A Century of Indian

Presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance

A century after a bicycle maker and a self-taught engineer first bolted a small motor in a bicycle frame to launch one of the most famous brands in American motorcycling, a new exhibit at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum will tell the tumultuous story of Indian.

"A Century of Indian" opened July 7, 2001. It features not only important motorcycles from Indian's history, but also additional displays of period sales literature, memorabilia, a collection of photos never before displayed, and informative text that all combine to provide insight into the rise and fall of an American icon.

"Indian was and remains one of the true touchstones of American motorcycling," says Museum Director Mark Mederski. "A couple of bicycle guys created a company that quickly dominated the world motorcycle market before beginning its long descent. With a collection of supremely cool and rare vintage Indians–and many never-before-displayed documents, brochures and ephemera– the exhibit will give visitors an in-depth look at Indian that can't be found anywhere.''

The company traces its origins back to 1901, when bicycle manufacturer George Hendee partnered with Swedish immigrant Oscar Hedstrom to put Hedstrom's engine into Hendee's bicycles (above). That partnership eventually became the Indian Motocycle Company. Within a few years of its founding, it was the top producer of motorcycles in the world.

Indian went on to dominate on race tracks and in the hearts of many riders, usually battling with Harley-Davidson on both fronts as the two became the last survivors of the hundreds of U.S. motorcycle manufacturers that flourished and died through the first half of the 20th century. The Springfield, Massachusetts company passed through several changes of ownership before it ceased building motorcycles in the 1950s.

"If people look at the machinery, at the ephemera on display, and the text, they will be able to walk away with a first-hand understanding of what happened to the company," said exhibit curator Ed Youngblood. "Indian's is an amazing story of a company that made a mark on motorcycling that is still felt today."

Indian's early success was based on the reliability of the engine Hedstrom designed. But engine technology, or the lack of it, would be part of the company's undoing many years later. One display in the exhibit compares the Harley-Davidson overhead-valve knucklehead engine side-by-side with Indian's less advanced side-valve engine (right). The contrast is the same one buyers were considering in the late 1930s and '40s.

Engine technology aside, Indian styling is something motorcyclists still recognize today. The company's bikes were known for their deeply valanced fenders and the Indian-head ornament riding on the front fender that made the company a styling leader whose design cues are still echoed in today's motorcycles.

As "A Century of Indian" shows, however, the company's motorcycles did not always have that signature look. True to their bicycle origins, the early machines had skinny fenders just like any human-powered two-wheeler. And the exhibit is sure to offer a number of machines from the entire range of Indian's production that even hard-core Indian enthusiasts have never seen in person.

Rarities that are part of the exhibit include an Indian-powered streamliner (left) used on the Bonneville Salt Flats in pursuit of land speed records. The machine's wood frame is covered with fabric, much like airplane construction of that era. In addition to the bike, the display features photos of it being built and raced. Many of the motorcycles displayed as part of the exhibit have been lent to the museum by members of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America.

The exhibit also chronicles the fall of Indian. After its early success, control of Indian passed from the hands of motorcycle enthusiasts to new owners who pursued various unrelated ventures, such as outboard boat motors and automobile shock absorbers. Though Indian built motorcycles until the mid-1950s, and continued in name for several years after, Indian never recovered its early glory.

"Sure, you can look at cool, old Indians, but you can also learn about U.S. corporate management, you can learn about what happened to industry between the wars," said Mederski. "There are all of these interesting stories related to Indian, and I want people to go away with those."

The exhibit also brings the Indian story up to today by including information on the recent battle over control of the Indian trademark. As Indian's old competitor, Harley-Davidson, has proven so well, a trademark can be very valuable, and that aspect of the Indian story is also covered in the exhibit.