"A Century of Indian" tells story of motorcycle icon

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- A century after a bicycle maker and a self-taught

engineer first bolted a small motor in a bicycle frame to launch one of the most

famous brands in American motorcycling, a new exhibit at the Motorcycle Hall of

Fame Museum tells the tumultuous story of Indian.

"A Century of Indian" opens July 7 at the 26,000-square-foot museum in

Pickerington, Ohio. It features not only important motorcycles from Indian's

history, but also additional displays of period sales literature, memorabilia, a

collection of photos never before displayed, and informative text that all

combine to provide insight into the rise and fall of an American icon.

"Indian was and remains one of the true touchstones of American

motorcycling," says Museum Director Mark Mederski. "A couple of bicycle guys

created a company that quickly dominated the world motorcycle market before

beginning its long descent. With a collection of supremely cool and rare

vintage Indians -- and many never-before-displayed documents, brochures and

ephemera -- the exhibit will give visitors an in-depth look at Indian that can't

be found anywhere.''

The company traces its origins back to 1901, when bicycle manufacturer

George Hendee partnered with Swedish immigrant Oscar Hedstrom to put Hedstrom's

engine into Hendee's bicycles. That partnership eventually became the Indian

Motocycle Company. Within a few years of its founding, it was the top producer

of motorcycles in the world.

Indian went on to dominate on race tracks and in the hearts of many riders,

usually battling with Harley-Davidson on both fronts as the two became the last

survivors of the hundreds of U.S. motorcycle manufacturers that flourished and

died through the first half of the 20th century. The Springfield, Massachusetts

company passed through several changes of ownership before it ceased building

motorcycles in the 1950s.

"If people look at the machinery, at the ephemera on display, and the text,

they will be able to walk away with a first-hand understanding of what happened

to the company," said exhibit curator Ed Youngblood. "Indian's is an amazing

story of a company that made a mark on motorcycling that is still felt today."

Indian's early success was based on the reliability of the engine Hedstrom

designed. But engine technology, or the lack of it, would be part of the

company's undoing many years later. One display in the exhibit compares the

Harley-Davidson overhead-valve knucklehead engine side-by-side with Indian's

less advanced side-valve engine. The contrast is the same one buyers were

considering in the late 1930s and '40s.

Engine technology aside, Indian styling is something motorcyclists still

recognize today. The company's bikes were known for their deeply valanced

fenders and the Indian-head ornament riding on the front fender that made the

company a styling leader whose design cues are still echoed in today's

motorcycles.

As "A Century of Indian" shows, however, the company's motorcycles did not

always have that signature look. True to their bicycle origins, the early

machines had skinny fenders just like any human-powered two-wheeler. And the

exhibit is sure to offer a number of machines from the entire range of Indian's

production that even hard-core Indian enthusiasts have never seen in person.

Rarities that are part of the exhibit include an Indian-powered streamliner

used on the Bonneville Salt Flats in pursuit of land speed records. The

machine's wood frame is covered with fabric, much like airplane construction of

that era. In addition to the bike, the display features photos of it being built

and raced. Many of the motorcycles displayed as part of the exhibit have been

lent to the museum by members of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America.

The exhibit also chronicles the fall of Indian. After its early success,

control of Indian passed from the hands of motorcycle enthusiasts to new owners

who pursued various unrelated ventures, such as outboard boat motors and

automobile shock absorbers. Though Indian built motorcycles until the mid-1950s,

and continued in name for several years after, Indian never recovered its early

glory.

"Sure, you can look at cool, old Indians, but you can also learn about U.S.

corporate management, you can learn about what happened to industry between the

wars," said Mederski. "There are all of these interesting stories related to

Indian, and I want people to go away with those."

The exhibit also brings the Indian story up to today by including

information on the recent battle over control of the Indian trademark. As

Indian's old competitor, Harley-Davidson, has proven so well, a trademark can be

very valuable, and that aspect of the Indian story is also covered in the

exhibit.

A 200-page, heavily illustrated catalog of the exhibit is also being

produced and will go on sale when the exhibit opens.

"A Century of Indian" will remain on display through early 2003. The museum

is located at the American Motorcyclist Association headquarters in

Pickerington, Ohio, just off exit 112 of Interstate 70 east of Columbus.

For more information, call the museum at (614) 856-2222 or visit its web

site at www.motorcyclemuseum.org.

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The American Motorcyclist Association is a 270,000-member non-profit

organization. Established in 1924, the Association's purpose is to pursue,

protect and promote the interests of motorcyclists, while serving the needs of

its members. For more information, visit the AMA website at