Indian Motorcycles

About indian

Indian is an American brand of motorcycles.

The "Indian Motocycle Co." was originally founded as the Hendee Manufacturing Company by George M. Hendee in 1897 to manufacture bicycles. These were initially badged as "Silver King" and "Silver Queen" brands but the name "American Indian", very quickly reduced to simply "Indian", was adopted by Hendee from 1898 onwards because it gave better product recognition in export markets.

Indian motorcycles were manufactured from 1901 to 1953 by a company in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, initially known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company but which was renamed the Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company in 1928.

In 1901, a prototype and two production units of the diamond framed Indian Single were successfully designed, built and tested. The first Indian motorcycles, featuring chain drives and streamlined styling, were sold to the public in 1902. In 1903, Indian's co-founder and chief engineer Oscar Hedstrom set the world motorcycle speed record (56 mph).

The Indian factory team took the first three places in the 1911 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. During the 1910s Indian became the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world.

Indian introduced the 221 cc single cylinder two-stroke Model K "Featherweight" in 1916. The Model K had an open cradle frame with the engine as a stressed member and a pivoting front fork that had been used earlier on single-cylinder motorcycles but had mostly been replaced on other Indian motorcycles by a leaf-sprung trailing link fork.

The Model K was manufactured for one year and was replaced in 1917 by the Model O. The Model O had a four-stroke flat-twin engine and a new frame, but retained the pivoting fork at the front. The Model O was manufactured until 1919.

Indian's most popular models were the Scout, made from 1920 to 1946, and the Chief, made from 1922 to 1953.

The Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company went bankrupt in 1953. A number of successor organizations have perpetuated the name in subsequent years, with limited success. In 2011 Polaris Industries purchased Indian Motorcycles and relocated operations from North Carolina, merging them into existing facilities in Minnesota and Iowa. Since August of 2013, three motorcycle models that capitalize on Indian's traditional styling have been built under the Indian name.

Moto blog

Your Chance To Win A 2014 Indian Chief

From now until August 12, Indian Motorcycles, in conjunction with the History Channel, is hosting the Own the Road sweepstakes, where one lucky fan has the chance to win a 2014 Indian Chief. The new Chief is generating plenty of buzz lately, and its grand unveiling is set to commence this weekend in Sturgis, where our own Jonny Langston will be covering all the festivities. Don’t miss your chance to win one of the year’s most hotly anticipated motorcycles.

Polaris Reports Q2 2013 Results

Polaris Industries reports a 11.8% increase in net sales and a 14.6% increase in profit over the quarter ended June 30, 2013. The company earned a record $80 million in profit in the quarter, compared to $69.8 million in the same quarter last year. Most of the gains however were from Polaris’ off-road vehicles, its GEM, Goupil and Aixam small vehicles and sales of parts, garments and accessories including Klim apparel.

Steve McQueen’s 1946 Indian Chief On The Auction Block

Saturday, August third is your chance to own a legend – that is if you have a spare $75,000-$125,000 laying around. That’s the price range Steve McQueen’s 1946 Indian Chief is expected to fetch during Auctions America‘s first ever SoCal event, in Burbank, CA. Documented by the McQueen Certificate of Authenticity that the bike was acquired after the actor’s death at the estate auction held in Las Vegas in 1984, the Chief was fully restored in the early 1990s.

New Indian Commercial Pokes Fun At Harley-Davidson

The big news in the motorcycle world this year is the return of Indian motorcycles. Earlier this year, parent company Polaris unveiled the all-new Thunderstroke 111 engine as a sneak peak to the 2014 Chief which is set to make its official debut at Sturgis at the beginning of August. To prepare for this momentous occasion, Indian produced this commercial, which takes a nice, healthy jab at the iconic Motor Company.

July Is Women’s Motorcycle Month

In case you’ve been living under a rock, it’s hard not to notice the rising number of women getting into the sport of motorcycling. In fact, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), women riders increased by 34% between 1998 and 2003. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) also says women make up nearly 30% of students in its Basic RiderCourses program.

Indian Villagers Build Shrine to Mystical Royal Enfield

If you ever find yourself traveling through India, consider a detour through Pali, an industrial city in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. About 15 miles out of town along National Highway 65, you’ll come across a curious shrine built around a Royal Enfield Bullet 350. The shrine was erected at the site of an accident that took place on Dec.

Indian Motorcycle To Electrify Sturgis With Reveal of 2014 Chief

Indian Motorcycle today released the schedule and additional details of one of the most highly anticipated motorcycling events in decades —the debut of the all-new 2014 Indian Chief.  Two and a half years in the making, the reveal will be a thrilling inauguration to the 73rd Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  Today’s news follows the company’s announcement that the 2014 Chief, powered by the new Thunder Stroke 111 engine, will start at $18,999. A sneak peek video of the new 2014 Indian Chief is available here. Indian invites all motorcycle riders and enthusiasts to experience a new era in American motorcycling with the public unveiling of the 2014 Indian Chief on Saturday, August 3, at 8 p.m.

Win A 2014 Indian Chief

How would you like to own a motorcycling icon AND a piece of history? Enter Indian Motorcycle’s new sweepstakes, and you can win not only a motorcycle from the legendary marque, but also be among the first to own the NEW 2014 Indian Chief built by Polaris! First introduced in 1922, the legendary Chief is historically Indian’s most popular selling model and is widely recognized by motorcycling enthusiasts around the world as one of the most iconic motorcycles ever produced.

Dodge City 300 Looking To Celebrate Centennial Anniversary In 2014

In 1914 the city of Dodge City, Kansas held a motorcycle race, the Dodge City 300, attracting over 17,000 spectators. By 1921 there were more than 20,000. The race was held on a two-mile dirt oval and was sanctioned by the FAM (Federation of American Motorcyclists).

A Name In Custom Motorcycles You Should Remember: Rajputana

If you think the world’s best custom motorcycles are made in the good ‘ol U.S. of A., then you clearly haven’t taken a look in India’s direction. Yes, India.