Indian started making motorcycles in 1901 as the Hendee Manufacturing Company in Springfield, Massachusetts. The initial production model was in 1902 and 143 units were created. Through the 1910s Indian achieved the status of the biggest producer of motorcycles worldwide. The company was re-branded the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company in 1928.
The Scout and Chief V-twins, launched in the first part of the 1920s, had become the Springfield company's most popular designs. Created by Charles B. Franklin, the middleweight Scout and bigger Chief both had a 42-degree V-twin motor design. The two designs acquired a track record of power and dependability.
The initial 1922 product Chief included a 1000 cc (61ci) motor. One year later the engine was increased to 1,200 cc (73 ci). In 1950, the V-twin engine was increased to 1,300 cc (79 cubic inches) and telescopic forks were implemented. The engine was fed with a 42mm Mikuni "flat-slide" carburetor which was installed on the left side of the engine, an element special to the early Indian motorcycles. This particular carburetion system provided smooth accelerator response through the whole RPM range. To make certain ideal lubrication, the motor included a proprietary oil pump mechanism. The Chief's drive train had a constant-mesh, five-speed transmission, primary chain drive and rear belt drive.
With the internal combustion engine being unveiled around the turn of the century Indian predated the renowned Harley-Davidson, and was America's earliest such label initially produced in 1901. Bill Harley and Arthur Davidson created their's in 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Indian motorcycles were acknowledged and respected all over the industrialized world for its innovative design, toughness and quality along with style and elegance. The cycle had the attribute of "over-styling," a characteristic Indian motorcycles were infamous for. The extravagant fenders produced sweeping contours that accented the unforgettable lines of the vintage bike.
Despite corporate blunders and unwelcome management oversights, Indian motorcycles were in a position to endure the Great Depression. The business was having difficulties in 1949, and since the British pound was devalued against the American dollar, the imports were less expensive than ever. At that time another British organization, Brockhouse Ltd. was funding Indian, and a year later Brockhouse purchased it in full. Nevertheless the problems with the V-twin ended up being extremely difficult to recover from, and Indian was divided in two: 50 % for manufacturing and the remaining half for sales.
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