Getting To Know An Indian Scout Motorcycle
Indian Motorcycle made motors have been popular since World War II when Indian Motorcycle was manufacturing engines for aircraft and motor for boats, air conditioners and bicycles. The most prominent was Indian Scout motorcycle which was introduced in 1920 and was in use till 1939 when it was used by all, from police to motorcycle racer. Out of all the Scout motorcycle the most admired one was 1928 101 Scout with low structure and better handling.
The Indian Scout was introduced in 1920. It had a 37 cubic inch (596 cc) engine that enlarged in size to 45 cubic inches (745 cc) in 1927. That increase in engine size was an answer to the popular Excelsior Super X, which was the first American 45 cubic inch motorcycle.
The 101 Scout was the second response which was being produced and some people believed that this was the highest in Indian Motorcycle technology. Another set of fans were pleased to see Indian motorcycle use the body of its other model Chief for the new Scout line which was introduced in 1931.
Perhaps to placate Scout enthusiasts, from 1932 until 1941, 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 traditional 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.
One testimony to the speed and toughness of the 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle was racer Burt Munro’s use of a modified 1920 Scout to set land speed records between 1962 and 1967. Munro’s under-1000 cc world speed record in 1967 still stands. At the time, Munro, a New Zealander, was 68 years old and was riding a motorcycle that was 47 years old. This and other achievements were dramatized in 2005 in the movie The World’s Fastest Indian.
In 1935, controlling shares in Indian Motorcycles was sold, and production of all Indian Scout motorcycle models halted in 1946. Over the decades, the company changed hands, going bankrupt in 1977. Disputes over ownership of the brand name played out in court throughout the 1980s and 90s.
IMCOA Licensing America won the clash of ownership and Federal court in Denver gave the trademark in their favor. The Indian Motorcycle Company of America was reformed with nine companies as conglomerate. The production of Scout motor cycle began in 1999 and motorcycles of Scout model was being produced between 2001 and2003 when the company again went bankrupt.
In 2006, the company re-formed and set up shop in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Though the Chief model is being reconstructed, the Indian Scout motorcycle is no longer made.
The rush that a die hard lover of the Indian scout motorcyclegets from riding is not easy to put into words. If you’re interested in buying one, check out this page on Indian motorbike dealers.
categories: motorcycle,motorcycles,motorbikes,bikes,auto,cars,vehicles,antiques,collecting,men,fashion,engineering,science
Tags: antiques, auto, bikes, cars, collecting, Engineering, fashion, men, motorbikes, motorcycle, motorcycles, science, Vehicles