The Indian Four was a motorcycle built by the Indian Motocycle Company from 1928 to 1942. It was based on the Ace motorcycle, which Indian bought as part of the assets of the Ace Motor Corporation in 1927.
59-544: For 1940, the Four frame was modified to include plunger rear suspension. In the same year, all Indian models were restyled with large, decorative fenders. The Four was discontinued with the rest of civilian production in 1942 and was not returned to production after World War II ended. Indian purchased the ownership of the name, rights, and production facilities of the Ace Motor Corporation in 1927. Production
118-510: A 3-wheeled Patrol Car (350 cc single). In 1960, the Indian name was bought by AMC of the UK. Royal Enfield being their competition, they abruptly stopped all Enfield-based Indian models except the 700 cc Chief. In 1962 AMC, facing financial issues, withdrew from all marketing of the Indian brand name, as the company chose to focus exclusively on their Norton and Matchless brands. From
177-729: A big part in Indian's rapid growth and spurred technical innovation as well. One of the American firm's best early results came in the Isle of Man TT in 1911 , when Indian riders Oliver Cyril Godfrey, Franklin and Moorehouse finished first, second and third. Indian star Jake DeRosier set several speed records, both in America and at Brooklands in Britain , and won an estimated 900 races on dirt and board tracks . He left Indian for Excelsior and died in 1913, aged 33, of injuries sustained in
236-498: A board track race crash with Charles "Fearless" Balke, who later became Indian's top rider. Work at the Indian factory stopped as DeRosier's funeral procession passed. Oscar Hedstrom left Indian in 1913 after disagreements with the board of directors regarding dubious practices to inflate the company's stock value. George Hendee resigned in 1916. Indian introduced the 221 cc single cylinder two-stroke Model K "Featherweight" in 1916. The Model K had an open cradle frame with
295-531: A cash prize to anyone who could break the XP-4's record. Neither the trophy nor the prize was ever claimed. Indian (motorcycle) Indian Motorcycle (or Indian ) is an American brand of motorcycles owned and produced by American automotive manufacturer Polaris Inc. Originally produced from 1901 to 1953 in Springfield, Massachusetts , United States, Hendee Manufacturing Company initially produced
354-636: A four-panel set entitled American Motorcycles . A 1941 model is part of the Smithsonian Motorcycle Collection on display at the National Museum of American History . Single examples of both the 1931 and 1935 Indian Fours are in the ground vehicle collection of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome . During World War II , Chiefs, Scouts, and Junior Scouts were used in small numbers for various purposes by
413-530: A group headed by Ralph B. Rogers purchased a controlling interest of the company. On November 1, 1945, duPont formally turned the operations of Indian over to Rogers. Under Rogers' control, Indian resumed production with only one model, the Chief, for 1946 and '47. 1947 was also the year the Indian-head fender light, also known as the "war bonnet", was introduced. In 1948, they added two rebadged import models,
472-724: A heavier but stiffer frame better able to withstand the power of the 45 cubic inch engine, while the Pony Scout, later renamed the Junior Scout, was continued with the Prince/Motoplane frame. Between the introduction of the Sport Scout in 1934 and the discontinuation of the Standard Scout in 1937 there were three Scout models (Pony/Junior, Standard, and Sport) with three different frames. The Sport Scout and
531-663: A motorcycle with a 1.75 bhp, single-cylinder engine in Hendee's home town of Springfield. The motorcycle was successful and sales increased dramatically during the next decade. The first Indian prototype was then built and completed on May 25, 1901, by Hedström at the old Worcester Cycle Manufacturing Company in Middletown, Connecticut, and the first public demonstration was held on Cross Street in Springfield, Massachusetts at 12:00 noon on Saturday, June 1, 1901. In 1901,
590-743: A package originally intended for the American market ", reporting that Dodkin would supply his bikes with either a standard Venom engine specification, or, at higher cost, a Thruxton version . After Clymer's death in 1970 his widow sold the alleged Indian trademark to Los Angeles attorney Alan Newman, who continued to import minicycles made by ItalJet, and later manufactured in a wholly owned assembly plant located in Taipei ( Taiwan ). Several models with engine displacement between 50 cc and 175 cc were produced, mostly fitted with Italian two-stroke engines made either by Italjet or Franco Morini . In 1974, Newman planned to revive large-capacity machines as
649-778: A peak of 32,000 in 1913. The engines of the Indian Single were built by the Aurora Firm in Illinois under license from the Hendee Mfg. Co. until 1906. Aurora produced engines under license for Indian from about 1901 to 1907. Aurora was also allowed to sell Indian design engines to third parties and pay Indian a fee. After 1907, Aurora could make its own complete motorcycles, which it did as Thor , and Indian began manufacturing its own engines. In 1905, Indian built its first V-twin factory racer and in following years made
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#1732793822105708-501: A prototype and two production units of the diamond-framed Indian Single were successfully designed, built and tested. The first Indian motorcycles, having 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 of 56 mph. In 1904 the company introduced the deep red color that would become Indian's trademark. Annual production of Indian motorcycles then exceeded 500, rising to
767-526: A record 11 days, 12 hours and ten minutes. Baker's mount in subsequent years was the Powerplus, a side-valve V-twin, which was introduced in 1916. Its 61ci (1000 cc), 42 degree V-twin engine was more powerful and quieter than previous designs, giving a top speed of 60 mph (96 km/h). The Powerplus was highly successful, both as a roadster and as the basis for racing bikes. It remained in production with few changes until 1924. Competition success played
826-418: A reputation for strength and reliability. In 1930, Indian merged with Du Pont Motors . DuPont Motors founder E. Paul DuPont ceased production of duPont automobiles and concentrated the company's resources on Indian. DuPont's paint industry connections resulted in no fewer than 24 color options in 1934. Models of that era had Indian's famous war bonnet logo on the gas tank. Indian's huge Springfield factory
885-435: A strong showing in racing and record-breaking. In 1907, the company introduced the first street version V-twin and a roadster styled after the factory racer. The roadster can be distinguished from the racers by the presence of twist grip linkages. One of the firm's most famous riders was Erwin "Cannonball" Baker , who set many long-distance records. In 1914, he rode an Indian across America, from San Diego to New York , in
944-519: A stronger twin-downtube frame based on the 101 Scout frame and a sturdier five-bearing crankshaft than the Ace, which only had a three-bearing crankshaft. Despite the low demand for luxury motorcycles during the Great Depression , Indian not only continued production of the Four, but continued to develop the motorcycle. One of the less popular versions of the Four was the "upside down" engine on
1003-471: A weight-saving of 45 lb (20 kg) compared to the traditional Velocette Venom . The project ended abruptly due to Clymer's death and the failure of Velocette, with 200 machines shipped to US and a further 50 remaining in Italy, which were bought by London Velocette dealer Geoff Dodkin. When roadtesting, UK monthly magazine Motorcycle Sport described it as " British engineering and Italian styling in
1062-528: The Indian 900 , using a Ducati 860 cc engine and commissioned Leo Tartarini of Italjet to produce a prototype. The project failed, leaving the prototype as the only survivor. Sales of Newman's Indians were dwindling by 1975. The company was declared bankrupt in January 1977. The Indian Trademark was purchased from bankruptcy court for $ 10,000 in late 1977 by American Moped Associates , who would employ
1121-605: The United States Army and were also used extensively by British and other Commonwealth military services, under Lend Lease programs. However, none of these Indian models could unseat the Harley-Davidson WLA as the motorcycle mainly used by the US military. An early war military design by Indian was based on the 750 cc (46 cu in) Scout 640 (and was often compared to Harley-Davidson's WLA), but
1180-585: The 1936-1937 models. While earlier (and later) Fours had inlet-over-exhaust (IOE) cylinder heads with overhead inlet valves and side exhaust valves, the 1936-1937 Indian Four had a unique EOI cylinder head, with the positions reversed. In theory, this would improve fuel vaporization, and the new engine was more powerful. However, the new system made the cylinder head, and the rider's inseam, very hot. This, along with an exhaust valvetrain that required frequent adjustment, caused sales to drop. The addition of dual carburetors in 1937 did not revive interest. The design
1239-578: The 1936-37 models. While earlier (and later) Fours had inlet-over-exhaust (IOE) cylinder heads with overhead inlet valves and side exhaust valves, the 1936-1937 Indian Four had a unique EOI cylinder head, with the positions reversed. In theory, this would improve fuel vaporization, and the new engine was more powerful. However, the new system made the cylinder head, and the rider's inseam, very hot. This, along with an exhaust valvetrain that required frequent adjustment, caused sales to drop. The addition of dual carburetors in 1937 did not revive interest. The design
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#17327938221051298-468: The 1940 four-cylinder model was made with an August 2006 United States Postal Service 39-cent stamp issue, part of a four panel set entitled American Motorcycles . A 1941 model is part of the Smithsonian Motorcycle Collection on display at the National Museum of American History . In 1999 as a homage to the original Indian 4, Alan Forbes a Scottish business man based in Edinburgh began production of
1357-640: The 1960s, entrepreneur Floyd Clymer began using the Indian name. He attached it to imported motorcycles, commissioned to Italian ex-pilot and engineer Leopoldo Tartarini, owner of Italjet Moto, to manufacture Minarelli-engined 50 cc minibikes under the Indian Papoose name. These were successful so Clymer commissioned Tartarini to build full-size Indian motorcycles based on the Italjet Griffon design, fitted with Royal Enfield Interceptor 750 cc parallel-twin engines. A further development
1416-644: The 841 was different from the BMW in several aspects, most noticeably so with its 90-degree longitudinal-crankshaft V-twin engine and girder fork . The Indian 841 and the Harley-Davidson XA were both tested by the Army, but neither motorcycle was adopted for wider military use. It was determined that the Jeep was more suitable for the roles and missions for which these motorcycles had been intended. In 1945,
1475-619: The 841, were also tried. Indian made a prototype of a lightweight bike, called the M1 light motorcycle for the World War 2 Airborne forces . The lightweight design could be airdropped with the troops. The design never made it past prototype. During World War II, the US Army requested experimental motorcycle designs suitable for desert fighting. In response Indian designed and built the 841. Approximately 1,056 models were built. The Indian 841
1534-600: The Czech built CZ125b, and the Brockhouse Engineering produced Corgi Scooter. The Scooter, a novel 100cc vehicle developed for paratroopers during World War II, was rebadged the Papoose. Indian also produced a limited number (appx. 50) 648 model Scouts for racing. In 1949, they discontinued the Chief, as they began domestic manufacture of two lightweight motorcycles, the single-cylinder 220 cc 149 Arrow and
1593-426: The Indian 402 would have a stronger twin-downtube frame based on that of the 101 Scout and a sturdier five-bearing crankshaft than the Ace, which had a three-bearing crankshaft. Despite the low demand for luxury motorcycles during the Great Depression , Indian not only continued production of the Four, but continued to develop the motorcycle. One of the less popular versions of the Four was the "upside down" engine on
1652-484: The Indian Ace in 1927. In 1928, the Indian Ace was replaced by the Indian 401, a development of the Ace designed by Arthur O. Lemon, former Chief Engineer at Ace, who was employed by Indian when they bought Ace. The Ace's leading-link forks and central coil spring were replaced by Indian's trailing-link forks and quarter-elliptic leaf spring. In 1929, the Indian 401 was replaced by the Indian 402 which received
1711-727: The Indian Dakota 4. Made to order and hand built the machines have an air cooled, 2 valve, 4 cylinder engine displacing 1845cc. This was possible because Forbes held the rights to the Indian brand name in the United Kingdom. https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/dakota-four-wiking-indian-four-replica Ace Motor Corporation Ace Motor Corporation was a motorcycle manufacturer in continuous operation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1919 and 1924, and intermittently afterward until 1927. Essentially only one model of
1770-854: The Indian Motorcycle brand name in subsequent years, with limited success. The "Indian Motocycle Co." was 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", quickly shortened to just "Indian", was adopted by Hendee from 1898 onwards because it gave better product recognition in export markets. Oscar Hedstrom joined in 1900. Both Hendee and Hedstrom were former bicycle racers and manufacturers, and after building three prototypes in Middletown, Connecticut , they teamed up to produce
1829-487: The Junior Scout were continued until civilian production was interrupted in early 1942. Introduced in 1922, the Indian Chief had a 1,000 cc (61 cubic inches) engine based on the Powerplus engine; a year later the engine was enlarged to 1,200 cc (73 cubic inches). Numerous improvements were made to the Chief over the years, including the provision of a front brake in 1928. In 1940, all models were fitted with
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1888-467: The Standard Scout was heavier and less nimble than the 101. A second line of Scouts was introduced for 1933. Based on the frame of the discontinued Indian Prince single-cylinder motorcycle, the Motoplane used the 45 cubic inch engine from the Standard Scout while the Pony Scout had a reduced displacement of 30.5 cu in (500 cc). In 1934 the Motoplane was replaced by the Sport Scout with
1947-550: The Taiwanese manufacturing plant to make a new moped using licensed patents from Honda's discontinued PC50-K1. The result was the Indian AMI-50 Chief . This moped was offered from 1978 until late 1983, as the trademark was purchased by Carmen DeLeone's DMCA (Derbi) group in 1982, who discounted the remaining moped stock, and discontinued manufacture. Derbi-Manco would offer Badge engineered go-carts utilizing
2006-483: The United States, and sold them under Indian branding. Almost all Royal Enfield models had a corresponding Indian model in the US. The models were Indian Chief, Trailblazer, Apache (all three were 700 cc twins), Tomahawk (500 cc twin), Woodsman (500 cc single), Westerner (500 cc single), Hounds Arrow (250 cc single), Fire Arrow (250 cc single), Lance (150 cc 2-stroke single) and
2065-472: 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
2124-691: The fall of 1919, with the support of Max M. Sladkin of Haverford Cycle Co., Henderson started the Ace Motor Corporation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . The Ace motorcycle resembled the Henderson in general form, being a longitudinal four-cylinder motorcycle with chain drive, but Henderson had to be careful not to infringe any trademarks or patents that would have been owned by Excelsior at the time. Production began in 1920. On December 11, 1922, shortly after 11 a.m., William Henderson
2183-453: The first three places in the 1911 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy . During the 1910s, Indian Motorcycle became the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. Indian Motocycle’s most popular models were the Scout, made from 1920 to 1946, and the Chief, made from 1922 until 1953, when the Indian Motorcycle made Manufacturing Company was declared bankrupt. Various organizations tried to perpetuate
2242-665: The introduction of the twin-cylinder 500 cc Warrior model, which received both a standard and high pipe sporting TT trim. On the Corporate side, Rogers would step down as CEO of Indian to take employment at Texas Instruments . Replacing Rogers was hand-picked successor John Brockhouse, President and owner of Brockhouse Engineering. Unfortunately, new management did not bring new fortune, and production of all models wound down in 1952, with most 1953 Chiefs built from remaining parts. All product manufacturing ended in 1953. As Rogers liquidated Indian in 1953, Brockhouse Engineering acquired
2301-402: The large luxury four-cylinder motorcycle, with slight variations, was made from first to last. Having sold Henderson Motorcycle to Ignaz Schwinn 's Excelsior Motor Manufacturing & Supply Company , founder William G. Henderson continued to work there until 1919, when differences of opinion regarding the design direction of Henderson motorcycles led to his resignation from Excelsior. In
2360-481: The large skirted fenders that became an Indian trademark, and the Chief gained a new sprung frame that was superior to rival Harley's unsprung rear end. The 1940s Chiefs were handsome and comfortable machines, capable of 85 mph (137 km/h) in standard form and over 100 mph (160 km/h) when tuned, although their increased weight hampered acceleration. The 1948 Chief had a 74 cubic inch engine, hand shift and foot clutch. While one handlebar grip controlled
2419-475: The motorcycle was marketed as the Indian Ace for one year. Once the designs began to be modified within Indian, the Ace name was discontinued. Production of four-cylinder Indian motorcycles would continue until 1942. In 1923, Red Wolverton rode a specially prepared Ace XP-4 at a record speed of 129 mph (208 km/h). The management of Ace Motor Corporation offered the Ace Speed Trophy and
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2478-619: The motorcycles, but the name was changed to the Indian Motocycle Company in 1923. In 2011, Polaris Industries purchased the Indian motorcycle marque and moved operations from North Carolina , merging them into their existing facilities in Minnesota and Iowa . Since August 2013, Polaris has designed, engineered, and manufactured many lines of motorcycles under the Indian Motorcycle brand reflecting Indian's traditional styling. The Indian Motorcycle factory team took
2537-400: The next two years, ownership of Ace's name, rights, and production facilities would change hands at least twice. At least one of these owners, Michigan Motors Corporation, would revive production for a short time. The property of Ace Motor changed hands for the last time in 1927, when it was purchased by the Indian Motocycle Company . Production was moved to Springfield, Massachusetts , and
2596-451: The original Scout early in 1928. In 1928, the Scout and Scout 45 were replaced by the Model 101 Scout. Another Franklin design, the 101 Scout had a longer wheelbase and lower seat height than the original. The 101 Scout was well known for its handling. The 101 Scout was replaced by the Standard Scout for 1932. The Standard Scout shared its frame with the Chief and the Four; as a result,
2655-423: The previously loyal Indian dealers turned. While Indian shared in the business boom of the 1920s, it had lost its Number One position in the US market to Harley-Davidson . The Scout and Chief V-twins, introduced in the early 1920s, became the Springfield firm's most successful models. Designed by Charles Franklin , the middleweight Scout and larger Chief shared a 42-degree V-twin engine layout. Both models gained
2714-538: The rights to the Indian name. The Indian Sales Corp continued to support the rebranded Papoose Scooter (which would cease production in 1954) and the Brave, a European-styled 250 cc lightweight bike with a four-stroke side valve engine. All other models were abandoned after reducing inventory. The Brave had been designed prior to the acquisition, and produced by an English subsidiary owned by Brockhouse. Indian had imported these outsourced models since 1951, when Brockhouse
2773-465: The throttle the other was a manual spark advance . In 1950, the V-twin engine was enlarged to 1,300 cc (79 cubic inches) and telescopic forks were adopted. But Indian's financial problems meant that few bikes were built. Production of the Chief ended in 1953. Indian purchased the Ace Motor Corporation in 1927 and moved production of the 4-cylinder Ace motorcycle to Springfield. It was marketed as
2832-404: The twin-cylinder 440 cc 249 Scout. The Scout was offered in various trim levels. The initial shipment of lightweights developed a reputation for unreliability, often associated with a rush to market. Later shipments were reported by publications of the time to have resolved most reliability issues by the following year. The 1950 lineup brought back the Chief, with telescopic forks. It also saw
2891-401: Was either too expensive or heavy, or a combination of both. Indian's later offering, the 500 cc (31 cu in) 741B was not selected to gain a US Military contract. Indian also made a version based on the 1,200 cc (73 cu in) Chief, the 344. Approximately 1,000 experimental versions mounting the 750 cc motor sideways and using shaft drive, as on a modern Moto Guzzi ,
2950-792: Was heavily inspired by the BMW R71 motorcycle (which, though not used by the German Army later was the basis for the Soviet M72 , which is the basis for the Ural and Chiang Jiang motorcycle) as was its competitor, the Harley-Davidson XA . However, unlike the XA, the 841 was not a copy of the R71. Although its tubular frame, plunger rear suspension, and shaft drive were similar to the BMW's,
3009-500: Was hit by a motor vehicle while testing the new Ace Sporting Solo in Philadelphia. He died at the age of 39 in Frankford Hospital without regaining consciousness. Arthur O. Lemon, former Henderson salesman and head of Excelsior and Henderson engineering at Excelsior Motor Manufacturing & Supply, left Excelsior in 1923 to replace Henderson as Chief Engineer at Ace. Ace Motor Corporation ceased operation in 1924. In
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#17327938221053068-465: Was introduced for 1920. Designed by Charles B. Franklin , the Scout had its gearbox bolted to the engine and was driven by gears instead of by belt or chain. The engine originally displaced 37 cu in (610 cc); the Scout 45, with a displacement of 45 cu in (740 cc), became available in 1927 to compete with the Excelsior Super X . A front brake became standard on
3127-470: Was known as the Wigwam, and native American imagery was much used in advertising. In 1940, Indian sold nearly as many motorcycles as its major rival, Harley-Davidson. During this time, Indian also manufactured other products such as aircraft engines, bicycles, boat motors and air conditioners. The Indian Scout was built from 1920 through 1949. It rivaled the Chief as Indian's most important model. The Scout
3186-433: Was manufactured until 1919. As the US entered World War I , Indian sold most of its Powerplus line in 1917 and 1918 to the United States government, starving its network of dealers. This blow to domestic availability of the motorcycles led to a loss of dealers from which Indian never quite recovered. While the motorcycles were popular in the military, post-war demand was then taken up by other manufacturers to whom many of
3245-424: Was moved to Springfield and the motorcycle was marketed as the Indian Ace for one year. In 1928, the Indian Ace was replaced by the Indian 401, a development of the Ace designed by Arthur O. Lemon, former Chief Engineer at Ace, who was employed by Indian when they bought Ace. The Ace's leading-link forks and central coil spring were replaced by Indian's trailing-link forks and quarter-elliptic leaf spring. By 1929,
3304-465: Was returned to the original configuration in 1938. Like the Chief, the Four was given large, skirted fenders and plunger rear suspension in 1940. In 1941, the 18-inch wheels of previous models were replaced with 16-inch wheels with balloon tires. The Indian Four was discontinued in 1942. Recognition of the historical significance of the 1940 four-cylinder model was made with an August 2006 United States Postal Service 39-cent stamp issue, part of
3363-403: Was returned to the original configuration in 1938. For 1940, the Four frame was modified to include plunger rear suspension. In the same year, all Indian models were restyled with large, decorative fenders. In 1941, the 18-inch wheels of previous models were replaced with 16-inch wheels with balloon tires. The Indian Four was discontinued in 1942. Recognition of the historical significance of
3422-519: Was the Indian Velo 500 , a limited-production run using a Velocette single-cylinder engine with various Norton , and Royal Enfield drivetrain components, and Italian Chassis parts. This included a lightweight frame from the Italjet company, Marzocchi front forks with Grimeca front hub having a twin-leading shoe brake, Borrani aluminium rims and quickly-detachable tank and seat, resulting in
3481-412: Was then-President of Indian under Rogers Ownership. Outside these two models that directly benefitted Brockhouses umbrella industries, ISC also sold a variety of rebadged imports, including Vincent, AJS, and Matchless from various dates until solidifying their import models line-up to a single manufacturer. From 1955 through 1960, they imported English Royal Enfield motorcycles, mildly customized them in
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