Indian Motorcycle
The Indian Motorcycle is short for the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company of Springfield, Massachusetts. The Indian was America’s oldest motorcycle brand and was once the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. The Indian motorcycle was designed and created by George M. Hendee and Carl Oscar Hedstrom. The 1904 signature red color was introduced by the Indian Single on the United States market, together with the entire company collection. In the years that followed, the Indian’s popularity increased, and soon enough, it became famous for its racing ability. In 1911, Indian motorcycles placed first, second, and third at the Isle of Man TT. It was on an Indian that Erwin Cannonball Baker rode across the United States in 1914, setting a record of 11 days and 12 hours. Other riders set additional records in the early twentieth century with the bike.
Other models of Indian motorcycle, the Scout and the Chief V-Twins, were introduced in the early 1920s and would become the company’s best selling models. The two models had reputations for reliability and strength over other motorcycles of the time, including Harley Davidson’s. The Indian Motorcycle of the 1930s often featured the head dress logo on the gas tank which became a much looked for emblem. During both world wars the Indian was used in order to help the soldiers move quickly over various terrains. This made it possible for the company to keep the production going during the wars, even though motorcycle racing was suspended. It should also be mentioned that besides the Indian motorcycle, the company also manufactured airplane engines, boat motors, and bicycles in the beginning years of the twentieth century.
Because of the change in leadership, the company went through a decline period during the late 1940s and in the early 1950s when the manufacturing stopped for an indefinite period of time. In the 1960s the entrepreneur Floyd Clymer began using the Indian name without purchasing the rights from the last known legitimate trademark owner. He attached the name to imported motorcycles, commissioned to Italian former pilot and engineer Leopoldo Tartarini. After Clymer
