In 1945, a set headed through Ralph B. Rogers bought a
controlling interest of the company. On November 1, 1945, duPont formally grew
to become the operations of Indian over to Rogers. Under Rogers' manage, Indian
resumed manufacturing with best one version, the Chief, for 1946 and 'forty
seven. 1947 become also the 12 months the Indian-head fender light,
additionally referred to as the "struggle bonnet", turned into
brought. In 1948, they delivered
rebadged import models, the Czech built CZ125b, and the Brockhouse
Engineering produced Corgi Scooter. The Scooter, a novel 100cc car evolved for
paratroopers all through World War II, became rebadged the Papoose. Indian
additionally produced a limited range (appx. 50) 648 version Scouts for racing.
In 1949, they discontinued the Chief, as they commenced
domestic manufacture of two lightweight motorcycles, the unmarried-cylinder 220
cc 149 Arrow and the twin-cylinder 440 cc 249 Scout. The Scout changed into
supplied in various trim degrees. The preliminary cargo of lightweights evolved
a popularity for unreliability, often associated with a rush to market. Later
shipments had been suggested with the aid of courses of the time to have
resolved most reliability issues with the aid of the following year
The 1950 lineup delivered returned the Chief, with
telescopic forks. It also noticed the advent of the twin-cylinder 500 cc
Warrior model, which obtained each a standard and high pipe sporting TT trim.
On the Corporate facet, Rogers would step down as CEO of Indian to take
employment at Texas Instruments. Replacing Rogers became hand-picked successor
John Brockhouse, President and proprietor of Brockhouse Engineering.
Unfortunately, new control did not convey new fortune, and production of all
models wound down in 1952, with most 1953 Chiefs built from last parts. All
product manufacturing led to 1953.
As Rogers liquidated Indian in 1953, Brockhouse Engineering
received the rights to the Indian call. The Indian Sales Corp persisted to
assist the rebranded Papoose Scooter (which could stop manufacturing in 1954)
and the Brave, a European-styled 250 cc lightweight bike with a 4-stroke aspect
valve engine. All other fashions had been deserted after reducing stock. The
Brave had been designed previous to the purchase, and produced by way of an
English subsidiary owned with the aid of Brockhouse. Indian had imported these
outsourced models considering that 1951, while Brockhouse was then-President of
Indian beneath Rogers Ownership. Outside these two models that directly
benefitted Brockhouses umbrella industries, ISC additionally sold a spread of
rebadged imports, such as Vincent, AJS, and Matchless from various dates until
solidifying their import models line-up to a unmarried producer.
From 1955 via 1960, they imported English Royal Enfield
motorcycles, mildly customized them inside the United States,[citation needed]
and sold them beneath Indian branding. Almost all Royal Enfield fashions had a
corresponding Indian model inside the US. The fashions had been Indian Chief,
Trailblazer, Apache (all three had been seven-hundred cc twins), Tomahawk (500
cc dual), Woodsman (500 cc single), Westerner (500 cc single), Hounds Arrow
(250 cc unmarried), Fire Arrow (250 cc single), Lance (one hundred fifty cc
2-stroke single) and a three-wheeled Patrol Car (350 cc single).
In 1960, the Indian name turned into bought through AMC of
the United Kingdom. Royal Enfield being their competition, they unexpectedly
stopped all Enfield-primarily based Indian fashions except the 700 cc Chief. In
1962 AMC, facing monetary issues, withdrew from all advertising of the Indian
emblem call, as the employer selected to consciousness completely on their
Norton and Matchless brands.@ Read More minisecond
