SPRINGFIELD, MASS. HOME OF INDIAN MOTOCYCLES CHESTERFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY WILL BOUTELLE SEPT. 20, 2007

References A Century of Indian by Ed Youngblood 2001 Indian Motorcycle Photo History by Jerry Hatfield 1993 Golden Age of the Fours by Ted Hodgdon 1974 Classic Indian Motorcycle by John Carroll (no date) Hendersons, Those Elegant Machines by Richard Schultz 1994

A Century of Indian by Ed Youngblood 2001

Indian Motorcycle Photo History by Jerry Hatfield 1993

Golden Age of the Fours by Ted Hodgdon 1974

Classic Indian Motorcycle by John Carroll (no date)

Hendersons, Those Elegant Machines by Richard Schultz 1994

Springfield, Mass was a manufacturing hub from mid-19th century Large pool of skilled labor, plentiful power, available capital At least three cars (Duryea, Knox and Rolls Royce), bicycles and motorcycles

Springfield, Mass was a manufacturing hub from mid-19th century

Large pool of skilled labor, plentiful power, available capital

At least three cars (Duryea, Knox and Rolls Royce), bicycles and motorcycles

1893 Duryea, Springfield Mass

1893 Duryea, Springfield Mass

DURYEA Brothers Charles & Frank built first car Second car, won 1st auto race in USA (50 miles roundtrip Chicago-Evanston) First production run (13 units) 1896 First auto accident (NYC, Henry Wells hit bicyclist in his Duryea, went to jail overnight) Mfg at least until 1913 in IL, NJ, and PA

Brothers Charles & Frank built first car

Second car, won 1st auto race in USA (50 miles roundtrip Chicago-Evanston)

First production run (13 units)

1896 First auto accident (NYC, Henry Wells hit bicyclist in his Duryea, went to jail overnight)

Mfg at least until 1913 in IL, NJ, and PA

Late-Model Duryea

Knox Automobile 1900-1914

KNOX AUTOMOBILE BUILT CARS, TRUCKS, TRACTORS AND FIRE ENGINES USING KNOX ENGINES, SPRINGFIELD BECAME FIRST MECHANIZED FIRE DEPT. IN USA

BUILT CARS, TRUCKS, TRACTORS AND FIRE ENGINES

USING KNOX ENGINES, SPRINGFIELD BECAME FIRST MECHANIZED FIRE DEPT. IN USA

Springfield Rolls Royce

INDIAN PRODUCTION FIGURES 1901 3 143 376 ? 1905 1000+ 3000+ 6000+ 32000+ 25000 21000

INDIAN PRODUCTION FIGURES

1901 3

143

376

?

1905 1000+

3000+

6000+

32000+

25000

21000

Indian #268 (early 1903). With engine and gas tank, it’s a bicycle!

From 1906 Indian catalogue, showing various products: Tandem, triplet, tri-car, tricycle and van

1907--First cataloged twin cylinder Indian 42 degree angle between front and rear cyl. ALL Indian twins through the end retained this angle

1909 Loop Frame No longer a bicycle with a motor

Steering head of 1909 Indian single. Note U-joint controls for gas and spark.

Indian always concentrated on police business. Here is a 1910 two-man patrol twin in

Cincinatti. NYPD placed their first order in 1903.

Indian Factories

1911 Isle of Man TT Race (Britain) Indian came in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place

Indian came in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place

Board track racing Los Angeles, 1912 1/3 mile tack, 90 mph

Eddie Hasha with “big base” 8-valve twin, Sept. 1912, on steeply banked board track, just

before an accident killed him, another racer and six spectators in Newark, NJ

This was the only time that Motorcycle racing ever made the front page of the NY Times

1912 Indian with “Colonial sidecar” made of wicker

1914 Indian with Indian sidecar

1913 Indian twin with spring frame Major Innovation, but nobody else followed Note early “buddy seat” hanging off the back

Ford Model T Hauled five people Kept you dry with top up Got cheaper to buy every year Killed market for motorcycle as cheap transportation

Oscar Hedstrom, Indian’s engineering father, retires at age 42 in 1913

Oscar Hedstrom, about the time of his retirement

Hendee special. Electric Starting, but no generator.

Pancho Villa. It’s hard to understand why needed electric starting, with no place to charge his batteries for miles around. Two years later, he was being chased by General John J. Pershing

George Hendee Leaves Indian in 1915. Now both the founders are gone.

1915 gun car, marketed to British army

1919 spring-frame military Indian. Note gas lamp and brass levers.

1917 Model O First Indian Attempt at a lightweight twin Cylinders opposed, front and aft Harley riders called it the “Model Zero” due to its low power

Erwin “Cannonball” Baker. Not to o bright, but he could stay awake for days May, 1914 San Diego/New York 11 days, 12 hrs, 10 min Aug., 1915 Canada/Mexico 3 days, 9 hrs, 15 min 24-hr. record: 1534.25 miles All on Indians

May, 1914 San Diego/New York

11 days, 12 hrs, 10 min

Aug., 1915 Canada/Mexico

3 days, 9 hrs, 15 min

24-hr. record: 1534.25 miles

All on Indians

Publicity photo of Baker on Indian

Great Motorcycles, bad business

1921 Scout Starting to look like modern motorcycle

Scout primary drive--helical gears in oil bath. Led to the chant: “You can’t wear out an Indian Scout”

1923 Chief. First 74 cubic inch motor

1922 Chief with sidecar

Orie Steele Pre-eminent hillclimber with trophies, on 1924 Scout

1925 Indian Prince 2nd attempt at lightweight motorcycle

1926 souped up overhead valve Prince (Still didn’t sell)

Typical small-town Indian agency of 1920’s Dealer and wife in front of showroom

Dealer and wife in front of showroom

Lineage of the future Indian Four Motocycle Will Henderson, designer of: Henderson, 1912-1917 and Ace 1922-1926 Indian bought out Ace after bankruptcy

Will Henderson, designer of:

Henderson, 1912-1917 and

Ace 1922-1926

Indian bought out Ace after bankruptcy

1912 Henderson First year of mfg. First motorcycle to drive around the world (driven by C.S. Clancy)

Mr. & Mrs. Will Henderson on 1912 Henderson Motorcycle

1917 Henderson Company sold to Schwinn Dec, 1917 Will and Tom Henderson kept on as consultants, but Will soon left to start Ace Motorcycle Company

Ace Designed by W. Henderson Sept. 1922: Cannonball Baker rode Ace LA-NY (3332 miles) in 6 days, 22 hours and 52 minutes “ World’s Fastest Motorcycle” 129 mph solo, 106 mph with sidecar Will Henderson Killed Dec. 1922, while testing the new Ace on city streets

Designed by W. Henderson

Sept. 1922: Cannonball Baker rode Ace LA-NY (3332 miles) in 6 days, 22 hours and 52 minutes

“ World’s Fastest Motorcycle” 129 mph solo, 106 mph with sidecar

Will Henderson Killed Dec. 1922, while testing the new Ace on city streets

1927 Indian Ace

Indian Car Indian Car

Indian Car

Silver Arrow Outboard Motor

Non-motorcycle Products fail

1930-1939 duPont to the Rescue

Dupont Letter, 1930

1930 Hillclimber

1932 Scout Pony

1936 Chief (restored 2005)

1936 Chief View from saddle

1936 Chief

View from saddle

1938 Four Cyl. (restored 1999)

1938 Four Cylinder

1939 Traffic car

1939

Traffic

car