Quick Throttle Magazine Newsletter
September 16th, 2010 |
Indian
Rides Again
Indian motorcycles were manufactured
from 1901 to 1953 by a company in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA,
initially known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company but which was
renamed the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company in 1928. During
the 1910s Indian became the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in
the world. Indian's most popular models were the Scout, made from
1920 to 1946, and the Chief, made from 1922 to 1953. The Indian
Motorcycle Manufacturing Company went bankrupt in 1953. A number of
successor organizations have perpetuated the name in subsequent
years. In 1999 Indian was reborn in Gilroy, California and built
bikes until late 2003 when it too filed bankruptcy.
In 2004 the remnants of the Indian Motorcycle company were
purchased by Stellican Ltd. Production of the new generation of
Indian motorcycles resumed in a new, state of the art plant in
Kings Mountain, S.C. where the newly-formed Indian Motorcycle
Company restarted the Indian motorcycle brand. On July 20, 2006,
they began manufacturing Indian Chief motorcycles in limited
numbers, with a focus on exclusivity rather than numbers, like a
'luxury' watch.
In July '08 we brought you an article about the rebirth of the
Indian Motorcycle. Our Northwest Editor likened it to a Phoenix,
rising from the ashes. A couple of years and a few bank
failures later, is the Indian Motorcycle once again going to be a
vital piece of American history?
We put together a slide show of an Indian
Motorcycle test ride wehad the privilege of doing. Here's
a LINK TO OUR GALLERY
See
ya' out there. |