Indian, World's Finest Motorcycle

1901-1903, The start of a Legend.

In 1900 many of the inventions nowadays used without a thought, such as electricity, telephone, bicycles, motorbikes, cars etc., were very new. Petrol was still very volatile, and could only be purchased at the chemist or drugstore. There is no network of roads or infrastructure, nor any oil company, with its distribution network, as we know it. But there are plenty of people who realize the future and money to be made in transport, manufacturing, and distribution. Big Big Bucks. The Indian motorcycle was born of an agreement between George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom, inscribed on a single sheet of paper in January 1901. Oscar Hedstrom, born in Sweden in 1871, was a self-trained engineer who built motorized "pacers" to pace bicycle races.

These pacers were noted for their reliability, causing Hendee to approach Hedstrom in the fall of 1900 with the idea of building a mass-produced motorized bicycle for sale to the public. Hedstrom cloistered himself and began work on a prototype, which made its debut in Springfield on May 30, 1901. Weighing less than 100 pounds, the little motorized bicycle was surprisingly reliable, due, to a large extent, to a superior carburetor. Two more prototypes were constructed during 1901, but mass production did not begin until 1902.

During the latter days of the 19th century, the unwieldy high-wheel bicycle was displaced by the so-called "safety bicycle," introduced by Rover in England in 1885. Easy to operate for both men and women, the safety bicycle was a sensational success, quickly revolutionizing personal transportation throughout the industrialized world. The Hendee Manufacturing Company was well positioned to take advantage of this trend, and by 1897 was producing over 4,000 bicycles per year, some of which were exported to Europe. To take advantage of 19th century Europe's fascination for the American West, Hendee branded his export bicycles "American Indian." The name proved so popular that when motorcycle manufacturing began, Hendee did not think twice about what to call his new motorized product. Early demand for reliable motor bicycles was strong, and the Indian became an instant success. George Hendee, born near Boston in 1866, had a brief but brilliant career as a high-wheel bicycle racer, winning 302 races in 309 starts. Moving from the sport into the bicycle trade, he formed the Hendee Manufacturing Company in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1889 to undertake the manufacture of Silver King and Silver Queen bicycles.

1904-1913, The Golden Decade, World Leader.

During its first model year, Indian produced 143 motorcycles, in 1903 it produced 376. By 1905, production was over 1,000 units per year, and by 1913, it soared to over 30,000 units. Throughout this period, Indian's ability to produce was constantly outstripped by demand, both in America and overseas. The factory in Springfield, known as the Wigwam, was under a constant state of expansion until it became a 400,000 square foot monster, theoretically capable of manufacturing 60,000 motorcycles per year. Indian's reputation was based on quality and constant innovation at the hands of Oscar Hedstrom, known to Indian fans as The Great Medicine Man. In 1907, Indian introduced a V-twin engine, and in 1909 a "loop" chassis design that made Indian a true motorcycle, rather than a motor-assisted bicycle. A two-speed gearbox and leaf-spring front suspension appeared in 1910. In 1913, a swinging-arm and leaf spring rear suspension was introduced.

In 1914, Indian became the first motorcycle to feature an electric starter, though this idea failed due to primitive battery technology of the day. Capitalizing on Hedstrom's fine designs, George Hendee-known as the Big Chief-handled promotion and marketing, focusing on high-profile speed and endurance competition. These included a victory in 1902 in the first motor vehicle endurance competition ever held in America, innumerable cross-country records by the legendary Erwin "Cannonball" Baker, and a three-place sweep of the prestigious Isle of Man Tourist Trophy in 1911. By this time, nothing compared to Indian within the world of motorcycling. Countless American brands were dropping by the wayside, and Harley-Davidson was only a small, struggling company in comparison to the Springfield giant. Unfortunately, due to international politics, outside competitive forces, and changes in management, Indian peaked early. 1913 was the company's best year, and the Wigwam never came close to that hoped-for annual production of 60,000 motorcycles.

1914-1922, World War, Decline, PowerPlus.

Indian's decline is still argued by experts and historians, but most agree that it involved the following factors: With Oscar Hedstrom retiring in 1913, and George Hendee stepping down as CEO in 1915, Indian lost a leadership that understood and was dedicated to motorcycles. Thereafter-until E. Paul du Pont took over in 1930-Indian was run by uncaring and sometimes corrupt directors who saw the Wigwam as an all-purpose manufacturing facility, which they devoted to building boat motors, automobile shock absorbers, and other non-motorcycle products. These ventures invariably lost money while Indian motorcycle marketing and the Indian dealer network went neglected. The Model T Ford emerged as the true competitive enemy of the motorcycle. By implementing the moving assembly line and introducing installment credit in 1913, Fords suddenly became affordable to the masses, displacing Indian and all other motorcycle brands as the personal transportation of choice. Political and economic upheaval in Europe following the First World War devastated Indian's export sales, which amounted to as much as half its production during the years prior to the war. Focusing on what it hoped would be windfall military sales, Indian's management further neglected its civilian market and its dealer network. This proved a strategic blunder in comparison to Harley-Davidson, which valued its dealer network and focused on a more prudent application of production capacity toward both civilian and military models.

For Indian and every other brand, the glory days were over by 1920. Expendable income was spent on automobiles as the post-war economy limped on toward outright collapse and depression in 1929. What had once been an American motorcycle industry boasting as many as 200 separate brands came down to only three major manufacturers by the end of the decade. These were Indian, Harley-Davidson, and Schwinn (Manufacturer of the Excelsior and Henderson brands). With Schwinn ceasing motorcycle production in 1931, there were only two; but Harley continued to slowly grow as Indian slowly declined due to poor management. Because they were the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, and they wanted to skim the market, they also brought out some lighter machines, such as model K and Model O. These models, in a country where Big V Twins were loved and the more cc's the better, were doomed to fail.

The time was not ripe for these lighter motorcycles. Yet during this period of market decline, Indian delivered some of the greatest engineering successes in its history. Charles Gustafson, who had been Oscar Hedstrom's assistant since 1907, had been working on a new side-valve design that came into production in 1916 as the Powerplus. The Powerplus was cheaper to manufacture than the old Hedstrom engine. It was reliable, powerful, and successful in competition. There are still many original Dutch PowerPlusses from 1916 until 1922 known from photo's or still existing.

Charles B. Franklin, who had ridden on Indian's victorious 1911 Isle of Man team, emigrated from Ireland to join Indian's engineering department in Springfield. Working with Gustafson's 1000cc Powerplus design, Franklin developed the 600cc Scout. This was a very compact model, it featured semi-unit construction, with the transmission bolted to the engine and driven by an efficient helical gear drive, and like the Powerplus, it was a side-valve design with excellent ride-ability and a very appealing name. It is not a super fast machine, but for the Netherlands an extremely suitable concept, with it's small, narrow country roads and streets, and of course the very reasonable price-tag.  Even HD, the now largest competitor had to admit to the quality.Introduced in 1920, the Scout became the engineering platform upon which Indian engines were based into the late 1940s. In 1922, it was enlarged to 61 cubic inches, 1000cc, to become the Chief engine, and to 74 cubic inches, 1200cc, in 1924 to become the Big Chief engine.

In a sense, Franklin's wizardry with the side-valve engine set the future direction for the American motorcycle industry. It is commonly known that an overhead valve engine has greater performance potential. Since the mid-teens Indian and Harley-Davidson had produced special four- and eight-valve OHV racers. These machines were potent and capable of high speeds, but they were fragile, and they were expensive because they were produced in only limited quantities. Charles Franklin defied conventional wisdom by focusing his attention on race-development of side-valve engines. He was so successful that his production-based side-valve racers drove the works OHV machines into obsolescence, forcing Harley-Davidson to follow suit with increased development of side-valve technology. Consequently, in America the side-valve V-twin became king.

1923-1927, The Roaring Twenties.

The Anglo-American influence is big in the Netherlands after the First World War. The economy is better, and the Dollar is relatively cheap. Also the Americans have the most modern and often best quality products, such as cars, motorcycles and even radio's etc.

The Scout, a model built at the right time, for the right public, becomes an export success for Indian. Especially in the Netherlands, where, with a multitude of devoted Indian owners and technical Know How, even now many scouts can still be found.

In order to, once again, become the largest Factory in the world, Indian tries to skim the motorcycle market with the broadest supply of models. The one cylinder model is again introduced, in the form of the Prince 350cc, again a model that does not sell well, and moreover the design is too light.

That first influx of American products makes a good impression on the Dutch, and brands such as Indian, Harley Davidson, Ford and Firestone, are still loved and known today. The Indian Factory also buys up the ACE factory, in order to be able to market an Indian Four.

 1928-1931, Stock Market Crash, Chaos.

The cylinder capacity of the Scout is upgraded from 600cc to 750cc.  This delivers us a classic Indian motorcycle, the 101 45" Scout, to compete with Excelsior's Super X, which was proving successful on racetracks throughout the nation. Charles Franklin's design skills included not just engines, but complete motorcycles, as seen in the legendary 101 Scout, introduced in 1928. It was a superb motorcycle to handle, regarded by many as Indian's best motorcycle ever.

1929 Stock Market Crash. Worldwide the economy crashes.  Indian is in a bad way, partly because the Prince model is not selling, the investments they have made towards the 4cylinder, and the realization that the production of such a wide range of models is not economical, due to the many extra parts necessary for such a venture. Also the Indian factory seems to be blind to the fact that they have a good, reliable 45" 750cc that puts what other manufacturers supply to shame. Their own 74" 1200cc is however a problem case that will still undergo many changes.

Engineering accomplishments aside, the '20s were not good years for Indian. Due to its neglectful and unfocused leadership, by 1930 Indian sales had declined to about 5,000 units per year; half that of Harley-Davidson. In 1929, the brothers E. Paul and Francis of the industrialist du Pont family purchased large blocks of Indian stock. Both were given seats on the Indian board, and from his position as a director, E. Paul began to examine the business dealings of the company. Beyond poor management, he discovered possible stock manipulation and illegal insider trading. With this information, du Pont forced Indian's management team out, and took control of the company.

1932-1939, The Great Depression.

Du Pont brought aboard production manager Loren "Joe" Hosley and designer Briggs Weaver, and terminated Indian's non-motorcycling ventures, such as outboard motors. Hosley turned his attention to reducing overhead, and Weaver started design projects that eventually brought forth the beautiful, classic Indians of the 1930s and '40s. But great damage had been done to Indian's image and dealer network over the previous decade, and by 1933 sales slipped further to only 1,700 units. The great Wigwam was running at only five percent its production capacity.

Recession hits the Netherlands hard also, and because there are now tax advantages to buying the lighter motorcycles, the sale of the Indian drops drastically. This makes an originally bought Scout or Chief in the early thirties very rare in the US, and even more so in the Netherlands.

The A Ford is a worldwide success, but the American influence is diminishing, and the German influence is growing. But even in America itself the motorcycle companies are facing tough times, Excelsior is closing down, and Harley Davidson and Indian are facing the lowest production in years. Indian cleans up their range of models, with a more or less standardized frame for the Scout, as well as the Chief and Four. To the amazement of the HD factory, they also stop production in 1931 of the 101 Scout. The model that had made quite an impression on HD.

Without really investing in anything new, they manage to bring out a new model in 1934 that will keep the name Indian proud until 1953, the Sport Scout. It is a 750cc sidevalve with a new light frame and very good characteristics of the Chief, as well as lots of power and the manageability of the Scout. The time is not ripe for this model, if it has not got the cylinder capacity of a 1200cc it is not worth having. Also the production costs of this model are quite high and it never became the export success like the 600cc Scout. However it is a huge success on the Racetrack, though design chief Weaver has been given credit for the design, Indian racer Jimmy Hill had a big hand in its development. The Sport Scout, timed perfectly for the AMA's new Class C racing program, gave Indian a racetrack weapon that battled Harley-Davidsons on America's dirt tracks into the 1950s. The 1937 Sport Scout introduced a styling treatment that many consider one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever built. It had beautifully rounded and valanced fenders, and a gracefully shaped tank. The same styling was applied to the Chief and the Four in 1938. Brilliant color also became a styling hallmark for Indian. Du Pont leveraged his relationship with DuPont Paint and made Indians available in more than two dozen lovely, two-tone color combinations. Furthermore, for just five dollars, a person could order an Indian in any of the non-standard colors in the DuPont automotive enamel catalog.

When halfway through the 30's the economy picks up, Indian once again starts experimenting with different designs of the Four. They are not able to solve all the technical problems of the Four and because the model is quite expensive, therefore selling relatively few, the Indian factory loses money here as well. Harley Davidson by now is also making very reliable sidevalve motorbikes, which even now are still very much loved. In 1936 HD introduced something new, a 1200cc OverHeadvalve, which despite the early problems, was made ready for production by Joe Petrali. This model, the Nuckelhead, is still a legend by HD Enthusiasts, but it is also a sign for the Indian factory, which up until now had always come out first, with the better and simpler solutions.

1940-1945, Styling, World War II.

Even bolder styling appeared in 1940 in the form of the famous full-skirted, streamlined fenders. Although this treatment was somewhat controversial at the time, it has become the rolling art for which the Indian motorcycle is known and so widely admired. Indian hailed it as "The new style-blazer of a new era of motorcycling." While Indian engineering fell further behind with the introduction of the Harley-Davidson OHV "Knucklehead" in 1936, as eye candy, Harleys could not hold a candle to these classic Indians.

It will be another two years before the world's greatest economical power changes their entire production over to war production. It is also the last years of the leafspring frontforks for the Chief, and the final years for the Indian Four and the Sport Scout

Indian Scout, used to start a diesel engine running on coal or wood gas, Second World War.

 Indian Army Chief 74ci, 1200cc model 340.

Once again Indian is not lucky in commissioning the army's orders. The 640 750cc with the already less robust frame and engine concept, goes into production as an even slimmer version, the 741 with a 500cc engine. This in contradiction to HD who upgrade their 750cc to make it into robust, indestructable and very reliable models, the WLA en WLC. The U.S. Army chose the Harley-Davidson WLA, which was produced in over 90,000 units, and the Model 741 Indians went mostly to allied nations, such as Canada and Great Britain.  

Indian Army Scout 30.50ci, 500cc model 741. 

  

 The American Army also chooses the Jeep for many of their activities, instead of the motorbike. Ultimately the Indian factory was forced to change their production to non-motorbike products for the war effort.Knowing there was little profit to be made, the war brought little relief to the beleaguered company.

1946-1949, The old Chief, and the too light lightweight's.

After the war, many of the allied armies leave their gear behind. Sometimes it is sold on the side of the road, and it is then that many people, for the first time ever, see such things as an electrical drill.  It shows a shrill contrast to the supplies in the Netherlands, which has been depleted in the 5 years of the war. At that time there is an abundance of motorcycles in the Netherlands, all left behind by the allied armies. Norton's, BSA's, 741 Indian's, but also many HD WLA's and WLC's flood the market and are relatively cheap. At war's end, Indian had to reduce its work force, finding itself with a weaker dealer network and a still declining market share. What's more, Indian now had only one civilian model in its product line, the Chief. The Scout will never again make a come back. In spite of relatively high production of the Chief, in 1946 6000, 1947 7000, en in 1948 ????. and good looks, it was by then a woefully outdated design. Despite his best efforts to resurrect Indian as a strong and profitable American motorcycle manufacturer, du Pont's 15 years of leadership delivered slightly less than break-even performance.

In November, 1945, he sold the company to an investment group headed by Ralph B. Rogers, a millionaire industrialist involved in the manufacture of diesel engines, power lawn mowers, and air-conditioning equipment. Rogers brought to the company a bold vision. He wanted to create an entirely new Indian, and he sought nothing less than to revolutionize the American motorcycle market. In the climate of post-war prosperity, adventure, and optimism, he saw an opportunity to build a new kind of product for what he called a "gentleman motorcyclist." He wanted a lightweight, non-intimidating machine that would be easy to learn to ride. With this idea in mind, Rogers acquired Torque Manufacturing of Plainfield, Connecticut, a company that had already invested several years in the development of a "modular" motorcycle engine. It was based on the idea that a basic cylinder, head, and valve train could be multiplied to create a range of different motorcycle engines. Tooling and manufacturing costs were reduced because a great many parts could be shared among the various engines. With Torque's design, Indian built a 220cc single, the Arrow; a 440cc twin, the Scout; and a prototyped 880cc four.

1946 Chief with Sidecar, picture taken on the island of Texel, the Netherlands in 1950 or 1951.

The new lightweight Indians were introduced in 1948, and went into production in 1949. Many long-time Indian dealers were skeptical toward these small, British-like machines, but Rogers explained they could have their cake and eat it too. They could sell the big V-twin Chief to their traditional customers, but attract a whole new clientele with these new friendly, lightweight Indians. He envisioned middle-class fathers riding Scouts and buying Arrows for their teenage sons. Advertising frequently pictured wholesome, smiling women riding the new Indians. The concept was really not so different from what Soichiro Honda achieved a decade later when he delivered a small, friendly motorcycle and declared that you would meet the nicest people on his Hondas. However, in execution, Indian's bold dream turned into a nightmare. The Dyna-Torque Indians were inadequately tested and rushed into production at an all-new factory. Quality control was poor and seriously flawed motorcycles were shipped to the dealers. Mismatched cam gears, bearings damaged during manufacturing, and faulty lubrication systems resulted in catastrophic engine failures. Despite an expensive promotional campaign that included advertising in mainstream national magazines and free Indians to movie stars and sports heroes in exchange for publicity photos, the lightweight Indians quickly earned a terrible reputation. To make matters worse, when 12 500cc factory prototypes were entered at a national championship road race at Laconia, all 12 failed to finish.

Then the final straw came when the British government devalued the Pound Sterling by 25 percent, causing British products-including motorcycles-to cost less. The new Indian was priced and competitively positioned against the British imports, which suddenly cost substantially less. Due to the low exchange rate of the Dollar, and the relatively cheap and sporty English motorbikes, there is hardly any export to Europe. Indian had invested enormously in the new Dyna-Torque project, and to bring much-needed capital into the company, Rogers accepted financial support from Englishman John Brockhouse. What Brockhouse got out of the deal was a seat on the Indian board of directors, and the right to distribute his line of British motorcycles-including Matchless, Norton, Douglas, Royal Enfield, and Vincent-through Indian dealers. Brockhouse promptly staged a coup, and Rogers was removed as Indian's president in January 1950.

1950-1953, The End.

In 1949 no new Chiefs were made, but the 74" Chief is revised. The cylinder capacity is raised from 1200cc to 1340cc by a longer stroke, and the heads were changed. This is how one of the first 80" motorbikes comes into being. They then opted for the combustion chamber of the early Bonneville motors, using the heads, cams and camfollowers.

Also a driveshaft with torque equalizer is assembled, in order to absorb the worst shocks. Raising the cylinder capacity with minimal adjustments to the parts and fittings of the original 74ci, 1200 cc engine, and without really renewing the basic parts, is by many felt to be at the expense of the reliability and handling of the standard 74ci, 1200cc engine. But Indian is one of the first to have an 80", 1340cc engine. The Bike has an enhanced frame with telescopic front-end. The Chief is built in blocks or batches of a small number at a time, rather than on a real production line. This makes production expensive, besides also being plagued by problems with the supplies of small quantities of carburetors, corbin speedometers, etc.

The estimated production from 1950 until 1953 is 1200 to 1500 bikes maximum.  Not nearly enough to keep the factory going, and in 1953 production of these sidevalve 'dinosaurs' is stopped. Ironically, while Rogers was trying desperately to reinvent his company with modern technology and new marketing concepts, the Wigwam's ancient big twin delivered Indian's last hurrah by excelling on the racetrack. As a stop-gap measure to stay in the racing game while the Dyna-Torque models were brought into production, Indian produced the 648 Scout, called the Big Base Scout, then later the Daytona Scout. Named for its enlarged oil sump, the V-twin 648 was produced in no greater than 50 copies. Some historians say there were only 50 engines assembled, and as few as 25 complete motorcycles. Nevertheless, the 648 held its own against Harley-Davidson's WR racer when Floyd Emde won the Daytona 200 in 1948. Indian Scouts continued to win AMA national dirt track championships into the 1950s in the hands of Bobby Hill, Bill Tuman, and Ernie Brinkman, the so-called Indian Wrecking Crew.

1954-2001, Indian Lives

M 77782, (M for the Province of Gelderland), a 741 left by the Canadian Armyand put

in to good use in Gelderland, two very rare Pictures of a 741 in civilian disguise.

It is likely that John Brockhouse never intended for Indian to survive as an American manufacturer. The company struggled for a few more years, but too much damage had already been done. Production at Springfield ended with the 1953 model year, and thereafter Brockhouse began to import Royal Enfields with an Indian logo on the gas tank. In 1960, the whole miserable affair was given up, and the Indian name and trademark were sold to the Berliner Corporation. Through the ensuing four decades, outlandish and bizarre events have been inspired by Indian's powerful name and mystique. The nameplate has been affixed to motorcycles cobbled together from Italian frames and British engines by a man who appropriated but did not legally own the trademark. Indian was emblazoned on European mopeds and Taiwan-make mini-bikes by men who believed they owned the trademark, having purchased it from a man who didn't. One man who hoped to build a new motorcycle company under the Indian name went into hiding to elude angry investors, and another, who licensed Indian's name for cigars and guitars, went to federal prison for fraud.

The new Indian motorcycle's trials and tribulations Finally, in 1998, the trademark battle was settled in court, and the right to build a new American Indian was awarded to the Indian Manufacturing Company of Gilroy, California. An S&S motor copied from the Harley-Davidson Evolution engine has powered their first products, but they claim to have their own proprietary engine under development and in testing. Indian still has a large following of riders and dealers in America.  With the current attempt to bring this glorious brand back to life, using a HD clone with Indian sticker on the tank, and selling it as a Chief or Scout, only serves to reinforce that the Indian lover only wants to ride a real Indian. Yet the legal battles continue, since the new company has been sued by a tribe of indigenous people who claim sale of the new Indian motorcycle is in violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, which says that the image of Native Americans cannot be commercially exploited by those who are not Native Americans. These battles over the Indian brand since Springfield production ceased in 1954 only prove the passion that people still feel toward the marquee. That passion will be depicted in many ways during 2001 as Indian lovers everywhere celebrate its hundredth anniversary.

This year marks the centennial of the Indian motorcycle, which was once a dominant brand, not just in America, but on a worldwide basis. Even today, the love of the marquee supports a cottage industry devoted to restoring and keeping ancient Indians running. The mystique of the Indian name and trademark has also caused men to squander fortunes, destroy relationships, and go to jail. What is it that has created such a powerful reputation for a motorcycle that-until recently-has not been manufactured in America for almost a half century?

Writen by: Bennie Bakker for 100 years of Indian and the International Indian Rally Zeddam 2001
Thanks to: Harry V. Sucher, Ed Youngblood, BB
Pictures: Valentijn Langelaan, Arie Vermeulen VMC, BB, IWM, WWW.

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