Everything To Know About The Very First Indian Motorcycle

Indian Motorcycles calls itself "America's First Motorcycle Company," and they have good reason to do so. Businessman and competitive cyclist George Hendee founded the Hendee Manufacturing Company — it wouldn't become Indian until 1923 — intending to build bicycles. In 1901, he hired engineer Oscar Hedstrom to build his vision of a gasoline-powered motorized bike. After a year of tinkering with prototypes, the first Indian motorcycle was sold in 1902. It didn't have an official model name yet — it was the only one available. It would eventually be marketed as the "diamond-framed" Indian Single.

The line between a motorized bicycle and a motorcycle is a little blurry. The Indian Single and other early models bear a striking resemblance to ordinary bicycles with engines strapped on. However, the vehicle boom spurred on by the First World War produced models that are undeniably motorcycles by today's standards. As the tech progressed, Indian Motorcycles would release dozens of iconic, recognizable designs, including classic Indian motorcycles that you can still buy surprisingly cheap.

[Featured image by Markus Cuff via Wikimedia Commons | Transformed, cropped, and scaled | CC BY 3.0 DEED]

All those legendary Indian motorcycles begin with the Indian Single. True to its name, it had a single-cylinder motor, mounted on what was essentially a bicycle frame. The motor's cylinder also doubled as the seat mount. Imagine the heat. The Indian Single did bring one vital change to the motorcycle market: the carburetor. Using an air intake valve and a mechanical exhaust system, the Indian Single's carburetor design allowed the rider to regulate speed. By 1905, a twist-grip handle controlled the carburetor: the throttle was born. In the same year, Indian implemented a "cushion fork" shock system, improving comfort and safety.

The result of these early innovations was a handsome motorcycle that could reach up to 25mph. The Indian Single cost $200 in 1905, about $7,000 in today's money, which was worth every penny compared to walking — at least for those who could afford it.

[Image by JJonahJackalope via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]

The Indian Single is at the center of Indian Motorcycle's history of innovation and market leadership. Emerging at the very start of the 20th century, it had a role to play in the Great Depression, both World Wars, and a technological revolution. Of course, it would change shape, name, and design through the decades, but that original single-cylinder bicycle still rides at the core of history's fastest and most tumultuous century.

While motorized bicycles were experimented with in the 1880s, motorcycles weren't commercially available until the turn of the century. The Indian Single was one of the first, and its gamechanging throttle and carburetor would set the standard for motorcycles into the 21st century. The success of the Indian Single drove the company forward, incorporating the first bike's iconic logo, vibrant colors, precise manufacturing, and record-breaking speeds in a series of powerful successors. Today, we get to fly on the most powerful Indian motorcycles ever built thanks to a tiny 25-mph masterpiece.

[Image by Imperial War Museum via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | Public Domain by Crown Copyright]