Indian Twin Board track Racer
American motorcycle board racing rivaled baseball as one of the most popular sports in the United States. Between about 1909 and 1914, motorcycle racing flourished in the United States. Successful racers became some of the country’s first national sports heroes.
This 1912 Indian has the original 500cc double-cylinder engine with a Bosch American Magneto and Hedstrom carburetor. The rigid frame is factory-built, features drop handlebars, and is presented in traditional Indian factory colors.
Although top speeds could reach over 90 mph, the motorcycles had no brakes or clutch. Riders had to fill the engine with oil themselves. The carburetors ran at full power, and the motorcycles were so highly charged that they had to be towed to get going.
At that time, racing was done on oval tracks known as Motordomes, which were built from wooden planks. The tracks had a bank of between 25 degrees and 60 degrees. Due to the extreme bank, the turns were taken at high speeds and the riders experienced significant G-forces.
After a tragic accident that occurred at the Newark, New Jersey, race track, the popularity of motorcycle racing declined significantly. During a race, Eddie Hush lost control of an Indian motorcycle with an 8-valve engine and the motorcycle flipped over. The accident killed four spectators.
The history of Indian motorcycles began in 1901 in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1897, George Hendee founded the Hendee Manufacturing Company, where he produced bicycles under the name “American Indian”, which was soon shortened to simply “Indian”.
In 1900, Oscar Hedstrom joined the company. Both men had experience in racing and bicycle manufacturing. Their collaboration resulted in a motorcycle with a single-cylinder, 1.75-horsepower engine, which was built in Hendey’s hometown of Springfield. The motorcycle was a success, and sales increased dramatically over the next decade.
Hedstrom left Indian in 1913, and Hendey retired in 1916. In 1928, the company’s name was changed to Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company. During the 1930s, Indian became the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. In 1953, the company went bankrupt.
In the following years, various companies tried to preserve the Indian brand name, with varying success. In 2011, Polaris Industries acquired Indian Motorcycles and moved production to North Carolina. Since August 2013, Polaris has produced several modern Indian motorcycles that retain the brand’s traditional styling.
Manufacturer: Indian Motorcycle
Assembly: Springfield (USA)
Years of production: 1912—1918
Engine: 2 cylinders; 500 cc
Max speed: 90 mph (144 km/h)
Weight: 50 kg
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