Bike of the Day- 1905 Indian

The Motorcycle Hall of Fame has a great look at one of the first motorcycles to make it big in the USA- Indian.

It was the heyday of early motorcycle transportation, and George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom were building a name for their Indian machines. With basic chassis designs derived from Hendee’s bicycle-building experience, and motors drawn from Hedstrom’s self-taught engineering skills, Indians were winning the market.

For that, thank the partners’ first design, created in 1901 and marketed in 1902.

Hedstrom mounted a single-cylinder motor into a bicycle-style frame, using the cylinder as a seat tube. Displacing 13 cubic inches (213cc), the engine featured a mechanical exhaust valve and an atmospheric intake. Hedstrom’s carburetor incorporated an unusual feature for the day: You could regulate speed.