Indian Motorcycles Then and Now

Most people are fascinated by how things have changed over the last 100 years. Motorcycle enthusiasts are no exception, as most of us get very excited when we see an ancient machine on the street or in a museum. Indian Motorcycle is America’s oldest brand, turning out their first model in 1902. Indian Motorcycle(R): America’s First Motorcycle Company(tm) gives us an opportunity to see side-by-side what nearly 115 years of motorcycle evolution can achieve. The book of course details all the years and many models in between, including the story of the iconic company’s demise in the early ’50s, to it’s various incarnations with several other companies, and finally a complete rebirth in 2011 with Polaris/Victory.

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Indian Motorcycle(R): America’s First Motorcycle Company(tm) tells the complete story of Indian, America’s first mass-produced motorcycle maker, from its start as a bicycle manufacturer to the purchase of the brand by Polaris Industries in 2011 and the subsequent new Indian motorcycles. In the early years of the 20th century, Indian dominated the world’s racetracks, earning the brand a worldwide reputation for quality, performance, reliability, and technical innovation, but the once-mighty company fell on hard times and in 1953 was forced to file bankruptcy.

The Indian brand never quite died, though, thanks in large part to fanatically devoted enthusiasts, who tried to resurrect it for over half a century. Finally Polaris, maker of the highly regarded Victory(R) brand of motorcycles, purchased the brand and released the Chief(R) and Scout(R), models that once again restored Indian to its rightful place in the motorcycle pantheon.