2003 Indian Chief Vintage on 2040-motos

Moto blog

New Delhi Auto Expo 2012 – Motorcycle Manufacturers Draw Battle Lines for World’s Second Largest Market

In past years, the biennial Auto Expo in India slipped under the radar while the industry was focused more on shows such as EICMA in Italy and Intermot in Germany. But with India’s middle class starting to flex its financial muscle while other markets continue to struggle, the New Delhi show is becoming much more prominent, with major OEMs positioning themselves to claim a piece of the India’s 13 million vehicles-a-year market. We’ve already looked at India-produced Royal Enfield’s new Thunderbird 500 and Hero Moto’s hybrid scooter concept which debuted at the Auto Expo, and today we’ll look at what the major international OEMs presented.

Collection Of Rare Indian Motorcycles Up For Auction, March 8

On March 8, four rare Indian motorcycles, some of which date back over a century, will be up for auction at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Now in its 16th year, the single-day sale includes a stunning roster of more than 80 investment-quality vehicles including a stellar group of early Indian motorcycles. The oldest of the collection is a 1909 Indian 5HP Light Twin. This model is significant as it marks Indian’s departure from using modified bicycle frames to incorporating loop frames, previously only seen on the company’s racing motorcycles. A new, streamlined torpedo-type gas tank was fitted between the upper and lower tank rails, and oil was carried in a large capacity half-gallon tank that was fixed to the frame beneath the seat.

New Indian Thunder Stroke 111 Engine in “Spirit of Munro” Streamliner

To mark the unveiling of its new Thunder Stroke 111 engine, Indian Motorcycle revealed a custom-built streamliner motorcycle dubbed the “Spirit of Munro“, equipped with the new Indian engine. The “Spirit of Munro” is a tribute to the Munro Special, the 1920 Indian scout that set a new land-speed record in 1967 at the Bonneville Salt Flats for under-1000cc motorcycles. The Munro Special was famously depicted in the 2005 film “The World’s Fastest Indian“, starring Anthony Hopkins.