Indian Motorcycle Books - History, Types and Construction

Indian Motorcycle : America's First Motorcycle Company

Tells the complete story of Indian, America's first mass-produced motorcycle maker, from its start as a bicycle manufacturer to the purchase of the brand by Polaris Industries in 2011 and the subsequent new Indian motorcycles.

In the early years of the 20th century, Indian dominated the world's racetracks, earning the brand a worldwide reputation for quality, performance, reliability, and technical innovation, but the once-mighty company fell on hard times and in 1953 was forced to file bankruptcy.

The Indian brand never quite died, though, thanks in large part to fanatically devoted enthusiasts, who tried to resurrect it for over half a century. Finally Polaris, maker of the highly regarded Victory brand of motorcycles, purchased the brand and released the Chief and Scout, models that once again restored Indian to its rightful place in the motorcycle pantheon.

You Can't Wear Out an Indian Scout - Indians and the Wall of Death

The Indian Scout motorcycle is the favoured mount for Wall of Death riders all over the world. Drawing upon modern and archive material, Wall of Death owner and rider Allan Ford and author Nick Corble explore the reasons behind this relationship and bring the story of the Wall up to date, including behind the scene details of the latest Wall of Death speed record achieved by Guy Martin.
It's a story that spans more than a century, starting with experiments with motorised bicycles in the 1890s, passing through two world wars and ending by looking to a future where Indians continue to be restored and ridden on the Wall.

As this book makes clear, the relationship between Indians and the Wall of Death is one that will never be broken. As Sammy Pierce, at one time the world's largest Indian motorcycle dealer once put it:

You can't wear out an Indian Scout,
Or its brother the Indian Chief.
They're built like rocks to stand hard knocks,
It's the Harleys that cause the grief.

Indian Motorcycle Company Timeline 1901-1953

Impress your acquaintances with your knowledge of the original American-made Indian motorcycles by referring to the "Indian Motorcycle Company Timeline 1901-1953."
Discover essential historical facts, including the pivotal moment when George M. Hendee transitioned the bicycle name "Silver King" to "Indian." Uncover the inception year of the first Indian motorcycle and the year when Carl Oscar Hedstrom patented a Chain Adjusting Device for Motor Vehicles.

Dive into the origins of the original Indian motorcycle factory, and learn about the significant events that led to the closure of Indian Motorcycles.
This comprehensive resource offers a year-by-year data book that delves into the history of the Hendee Manufacturing Company and the Indian Motocycle Company. It covers various aspects of their business, general activities, toys, and trivia. Moreover, you'll find historical timelines that accurately narrate the company's history, including factory-sponsored racers and racing, alongside examples of period advertising.
The "Indian Motorcycle Company Timeline 1901-1953" is part of a series of Data Books designed to provide authoritative information on the subject matter it covers.

Franklin's Indians : Irish motorcycle racer Charles B Franklin, designer of the Indian Chief

The Indian has been the iconic image for American big V-Twins down the years, due in no small measure to the motorcycles designed by Charles B Franklin - the Indian Scout and the Indian Chief.
Charles Franklin was born and raised in Ireland where he quickly became involved in motorcycle racing during the pioneer years. He rapidly established himself as Ireland's first big star of racing and was the first to represent Ireland in international motorcycle competition.

In the Isle of Man TT he consistently finished in the top eight, and in 1911 claimed second place, a remarkable achievement in itself. But it was when he moved to Indian in the USA, where he became the Chief Design Engineer, that his genius really flowed.
His designs catapulted Indian back into the forefront of motorcycle design in the 1920s and '30s and his racing engines and motorcycles won much glory for Indian against stiff opposition.

Franklin introduced remarkable improvements in sidevalve combustion chamber design that pre-dated the work of Ricardo. He championed an holistic approach that popularised new features such as the semi unit-construction `powerplant', helical-gear primary drive, double-loop full-cradle frames and a host of other improvements to the early motorcycles.

This book not only chronicles his life but also sheds much new light on the history of Indian motorcycles and the often turbulent times of the Indian Motorcycle Company itself. A much needed book for all Indian fans and all who love the history of the classic American V-Twins.

Motos Indian

"Indian Motocycle", un nom féérique du monde de la moto dont la simple mention évoque immanquablement des souvenirs remontant à d'antiques histoires motocyclistes. Des images de fabuleuses machines rouges, de motos aux logos recherchés et stylisés aux têtes de guerriers aux plumes flamboyantes, des moteurs V-Twin propulsant des motos aux noms aussi légendaires que Scout et Chief reviennent en mémoire.

Puis, on se remémore des motos Indian, synonymes du luxe et du raffinement de l'époque, qui n'étaient pas animées par un traditionnel V-Twin, mais par un incroyable moteur quatre cylindres en ligne. Ensuite, revient le souvenir de magnifiques motos aux imposants garde-boue enveloppants se nommant également "Indian" !... Mais, comment se fait-il que ces motos Américaines aient cessées leur développement et leur production ?

Ce livre retrace cette histoire riche en rebondissements à découvrir de 1901 à 1953, ainsi qu'un vécu palpitant, qui est a décortiquer durant les inimaginables péripéties de la marque jusqu'à sa reprise, en 2011, par Polaris Industries qui préside à cette renaissance de la plus ancienne marque de motos Américaines.
Elle a toujours refusée de s'éteindre, à l'image des exploits sportifs de ses pilotes en compétitions depuis plus d'un siècle.

Malgré l'arrêt des chaînes de production, des Indian s'illustraient toujours sur les circuits et établissaient des records, pilotées par des passionnés qui continuaient de les porter aux sommets. C'est une saga des temps modernes qui se prolonge durant ce nouveau siècle et qui se dévoile au fil des pages de ce livre.