2015

In mid-February, the Indian Chief Dark Horse was introduced in Chicago in conjunction with the Progressive® International Motorcycle Show (IMS). Despite freezing temperatures, a ride-in was held involving several local riders and several Indian Motorcycle employees riding the new blacked-out cruiser, which attracted large crowds when displayed at the Chicago IMS.

In March, Indian Motorcycle had a tremendous presence at Daytona Bike Week, where the brand provided a new record number of Indian Motorcycle Demo Rides, hosted an Indian Motorcycle Riders' Group Bike Week Party, and celebrated the first Bike Week with the new Indian Motorcycle Daytona Beach dealership open on Beach Street. The demo rides featured the complete lineup, including the recently introduced Indian Chief Dark Horse.

In April, Indian Motorcycle announced a partnership with the United Service Organizations (USO), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting U.S. troops and their families worldwide. Indian Motorcycle donated $100,000 to the USO to celebrate the partnership, and the USO became the official nonprofit partner of the Indian Motorcycle Riders' Group (IMRG) so riders could partner with local USO centers. Indian Motorcycle supporter and USO Tour veteran Zac Brown and Zac Brown Band also donated concert tickets for troops and their families for select stops on the band's 2015 tour.

In May, an Indian Scout special military-themed custom created by the team at Klock Werks made its debut. Indian Motorcycle commissioned the custom to mark the start of the brand's partnership with the USO. It was displayed at numerous events throughout the year. The bike had matte green paint like that of a vintage military bike, genuine Indian Motorcycle Accessory saddlebags, a Klock Werks "Klassic" seat kit, leather wraps for the base of the quick-detach windshield, and a custom gun scabbard mount etched with both the USO and Indian Motorcycle logos.

Indian Motorcycle dealers across North America hosted the Great American Summer Cookout on June 13, Dealers provided participants with food, free gifts, the opportunity to donate to the USO, and a chance to register to win a Zac Brown Concert experience.

2014

Indian Motorcycle was in the spotlight throughout Daytona Bike Week 2014. The brand had displays and retail outlets at several locations, had an action-packed display at Daytona Int'l. Speedway, treated thousands of demo riders to their first rides on the 2014 models, and launched the new Indian Motorcycle®Riders Group™. Company personnel also connected with vintage Indian Motorcycle enthusiasts at their annual Bike Week gathering, and rode along on a group ride up the coast to St. Augustine.

The new Indian Motorcycle® Riders Group™ (IMRG) was introduced during Daytona Bike Week 2014. The I.M.R.G. provides Indian Motorcycle owners and their friends with special member benefits and the opportunity to connect with fellow riders. Local I.M.R.G. chapters are forming in conjunction with Indian Motorcycle dealerships, and these chapters help dealerships host open houses, demo events, and charity rides, they hold chapter meetings and parties, enjoy group rides, and more.

Among the motorcycles making the 11-day, 3,350-mile trip across America in the Cannon Ball Centennial Ride was "Elnora," a specially equipped Indian Chief Classic. The bike, which was beefed up for the extensive off-road riding in remote desert and mountain areas, was ridden from San Diego to New York City. Riders accurately traced the legendary route first ridden 100 years earlier by Erwin "Cannon Ball" Baker on a 1914 Indian V-Twin.

Motorcycle.com named the Indian Chief as its 2014 Cruiser of the Year, and in the process honored both the Indian Chief Classic and Indian Chief Vintage. The editors praised the brand "for creating such an authentic machine. Authentic, that's the right word for the Indian Chief, the proper blend of history and technology seemingly without compromise."

American Luxury rolled onto the open road in late July when the all-new Indian Roadmaster™ was introduced. Christened with a historic Indian Motorcycle model name, the Indian Roadmaster carries riders into a new generation of luxury touring. It is equipped with comfort and convenience features that deliver an incredible ride experience; ample storage space, including a large, lockable trunk; and advanced electronics such as premium audio and Bluetooth® connectivity.

Learn More About The Indian Roadmaster®

The talk of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was the historic unveiling of the all-new Indian Scout. It marked the return of one of the most esteemed names in high-performance motorcycle history. The sporty new Indian Scout was introduced on a Saturday night at a special downtown Sturgis site that featured a Wall of Death. The Wall of Death riders took a custom-painted new Indian Scout up on the wall. The 2015 Indian Scout is a stylish, modern cruiser with a 69ci liquid-cooled engine churning out 100 horsepower.

The Indian Motorcycle Inaugural Ride for I.M.R.G. members featured perfect October weather, scenic Tennessee hills and country roads, an incredible BBQ lunch at the Jack Daniels Distillery, and great new Indian Motorcycle friends. The Inaugural Ride in late October was a tremendous success as hundreds of riders logged thousands of great miles during some unforgettable days in Nashville and rural Tennessee.

Steve Menneto, Vice President Motorcycles, was named Motorcyclist of the Year by Motorcyclist Magazine. The editors honored him for his vision and leadership as Indian Motorcycle was relaunched with a new model lineup in 2013 and continued its momentum and lineup growth in 2014. He also received the V-Twin Excellence Award as 2014 Industry Leader of the Year, and was elected in 2014 to serve a two-year term on the Motorcycle Industry Country Board of Directors.

2013

As part of the lead-up to the introduction of the new Indian Motorcycle models, Indian Motorcycle displayed and started the powerful new Thunder Stroke 111 V-Twin engine in March at Daytona Bike Week. "Honoring Our Past. Powering Our Future" was the theme of the event, which included TV star Mike Wolfe. The Thunder Stroke 111 was unveiled on a stage at a party on Main Street in Daytona Beach, and when it was fired up, the overflow crowd was thrilled. Plus, a replica of the Munro Special streamliner – powered by a Thunder Stroke 111 – was driven into the party. The engine and streamliner were subsequently displayed at the Indian Motorcycle exhibit at Daytona Int'l. Speedway throughout Bike Week.

History was made on the night of Saturday, August 3, outside the Sturgis [S.D.] Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame, where the new generation of Indian Motorcycle models was unveiled to an audience filling Main Street and a global audience following the action online. Company officials rode the all-new 2014 Indian Chief Classic, Indian Chief Vintage, and Indian Chieftain onto elevated platforms outside the museum, with TV star and Indian Motorcycle collector Mike Wolfe among those taking part. All three models were powered by the all-new Thunder Stroke 111 V-Twin. As soon as the new models were introduced, a large fleet of the bikes was unloaded from trucks at a demo ride site at the edge of town, and the first Indian Motorcycle Demo Rides were offered the following day.

A fleet of demo trucks began bringing the latest Indian Motorcycle models to riders from coast to coast starting in 2013. Each year, tens of thousands of riders enjoy the Indian Motorcycle riding experience at demo events held at motorcycle rallies and Indian Motorcycle dealerships.

2011

On April 19, Polaris Industries, manufacturer of snowmobiles, off-road vehicles (ORVs), small electric-powered vehicles, and parent company of Victory Motorcycles, announced the acquisition of Indian Motorcycle. Manufacturing was relocated to the Polaris production facility in Spirit Lake, Iowa, and engineering was moved primarily to the Polaris Product Development Center in Wyoming, Minnesota.

2008

Stellican Ltd., a London-based private equity firm, purchased the Indian Motorcycle assets and established an Indian Motorcycle Company manufacturing facility in Kings Mountain, N.C. A modest number of Indian Chief units with 105-ci V-twin engines were produced between 2008-2011, when Stellican sold Indian Motorcycle to Polaris Industries Inc.

2003

Indian Motorcycle Company of America went bankrupt and ended production.

1998

Brand-exclusive production of Indian Motorcycle models resumed in 1998. A merger of nine companies formed the Indian Motorcycle Company of America (IMCA), which opened a production facility in Gilroy, California. The IMCA produced Chief, Scout, and Spirit models powered by engines acquired from S&S Cycle, Inc.

1970

After Floyd Clymer's death, his attorney, Alan Newman, acquired the Indian Motorcycle trademark and continued to sell small bikes carrying the Indian brand name. Most of these bikes were produced in Taiwan and had displacements between 50cc and 175cc. Other units were rebranded Italian mini-bikes. Sales declined throughout the 1970s and operations ceased in 1977.

1967

Indian Motorcycle performance fueled Burt Munro's dogged pursuit of a world land speed record. The underfinanced New Zealander would not be denied, and he and his heavily modified Indian Scout finally set a world record of 183.586 mph in 1967 on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The record still stands, and, in fact, the speed was corrected to 184.087 mph by the AMA in 2014. Munro was 68 years old when he set the record, and his story was later the basis for the popular motion picture, "The World's Fastest Indian." The bike on which he set the record started as a 1926 600cc Indian Scout.

1962

Associated Motorcycles sold all Indian Motorcycle rights to Joseph Berliner, who never used the brand name.

1960

Associated Motorcycles purchased Indian Sales Corporation.

1955

Brockhouse Engineering purchased the rights to the Indian Motorcycle name and sold imported Royal Enfield models branded as Indian Motorcycle models until 1960.

1953

Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company ceased operations and discontinue\d production of all models.

1951

Racers Bobby Hill, Bill Tuman, and Ernie Beckman dominated on dirt and road courses in the late-1940s and into the 1950s. Among their signature wins were three straight Springfield Mile victories. Hill won the Springfield Mile in 1951 and 1952 and Tuman won it in 1953. The three also won season points titles and major events from coast to coast.

1950

John Brockhouse replaces Rogers as president of Indian Motorcycle Company.

The Indian Chief received new, telescopic front forks, and its V-twin displacement was increased to 80-ci or 1300cc. Additional lightweight models, the Warrior and Warrior TT, were introduced.

1948

Company President Ralph B. Rogers and a team of executives toured the country to introduce new vertical twin, 440cc Indian Scout models and vertical single, 220cc Indian Arrow models. These were viewed as sporty, lightweight models that could compete for sales against the growing number of lightweight foreign imports.

1946

The first post-war lineup consisted only of the Indian Chief as design and production were ramped up for consumer models after being focused on military bikes during the war.

1945

The Du Pont brothers sold the company to Ralph B. Rogers. Rogers also purchased the Torque Manufacturing Co., in part to utilize the talents of former Indian Motorcycle engineer G. Briggs Weaver, who worked for Torque and was designing several models Rogers wanted Indian Motorcycle to produce.

1941

Indian Motorcycle was producing the Model 841 for the U.S. Army. The Model 841 was powered by a 45-ci, side-valve V-twin, with cylinders longitudinally at a 90-degree angle. The engine was air-cooled and the bike used shaft drive. With its focus on production of military motorcycles, for the United States and its allies, the company provided very few units for consumers.

1940

Of the 10,431 units the company produced, 5,000 were built for the French government for use in the early stages of WW II.

The new models featured stylish skirted fenders and full chain guards, and the Indian Chief and Indian Four received a new sprung frame.

1938

The Jackpine Gypsies, a Sturgis, S.D., Indian Motorcycle club, held a race called the Black Hills Classic that went on to be held annually and evolved into the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The driving force behind the event was J.C. (Clarence) "Pappy" Hoel, the local Indian Motorcycle dealer.

Several Indian Motorcycle production models featured instrument panels atop their fuel tanks.

1937

Ed Kretz won the first Daytona 200 on a race-prepped Indian Sport Scout. Running 200 miles on the historic beach race course that included running sand and on the paved Highway A1A on each lap, Kretz won in impressive fashion despite falling twice during the race.

1936

In mid-1935, Indian Motorcycle introduced the 1936 "upside-down" Four, which had an EOI – exhaust over intake – design. The exhaust valves were on top and the inlet valves and carburetor were below.

1934

The Sport Scout was introduced and featured stylish flared fenders and, on the sides of the fuel tank, the Warbonnet graphic with the Indian Motorcycle script logo. The engine was a stressed member of the chassis for strength and weight savings, and the had a 45-ci engine.

1933

The nation's poor economy depressed motorcycle sales, including those of Indian Motorcycle, which produced only 1,667 units in 1933. The company did introduce the new Motoplane, essentially a 45-ci version of the Scout Pony. It was the only year the Motoplane was produced.

1932

The Series 101 Scout was replaced by the new Model 203 Scout, which was essentially a Scout engine in an Indian Chief frame. Plus, the Scout Pony was introduced, a 30.50-ci twin that was akin to a two-cylinder Prince, the single that had been dropped from the line in 1929. The Scout Pony was in the lineup from 1932-1941.

1931

The company resumed introducing annual model lineups, usually around Labor Day each year.

1930

E. Paul Du Pont sold his share of DuPont automobile to Indian Motorcycle and, along with his brother Francis, bought a large share of Indian Motorcycle stock. E. Paul forced out the company's existing management team, and put Loring F. "Joe" Hosley, in charge of day-to-day operations at the Springfield factory. Hosley had previously been production manager at DuPont Motors, a car manufacturer.

1929

The company purchased the Hartford Outboard Motor Company and began producing outboard motors in the same plant where motorcycles were produced. The company also produced other non-motorcycle products such as shock absorbers, ventilators, electric refrigerators, and even cars, but these ventures did not benefit the company's bottom line.

The Prince single was dropped from the lineup, and the Indian Ace name was dropped in favor of the Indian Four, which was built on an all-Indian Motorcycle frame.

1927

Indian Motorcycle introduced the 45-ci, 750cc V-twin engine, essentially a larger version of the Scout engine. This engine was a "happy combination of bore, stroke, and other factors, and the motor seemed to work better than it should have." It was introduced on a Police Special, a Scout frame with this larger engine, which would go on to be viewed as one of the best engines Indian Motorcycle ever built.

Indian Motorcycle purchased Ace Motor Corporation and released the Indian Ace based on the Ace inline four-cylinder engine. This meant the 1927 Indian Motorcycle lineup had a single, twin, and four-cylinder models. This engine was used from 1928-1942 in models such as the Indian Ace and later the Indian Four.

1925

The single-cylinder, side-valve, 21.35-ci, 350cc Prince was introduced. It didn't sell well, especially as an export because a steep increase in motorcycle tariffs virtually eliminated sales to Great Britain. The Standard was dropped from the lineup in 1925.

1923

Indian Motorcycle introduced a 74-ci, 1200cc engine in a model called the "Big Chief." It became the industry's best-selling model, and rounded out an Indian Motorcycle lineup that also included the Scout, Indian Chief, and the Standard.

In November, the company changed its name from The Hendee Manufacturing Company to The Indian Motocycle Company – no "r" in motocycle when the word was used with the name Indian.

1922

The Indian Chief was introduced. Considered a "big Scout," it had a 61ci, 1000cc engine based on the Powerplus. The Powerplus, meanwhile, was renamed the "Standard" so buyers wouldn't think it had more power than the new Indian Chief.

1920

In October 1919, the company introduced the first Indian Scout, a mid-sized model with a 606cc side-valve V-twin engine. It was reliable, fast, and highly maneuverable, and it enticed many people to start riding.

1917

The United Stated entered into WW I and Indian Motorcycle dedicated much of its production to the war effort. As a result, dealers had limited inventory and retail sales dropped significantly. The company provided the U.S. military with nearly 50,000 motorcycles from 1917-1919, most of them based on the Indian Powerplus model. This durable, dependable, and powerful model served the troops well.

1916

Co-founder George Hendee resigned as company president.

The company introduced the Powerplus, one of its most legendary engines. The 1000cc engine was a 42-degree V-twin flathead with side-valves. The valves on the side resulted in cleaner and quieter operation, and the engine produced more power than its predecessors, giving selected models a top speed of 60 mph. The 1916 model lineup also included the new Featherweight single-cylinder two-stroke, which lasted only one year in the line.

1915

Co-founder George Hendee resigned as general manager but remained the company president.

Racing on a motorcycle with an early experimental version of a side-vale engine, Erwin "Cannonball" Baker set the fast time in a Three-Flag run from Canada to Mexico via California, which he completed in three and a half days.

1914

The Hendee Special was introduced and it featured the first electric start on a motorcycle. However, there was no generator, and batteries of the time were not always reliable, so the model was only in the lineup for one year. The 1914 model line also featured electric lights on every model.

On May 14, Erwin "Cannonball" Baker rode from San Diego to the east Coast in a new record time of 11 days, 12 hours, 10 minutes.

1913

Indian Motorcycle introduced the swing arm rear suspension design called the Cradle Spring Frame. It was featured on all 1913 models, all of which were painted Indian Red.

Oscar Hedstrom, one of the company's original partners and the driving force of innovative Indian Motorcycle engineering, retired on March 1.

It was a year of record sales as 32,000 Indian Motorcycle units were sold.

1911

It was a year of significant racing victories, including: Volney Davis rode from San Francisco to New York City in a record time of 20 days, 9 hours, 11 minutes; Indian Motorcycle racers Oliver Godfrey, Charles Franklin, and A.J. Moorehouse finished first, second, and third, respectively, in the Isle of Man Senior TT; and Erwin G. "Cannonball" Baker won The President's Race in Indianapolis.

1910

Indian Motorcycle introduced several advancements on its 1910 models, including a leaf-spring front fork and an automatic oil pump. Some models also had a 2-speed transmission, floorboards, starter hand cranks, and the Indian Motorcycle script logo.

1909

Indian Motorcycle introduced the "loop frame" that was more similar to racing motorcycle design than the previous "diamond frame" that originated with bicycles.

1907

The company moved from the Worthington Street facility to a new factory at State Street and Wilbraham Road in Springfield. The larger plant and expanded workforce let Indian Motorcycle begin producing its own engines, ending its contract with the Aurora company.

American T.K. Hastings rode an Indian Motorcycle to victory in a 1,000-mile reliability trial in England.

1906

Indian Motorcycle dealers George Holden (of Cleveland) and Louis J. Mueller (of Springfield) rode an Indian Motorcycle from San Francisco to New York City in a then-record 31 1/2 days without any mechanical problems.

The first V-twin factory race bike was built, and Indian Motorcycle models continued their impressive string of racing success. A version of the racing engine was introduced in consumer models for the 1907 model year, making the 39-ci (633 cc), 42-degree V-twin the first American V-twin production motorcycle engines.

1904

The earliest bikes were Royal Blue or the optional black paint, but this year the company introduced a deep red called Vermillion, which became better known as "Indian Red."

1903

Company co-founder and chief engineer Oscar Hedstrom rode one of his motorcycles to a new world speed record of 56 mph. The same year, he also won an endurance race from New York City to Springfield and back.

1902

The first Indian Motorcycle was sold to a retail customer. It had chain drive and a single-cylinder engine built by the Aurora [Illinois] Automatic Machinery Co., the company with whom Hendee and Hedstrom contracted for engine production.

In its public racing debut, an Indian Motorcycle won an endurance race from Boston to New York City.

1901

Bicycle racing promoter and former bicycle racing champion George Hendee hired Oscar Hedstrom to build gasoline engine-powered bicycles to pace bicycle races. In February, Hedstrom began work on the motorized pacing bicycle in a shop in Middletown, Connecticut. He completed the first motorized bike in May and shipped it the 38 miles to Hendee in Springfield, Massachusetts. The machine, and the other two bikes Hedstrom built in 1901, proved to be powerful and reliable, establishing the company's reputation for outstanding performance. Later that year the company's first factory was established on Worthington Street in downtown Springfield.

1897

George M. Hendee founded a bicycle production company called the Hendee Manufacturing Company. The bicycles carried brand names such as Silver King, Silver Queen, and American Indian, which was shortened to simply "Indian" and became Hendee's primary brand name.