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Summary
- Indian is America’s first motorcycle manufacturer and has a deep-rooted history in American culture, including its contribution to the world wars.
- Indian produced the first V-twin engine in America and even dabbled in producing inline-four motorcycles.
- Indian has a rich racing heritage, winning various races and championships throughout its history, including recent victories in American Flat Track championships and the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Championship.
The oldest motorcycles don’t come only from England, like Triumph or Royal Enfield. One of the oldest motorcycle manufacturers finds its roots in the US: Indian Motorcycle Company, or simply, Indian. A decade or two ago, Indian was largely unknown across the globe; mostly, America was only known for Harley-Davidson. But after Polaris took the reins of Indian, the brand has evolved and is now giving tough competition to HD in all segments.
You may not know Indian as well, but ask your grandfather, and he might have some interesting stories to tell about Indian motorcycles. The brand is almost as old as motorcycles and has its fingers deep in American culture. Whether you’re talking about long wheelbase mile-munchers, flat track races, or the war effort during WWI and WWII — Indian is as involved as a motorcycle manufacturer can get.
There’s a lot about Indian that can be said, and honestly, even 10,000 words are not enough to summarize the century-long history this brand has. Keeping that in mind, here are ten facts that you need to know about Indian motorcycles, but remember, this is only the tip of the iceberg.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Indian and other authoritative sources, including Motorcyclenews.com, Motorcycle Specs, and Motorcycle.com.

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10 The First American Motorcycle Manufacturer
Indian is not only one of the world’s first motorcycle manufacturers, but also America’s first. Everything started back in 1901 when George M. Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom founded Indian. Motorcycles were largely unheard of in America at the time, so it was a massive risk, but it worked out. The company started as Hendee Manufacturing and was changed to Indian in 1928.
The first motorcycle came out of Hendee’s desire to go faster. He was a bicycle racing champion, and he hired Hendee to create a faster bicycle, which ended up becoming Indian’s first motorcycle: the Single. They sold 500 units by 1902 and 32,000 units by 1913. It was a massive success!
Indian Single Specifications
Engine Type |
Four-stroke single-cylinder |
Displacement |
461.63 cc |
Max power |
4 HP |
Curb Weight |
Around 150 pounds |
Price |
Unknown |
(Specs sourced from Indian)
9 America’s First V-Twin Engine
Apart from making the first American motorcycle, Indian also produced the first V-twin engine on this side of the ocean in 1907. This engine was completely produced in the US and introduced in consumer models soon after. Over the years, Indian’s V-twin motorcycles gained traction and set many records.
For example, in 1913, Indian V-twin motorcycles accounted for 32,000 motorcycles sold in the US. A year later, one such motorcycle set another record when Erwin Cannonball Baker rode a bike from San Diego to New York in 11 days, 12 hours, and 10 minutes. In 1915, he set another record on a similar motorcycle, completing the Three Flat run from Canada to Mexico in just three and a half days!
8 There’s Also A Four-Cylinder Indian
American cruisers are known for their V-twin engines, right? But what if we told you that Indian also produced inline-four motorcycles for a while? In 1927, Indian purchased Ace Motor Corporation, producing the 1927 Indian Ace, which featured an inline-four engine. Later in 1928, the Indian Ace was replaced with the Indian 401, followed by the Indian 402.
In 1939, Indian also produced the Indian 4, which was a luxury motorcycle for the time, despite being during the Great Depression. One of its less popular variants also featured an inverted four-cylinder.
Otherwise, the four featured inlet-over-exhaust (IOE) cylinder heads, which were replaced with EOI between 1936 and 1937. In the 1940s, the Four got large, skirted fenders and plunger rear suspension like the Chief. Unfortunately, the Four was discontinued in 1942.
1927 Indian Four Specifications
Engine Type |
Four-stroke, longitudinal inline-four |
Displacement |
1,261.8 cc |
Max Power |
40 HP |
Curb Weight |
496 pounds |
Price |
Unknown |
(Specs sourced from Motorcycle Specs)

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7 Indian’s Contribution To The World Wars
Harley-Davidson is often regarded as a patriotic brand in the US, but Indian deserves that notch on its belt too. This motorcycle manufacturing company provided the US military with motorcycles during both WWI and WWII, having a significant impact on war operations.
During WWI, Indian dedicated most of its production to the US Military, taking a significant hit on its retail sales figures, and it ended up producing almost fifty thousand motorcycles for the war effort. And in WWII, Indian focused on contributing motorcycles to the Allied Troops. It even produced the renowned Model 841 for the US Army during this time.
Model 841 Specifications
Engine Type |
Air-cooled, flathead 90-degree V-twin |
Displacement |
745 cc |
Max Power |
25 HP @ 4,600 RPM |
Weight |
528 pounds |
(Specs sourced from Motorcycle Classics)
6 A Cruiser Company With A Knack For Racing
When you think of cruiser manufacturers like Indian or Harley-Davidson, racing is not something that comes to mind. But surprisingly, Indian has a rich history of racing right from the beginning. Indian won its first endurance race in 1902; since then, Indians have been racing and winning all kinds of races.
Some notable races Indian has won include the 1911 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy — Indian took three top places. In 1937, Indian won the first-ever Daytona 200 with a race-prepped Indian Sport Scout, and the very next year, it raced in the first-ever Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Even today, Indian dabbles in a lot of racing. Racing is in Indian’s DNA.
Recent Indian Triple Crown Wins
- Six back-to-back American Flat Track championships on the FTR 750
- Two King of the Baggers titles on the Indian Challenger
- A SuperHooligan championship on the FTR
5 A Crew That Wrecked The Flat Track Championships
In the early 1950s, Indian Motorcycle Wrecking Crew was dominating racecourses from coast to coast. And they were particularly good at flat tracking. Among many victories, the Wrecking Crew is known for winning the Springfield Mile thrice in a row.
The Wrecking Crew was discontinued some years later, but Indian revived it back in 2017 when Jared Mees won the American Flat Track championship for the first time in over six decades. Since then, Indian has won five straight AFT championships with the FTR 750. Today the FTR moniker’s legacy is carried on by the Indian FTR Sport.

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4 Indian Makes An Eccentric Track Weapon
If you think your track special motorcycle needs to have race fairings, winglets, and a screaming inline-four/V4 engine, think again. You can choose a track day special in the form of the Indian Challenger — the baddest bagger on track. Yes, Indian makes a track-spec bagger that has been dominating the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Championship.
This track weapon of a cruiser features race ergonomics and an aggressive steering geometry, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. The bike features a rebored V-twin engine, S&S camshafts, S&S intake, Ohlins FGR250 forks and TTX mono-shock, S&S swingarm,
Indian Challenger RR Highlights
- The bike features a rebored V-twin engine with CNC-ported cylinder heads, S&S camshafts, S&S intake, and a bespoke two-into-two exhaust, pushing over 130 horsepower
- There’s also the fully adjustable MaXX Sport ECU and a bidirectional quick-shifter
- Race-spec underpinnings include fully adjustable Ohlins suspension (FGR250 and TTX), S&S swingarm, aluminum alloys, Brembo M4/Hayes calipers, and Dunlop Sportmax Q5 slicks
- The production is limited to 29 units and costs just $92,229
3 The Fastest Indian Is A 1920 Indian Scout
You’d want a cutting-edge race bike if you wanted to set the world speed record in the 60s, but Burt Munro didn’t think that. This Kiwi madman spent decades working on his 1920 Indian Scout, turning a 610cc motorcycle that could barely cross 55 MPH into an aerodynamic missile that set the world speed record of 205.67 MPH at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The record still stands, and you can watch the entire process, albeit dramatized, in the 2005 film, The World’s Fastest Indian.
1920 Indian Scout Streamliner Munro Special
Engine Type |
V-twin |
Displacement |
953 cc, post modifications |
Max Power |
100 HP |
Curb Weight |
Unknown |
Price |
Can’t put a price on this, can you? |
(Specs sourced from Indian)
2 Indian is Owned By Polaris
Being a motorcycle brand as old as motorcycles get, it’s no surprise that Indian has gone through many ups and downs. In fact, despite being the largest producer of motorcycles in the world and a racing legend, Indian still went bankrupt in 1953. And along the way, the company has changed many handles.
But in 2011, things changed for the brand when it was bought by Polaris. The company is determined to revive the brand, and it has been quite successful at it so far.
Notable Owners Of The Indian Motorcycle Company
- 1953 to 1960: Brockhouse Engineering
- 1960 to 1963: Associated Motor Cycles
- 1963 to 1970: Floyd Clymer
- 1970 to 1977: Alan Newman
- 1977 to 1984: American Moped Associates and DMCA
- 1984 to 1999: Philip S. Zanghi, followed by Eller Industries, and later to IMCOA Licensing America Inc.
- 1999 to 2003: Indian Motorcycle Company of America was formed from the merger of nine companies and the Indian trademark was awarded by the Federal District Court of Colorado in 1998
- 2006 to 2011: Largely owned by Stellican Limited
- Since 2011: Polaris Industries

The Real Difference Between Harley-Davidson And Indian Bikes
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1 Indian Offers A Lineup That Rivals Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson is the quintessential American cruiser brand, but Indian is not far behind. In many ways, Indian motorcycles are even better than their American rivals, though its battle might never actually be won. Indian V-twins are more powerful and refined, and Indian motorcycles don’t seem to lack in the handling department, while at the same time being lighter — in most cases, at least.
Indian offers a range of motorcycles, ranging from roadster-style motorcycles, like the FTR 1200 to full-fledged baggers, like the Indian Roadmaster. And if you are a fan of cruisers and bobbers, you can also get the Indian Scout or Indian Chief and their many variants. For every fan of cruisers, Indian motorcycles are worth riding at least once.
Popular Indian Models
- Indian Scout, including variants like the Bobber Sixty, Sixty, and Rogue
- Indian Chief, including variants like Dark Horse, Bobber, and Super Chief
- Indian Springfield, including variants like Dark Horse
- Indian Chieftain, including variants like Dark Horse, Limited, and Elite
- Indian Challenger
- Indian Roadmaster
- Indian FTR, including variants like Rally, Sport, and R Carbon
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