In the MuseumвЂ™s lobby is an exquisite example of current Indian design from Polaris Industries, a 2017 Indian Chief Vintage fund-raiser bike. When you visit the Indian Motorcycle Story exhibit area at the National Motorcycle Museum youвЂ™ll see a wide range of Indians important to the brandвЂ™s history, including the Torque Four, on loan from the Antique Motorcycle Foundation and the Century Chief, the super rare prototype, Wayne BaughmanвЂ™s ill-fated attempt to revive the brand. My small part of American Motorcycle History.вЂќ I wanted to do this so that it will be preserved for many, many years. IвЂ™m a Factory Worker and not the kind of person to afford such a donation but this is how we keep our History. The Indian is American Motorcycle History and this Chief being 100 years (2001) since the first Indian motorcycle which is the first American motorcycle produced, itвЂ™s a work of Art. The bike is gorgeous I just didnвЂ™t have it in my heart for the odometer to hit 100 miles on it. I went for a ride to Lake Michigan, the one and only ride I had on it. вЂњI have always liked the look of the Indian Motorcycle. This motorcycle fills a key niche in Indian history, is very important to the Museum telling the history of Indian and donor James Kenney agrees. Last month James Kenney contacted the Museum asking about donating his Chief to the MuseumвЂ™s permanent collection, and of course the affirmative decision came in moments. Its owner, James Kenney, who bought it new, realized its value as a marker in Indian history and put less than 90 miles on it, choosing to keep it as an original unrestored machine. Special badging and paint make this machine unique. A combination of a compromised dealer network, a need for better quality control and a lack of distinction in the S&S-supplied engine contributed to the companyвЂ™s demise.Д«ut celebrating 100 years of the Indian brand, the exceptional, extremely low mileage 2001 Centennial model illustrated here is a great example of the CMCвЂ™s output. This iteration of Indian lasted until September 2003 when bankruptcy was declared. With litigation resolved over intellectual property rights, the CMC product line was re-launched under the Indian brand, the first machines off the assembly line in 1999. In 1998 Toronto-based Indian Motorcycle Company acquired the California Motorcycle Company to create the new Indian Motorcycle Company of Gilroy, California. For the following 50-plus years, various attempts were made to revive the brand with most being underfunded and unsuccessful. With some changes in ownership and ups and downs in sales, Indian produced motorcycles for over 50 years, until 1953, and went out of business. So the 1901 вЂњCamelbackвЂќ was the first of many fine Indians. Hendee felt it could be more than a pacer viable personal transportation. The machineвЂ™s origins are a bicycle racing pacer engineered by Hedstrom and some creative marketing thinking by Hendee. Models can be customized to your specifications.Indian as a motorcycle brand dates back to the 1901 launch of the first Indian motorcycle by George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom in Springfield, Massachusetts. Each offers their own unique styles and options. These are the FTR 1200 S, Scout Bobber, Chieftain Dark Horse, Indian Springfield Dark Horse, Chieftain Limited, and the Roadmaster. The current lineup of Indians includes six models. Since then, this proud name has enjoyed quite a revival in popularity. It was in 2013 that the company began marketing a new line of Indians modeled on popular vintage styles. Fortunately, Indian Motorcycles was purchased in 2011 by Polaris Industries. Because the Indian brand was so popular, a number of companies attempted to produce bikes under the name in the following years, but they had little success. It was in 1953 that the company went bankrupt. The Scout was made from 1920 to 1946, and the Chief was produced from 1922 until 1953. The Scout and the Chief are Indian's most popular models to date.

In the 1910s, Indian Motorcycle became the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Hendee Manufacturing Company was the original producer of these motorcycles, but they changed the name to the now iconic Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company in 1928. Indian is a popular brand of motorcycle that was founded in 1901 in Springfield, Massachusetts where it was produced until 1953.

Indian 2001 scout