Oct 31 2009
Why Indian Scout Motorcycles Gained Popularity
The Indian Scout motorcycle was the celebrity of the Indian motorcycle line from’20 until’39. Indian Scout motorcycles were used by police, by motorcycle racers, and during World War II. During the war, Indian made aircraft engines, motors for boats, air conditioners, and bicycles. Perhaps the most revered Indian Scout motorcycle was the’28 101 Scout, with its lower slung frame and improved handling.
Indian Scout motorcycle went through some changes since its introduction in’20. While it was introduced with an engine size of 37 cubic inch (596 cc) by’27 it was increased to 45 cubic inches (745 cc). This came as a response to the American built motorcycle Excelsior Super X, which had a 45 cubic inch engine.
A second response was the’28 introduction of the 101 Scout, which some fans consider to be the height of Indian Motorcycle technology. There remain, however, enthusiasts who are pleased with Indian’s use of the frame from its other superstar model, the Chief, in the Scout line starting in’31.
Perhaps to placate Scout enthusiasts, from’32 until’41, smaller Scouts were built. They were known as the Scout Pony, the Junior Scout, and the Thirty-Fifty, all of which had 30.50 cubic inch engines.
In the early decades of the 20th century, the Indian Motorcycle Company and Harley Davidson were the two alternatives for the classic American heavyweight cruiser. The two companies were fierce rivals, and this rivalry is chronicled in the book called The Harley-Davidson and Indian Wars by Allan Girdler. While the Scout was a runaway bestseller, Harley-Davidson proved to be a very formidable opponent.
There is some interesting fact concerning the road worthiness of’20 model of Scout motorcycle. The motorcycle racer Burt Munro set out to make a world record in speed on land with a Scout between’62 and’67. He succeeded in making an unbeatable record with under-1000cc. The remarlable factor was when Munro made the record he was 68 years old riding a 47 years old motorcycle. There were some more examples and everything taken together was made into a movie named World’s Fastest Indian in 2005.
In’35, controlling interest in Indian Motorcycles was sold, and production of all Indian Scout motorcycle models halted in’46. Over the decades, the company changed hands, going bankrupt in’77. Disputes over ownership of the brand name played out in court throughout the’80s and 90s.
The claim of ownership came through in’88 when IMCOA Licensing America won the trademark by the Federal court in Denver. A nine company multinational was set up to form Indian Motorcycle Company of America. From’99 the production of Scout Motorcycles were started and carried on till 2003 when the company again had to announce bankruptcy.
In 2006 Indian Motorcycle was set up again in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. They started manufacturing the Chief model but Scout model was not being produced anymore.
The Indian scout motorcycle has been a favorite with fans for decades. If you would like to know more about the 1947 Indian motorbike click on the preceding links. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.
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