Indian Motorcycles

Indian Motorcycles: America's first motorcycle

Indian Motorcycles began in 1900 as Hendee Manufacturing Company in Springfield, Illinois. A bicycle racer by the name of George M. Hendee and an engineer named Carl Oscar Hedstrom came together to develop a motor driven bicycle for everyday use. In 1901, they introduced their first creation, the 1901 Single. It had a 1.75 hp engine that carried it to up to 25 mph. It was then that the founders decided on the name Indian Motorcycles. The name was to signify a wholly American product.

As the years progressed, Indian Motorcycles introduced more and more motorcycles, all of them engineered to perfection. In 1904, Indian Motorcycles would be the only manufacturer to win a Gold Medal in mechanic excellence. In 1907, Indian Motorcycles would unveil the 1907 Twin. This motorcycle produced 4 hp from a 39 cubic inch engine and was used to win the first ever 1000 mile Reliability Trial in England . This marked the beginning of Indian Motorcycles' reputation of reliable engineering overseas.

In August of 1916, George Hendee followed his cofounder Carl Hedstrom into retirement. Taking over the reins of innovation and engineering was Charles Franklin. Franklin quickly produced winners in the 1920 Scout and 1922 Chief. The Scout was so fast and durable that it inspired the catch phrase, "You can't wear out a Scout."

During the 1950's Indian Motorcycles began to lose profits and sales began to plummet. By 1953, production was halted and there would be no more Indian motorcycles produced for over 40 years. In 1999, after several unsuccessful attempts to revive the production of Indian motorcycles, the Indian Motorcycle Corporation, the result of merging 6 of its related companies, began producing heavy cruisers once more. It is now the second largest manufacturer of heavy cruisers in North America . Indian motorcycles have stood the test of time and even after being disbanded, they've managed to come back together and provide quality machinery to the public. For more information on Indian motorcycles and the history of the Indian Motorcycle Company, visit the web sites we've posted below.

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