Tracking Down Indians

Tracking Down Indians 

by Ken Aiken

         “Street Sweeper,” the very name evokes an image of a mean, ground-hugging, custom chopper with an absurdly wide rear tire. Whether this was built as a concept vehicle or a production prototype is unknown, but the black and white photos, now curled with age, showed a 1931 Indian Scout attached to a street cleaning sidecar device. Although a strange concept by today’s standards, it definitely was an innovative design in the early 1930’s. The Indian Street Sweeper was patented (#1,922,338) on August 15, 1933 and these photos prove that at least one was actually constructed.  

Yesterday a Nor’easter had dumped a foot of snow on the city streets; today the Polar Express delivered bitterly cold temperatures. I really don’t care since most of my day is being spent in the warm confines of the library sorting through material from the Indian Motocycle Company. This is my second trip to view the progress being made on the exhibits and my first to do a little research in the archives. When Esta Manthos donated the world’s largest collection of Indian motorcycles to the Springfield Museums the gift also included an extensive library of ephemera. Correspondence and personal photos of the founders Oscar Hedström and George Hendee, company sales literature, old photographs, parts manuals, and other papers are piled on tables and shelves as library staff valiantly struggles to collate, copy, and catalog it all. Some of these documents and photographs have been scanned and reproduced as part of the informative stage backdrops for the motorcycles that will be exhibited, but cataloging is proving to be a Herculean task. Meanwhile, I’ve been turned loose in a candy shop.

Ever since first laying eyes on those little three-wheeled delivery vans and trucks that zip down the narrow cobblestone streets of Italian towns and cities, I’ve wanted to build a version using a Harley frame and big V-twin engine. However, long before these little 90cc and 125cc Piaggio post-war scooters came into being, Indian had invented my desired custom: the Traffic Car (filed July 2, 1930; pat #1,876,155 on Sept. 6, 1932). Initially built around the 45ci Scout, but with a massive steel rear sub-frame (pat.#1,933,101; filed Nov. 19, 1930; approved Oct. 31, 1933), they were introduced in 1935 and are now one of the scarcest Indian models of the pre-WWII era. [see:  “Three For The Road: A Brief Look At Trike History” www.thunderpress.net/MONTH_ARTICLE-pdfs/2008/0608/Threeforther/Threeforther.shtml]

The Indian Motocycle Company produced a number of three-wheeled bikes. Some were arranged as sidecars, but with casket-like chests (delivery vans), Landau carriages (used as taxis in Newark and Baltimore), and even specialty designs. The “Indian Fire Patrol” carried chemical fire extinguishers, a small tank of water, hose, and a fire axe and it was being used by fire departments as far away as Tokyo, Japan. During the Great Depression the classic trike design was introduced and became popular as service vehicles (“Dispatch Tow”) and for police work (“Indian Patrol”). The Dispatch Tow was introduced in 1931 utilizing the Model 101 Scout, although the patent for the sub-frame (pat.#1,933,102; filed March 18, 1931) wouldn’t be approved until October 31, 1933. In the archives are photos of models that I’ve never seen: one with a full bench seat behind the saddle and another fitted with two luxurious leather bucket seats. My favorite is a photo of a concept trike—an Art-Deco-inspired streamlined, full-fairing delivery vehicle, but whether or not it ever got off the drawing board is unknown.

Sorting through a stack of 8x10 photographs taken by the Indian Motocycle Company for publicity purposes, I discover another production model that I never knew existed. The Springfield Police Department once owned a small fleet of armored motorcycles. I suspect these were made during Prohibition when whiskey running was taken seriously. Both the motorcycle and sidecar were fitted with protective shields made of “crucible” steel and bulletproof glass. The shields had gun ports and folded down when not being used. I have no idea how much weight these added to these relatively low-powered motorcycles or how it affected handling, but I’m sure Elliot Ness would have appreciated them.

Stacks of photographs document races and hillclimbs during the golden era. Some are identified; most are not. Personal photos, family albums, and publicity photos wait to be sorted and cataloged. That of a 1902 Indian in South Africa grabs my attention, as does the image of Johnny Seymour establishing his 1926 land speed record on Ormond Beach. The archives are a treasure trove and the challenge is to organize all of this material prior to moving it into the new museum. So far only those images and information that pertain to the exhibits have been digitalized for use as the graphic backdrops on the various stages. Despite all the special accommodations that the staff has made for me, there’s only a limited amount of time available. Handwritten notes are taking much too long and so the notebook is abandoned. Making photocopies is a vast improvement, but still too slow. I’m now frantically photographing everything that catches my eye, filling one flashcard after another, amassing megabytes of information without trying to make sense of any of it. No lunch break; no trips to the bathroom; no stopping for coffee, just a race against the clock. It’s anarchy in the archives.

I find a complete parts manual for the Model 841 shaft-drive, transverse-cylinder military model of 1943 and of course have to photograph the drive train and transmission illustrations. The sales catalog for 1914 provides information about the Hendee Special and then, in the same manila folder, I discover the complete wiring diagrams and a technical review for the first electric starter used on a motorcycle. Lady Luck continues to sit by my side as I uncover information about the X-cars and other products the company was developing and producing just prior to the stock market crash of 1929. The Hendee Manufacturing Company had an aeronautics department and a considerable amount of information is revealed regarding the Hendee V-8 manufactured in 1910 and the Hendee Rotary 7 produced in 1911. All of a sudden it becomes apparent that Indian was much more than a motorcycle manufacturer and that I’ve become enmeshed in a much larger project than intended.

        Is it a coincidence that Indian riders held all American land speed and distance records at a time when Hedström was developing high-performance airplane engines? What caused the recall of the first electric starter on a motorcycle in 1914?  I don’t have the answer to the first; I believe that I found the answer to the second. Details, details, details. Separately this information becomes nothing more than a specialized version of Trivia Pursuit, but each and every detail is like a piece of a giant jigsaw puzzle that’s waiting to be assembled. It’s now obvious that the picture on the outside of the Indian box doesn’t exactly match that of the pieces I’m finding. Some of my questions can’t be answered here and it’s time to examine a few of the motorcycles in the collection.

The new Museum of Springfield History is literally under wraps. Swaddled in white plastic, the building is getting a facelift and the grand entrance hall is under construction. Progress has been made since my last visit, but the staff is already feeling the strain of meeting a deadline that is still months away. Somehow curator Guy McLain manages to make time between meetings to escort me to the collection.

I'm standing in front of the actual bumblebee-yellow 1949 Scout featured in a photo uncovered in the archives and, despite knowing the answer even before it's formed on my lips, I ask the keeper of the keys if I can take it for a test ride.  Fortunately, Guy has a sense of humor.  I don't get to ride it, and of course sitting on exhibits is permissible only in children's museum.  In stocking feet and wearing special white cotton gloves I'm free to walk on the staging and examine what I wish, although time is very limited today.  I always wanted to know how the early twist grip operated.  Now I know.  I'm interested in the differences between the 1930 and 1931 model Silver Arrows and want a closer look at the Model 841 shaft drive and the Eliason Moto-Toboggan.  Responding to my discoveries in the archives I take detailed close-up photos of the Hendee V-8 airplane engine, and then pack my cameras and gear.

I head north, burdened with answers to questions that were not asked and even more questions about answers that were found. However, every story has a beginning and I suppose that I should start with, “The very first Indians were a line of bicycles made by George Hendee in 1898.” The rest I’ll fill in as I go.

Motorcycle Quiz

Motorcycle Quiz

compiled by Ken Aiken

Those that think motorcycle trivia is, . . . well, trivial , have probably never won a bar bet by pulling an arcane nugget of knowledge out of a fuzzy cranium. Sometimes these tidbits even spark a desire to dig a little deeper and learn a bit more about the history of particular marquees or mechanical innovations. Then again, it a great way to kill time on a evening when the wind is howling and the thermometer has dropped so low you suspect that Hell just might freeze over. Whatever your reasoning may be, here are 40-plus questions to test your two-wheel knowledge.

MOTORCYCLE INNOVATION

1.  Indian first used the twist-grip on their 1905 models; Glenn Curtiss independently invented it at least a year earlier. Who is now acknowledged as being the original inventor of the motorcycle twist-grip throttle?

2. The first engine used in a U.S. production motorcycle was a licensed copy of the French-made De Dion-Buton. What was the name of the Massachusetts company and the brand of motorcycle it manufactured?

3.  The first use of ball bearings in motorcycles was applied to the main shaft of the engine in 1902. Who pioneered their use?

4.  What were the first U.S. motorcycles to be exhibited at county fairs and circuses?

5.  What motorcycle company built the engines for the first Indian motorcycles?

6.  Chain-drive transmission was first used on the 1890 Panhead-Levassor automobiles. What was the first year and manufacturer to use chain drive on an American motorcycle?

7.  In 1904, the first year Harley-Davidson motorcycles were manufactured, how many miles of paved first-class roads existed in America?

8.  N.Y.P.D. began purchasing motorcycles in 1904, but they didn’t organize their motorcycle squad until June 1911. Earlier that year the first motorcycle police patrol in the U.S. was established. In what city did this take place?

9.  The first hydraulic brakes were used on the 1920 Duesenberg – although some historians credit the 1896 electric bus of Thomas Parker -- and the first interconnected hydraulic brakes were on the 1928 Ascot-Pullin motorcycle. On what year and make of motorcycle were hydraulic brakes reintroduced in the U.S.?

10. On July 6, 1903, George Wyman became the first person to cross the North American continent on a motor vehicle. What was he riding?

11. What was the first motorcycle to feature floorboards?

12. Who invented the pneumatic tire in 1888?

13. The single-cylinder engine was the first to be developed in the United States. The V-twin arrived in 1903 on the Hercules (Curtiss). The three-cylinder came into production on the 1909 Curtiss. What company made the first American 4-cylinder engine in a production motorcycle? 

14.  Charles f. Kettering invented the electric starter and the 1911 Cadillac the first automobile to feature it. What was the first motorcycle to feature an electric starter?

15. What U.S. motorcycle was the first to feature a side-valve engine? 

16. The first adjustable rear coil springs appeared on an American motorcycle in 1915. What was the brand? 

17. In 1910, the Scott was the first motorcycle to employ a kick-start. What was the first production motorcycle in the United States to use it?

18. What was the first production motorcycle model sold in the United States to feature a front disc brake?

19. The 1910 Scott was the first motorcycle to use telescopic front forks. The 1934 750cc Nimbus was the first to use hydraulic damping in telescopic front forks. On what year and model were hydraulic front forks first used on a production motorcycle in the U.S.?

20. What motorcycle was the first to use pneumatic tires?

21. The first American motorcycle-only race took place in May 1901. Where was it held?

22. The first motorcycle road race took place between Paris and Rouen, France in 1894. The first road race in America took place between Chicago and Evanston, Illinois in November 1895. The first American motorcycle road race took place in May1902. Where was it held?

23. The first hillclimb competition took place in France in 1897 with 57 competitors. The first American motorcycle hillclimb event took place on May 30, 1902. Where was it held?

24. The first closed-circuit dirt track was Naragansett Park in Cranston, Rhode Island in 1896. The first track built exclusively for motorcycle racing was a concrete oval was Brooklands in Surry, England in 1907. The first built in America for motorcycle racing was a board track built in 1909. Where was it located?

25.  The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) race was established in 1907. In 1911 an American motorcycle swept the field and captured the top three places. What was the name of the marquee?

KNOW YOUR HARLEY           

26. In what year was the teardrop tank introduced?

27. Harley-Davidson introduced rear telescopic hydraulic shocks on which model?

28. Harley-Davidson made history during a race in Fresno, California in 1921. What was this milestone?

29. In 1960 H-D introduced a fiberglass-body motor scooter that was started with a pull-cord (like a lawnmower). What was it called?

30. In 1942 H-D manufactured an opposed twin, shaft-drive motorcycle. What was its model designation?  

31. The FL Electro-Glide was introduced in 1965 with an electric starter. What was the first H-D model to be fitted with electric start?

32. In what year did H-D begin producing snowmobiles?

33. Joe Smith broke a speed record on his H-D in 1971. What was it?

34. The “Turnip Eater” was a H-D motorcycle that made history in 1970. What did it achieve?

35. In what year did H-D become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world?

36. The first H-D built for police duty was delivered to the Detroit Police Department in what year?

37. In what year did H-D begin exporting to Japan?

38. A childhood friend of Arthur Davidson designed the carburetor and oil lubrication system for the first Harley-Davidson motorcycles. What was the name of this famous inventor?

39. Who designed the first H-D logo and pinstriped the fenders of their first motorcycles?

40. William Harley and Arthur Davidson sold their first motorcycle to a friend. What was the name of the person who bought the first H-D motorcycle?

41. Harley-Davidson acquired a seat on the New York Stock Exchange in 1987. What was the first year that the company sold public shares of the company?

42. The famous H-D eagle first appeared on gas tanks in what year?