Indian Motorcycle is based in
Springfield, Massachusetts (USA). The company was founded in 1901 by George
Hendee and Carl Oscar Hedstrom. In 1897, George Hendee founded a bicycle
production company called the Hendee Manufacturing Company. The bicycles
carried names such as the Silver King, Silver Queen, and American Indian.
However, the name was shortened to simply ‘Indian’ and this became Hendee’s
primary brand name.
In 1901, George Hendee hired Oscar
Hedstrom to build gasoline engine-powered bikes to pace bicycle races. The
machine he created, called 1901 Single was powered by a 1.75 horsepower engine.
It proved to be powerful and reliable, establishing the company’s reputation
for outstanding performance. Later that year the company’s first factory was
established in downtown Springfield.
The first Indian bike was sold to a
retail customer in 1902. Later that year, an Indian Motorcycle won an endurance
race from Boston to New York City in its public racing debut. In 1903, Hedstrom
himself rode one of his motorcycles to a new world speed record of 56 mph. He
won an endurance race from New York City to Springfield and back. Later in
1906, George Holden and Louis J. Mueller rode an Indian Motorcycle from San
Francisco to New York City. This trip was completed in a record-breaking 31
days without any mechanical failures. The following year, American rider T.K.
Hastings rode an Indian Motorcycle to victory in a 1,000-mile reliability trial
in England.
In 1906, the first V-twin factory
race bike was built. A version of the racing engine was introduced in consumer
models for the 1907 model year. This made the brand’s 633cc, 42-degree V-twin
the first American V-twin production motorcycle engine. By the time 1914 came,
the Indian production facility in Springfield had over 3,000 employees. The
company, then, was forced to stop its racing activities to support the American
war effort. It had to supply 41000 vehicles to the army.
The early 1920s were crucial years in
the rise of Indian bikes. Several iconic motorcycles were introduced to the
public during the decade. In 1920, the company released the first Indian Scout.
This fast, reliable, and maneuverable bike enticed many people to start riding.
This was followed by The Chief (1922), the best-selling Big Chief (1923), and
The Prince (1925). Later, following the purchase of Ace Motor Corporation, the
Ace was introduced in 1927. Indian bike introduced its legendary 750cc V-twin
engine in 1927.
Indian two wheeler, throughout its glorious
history, underwent numerous changes of ownership due to its bankruptcy in the
early stages. However, despite several failed attempts, things took a turn when
the brand was purchased by Polaris Industries in 2011. This resulted in the
operations of Indian two wheeler being shifted to Polaris’ existing Minnesota
and Iowa facilities.
In 2013, Polaris India Private
Limited announced its plan to launch the Indian Motorcycle brand in India. Polaris
had already established a name in India for its rugged off-road vehicles. In
2014, Polaris launched the brand in India, releasing the Chief Classic, the Chief
Vintage and the Chieftain. The bikes were brought as CBUs and were built around
Indian’s new Thunder Stroke 111 engine.
Indian
Motorcycles opened its first dealership in Gurugram followed by the second
facility in Bengaluru. The range of Indian Motorcycles, ever sold in India
consists of the Scout, the Scout Sixty, the Scout Bobber, the Chief Dark Horse,
the Chief Classic, the Chief Vintage, the Springfield, the Chieftain, the Chieftain
Dark Horse, the Roadmaster, the Roadmaster Classic and the Roadmaster Elite,
among others.
