San Diego Bike Museum

SAN DIEGO MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM: Forming part of the overall 'San Diego Auto Museum', I have collated the Motorcycle display records here. The museum has an excellent display of motorcycles with a considerable leaning toward the Indian motorcycle brand.

The history of the Indian motorcycle intrigued me and some research uncovered some interesting statistics. Initially the founding company was known as the Indian 'Motocycle' Company, Engineer Oscar Hedstrom and bicycle racer and manufacturer George Hendee entered business in 1901, forming the 'Indian 'Motocycle' Company'. Indian motorcycles soon gained a reputation throughout the world for quality and excellence and at one time the Company was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Indian was the first motorcycle manufacturer to introduce 'twist grip' controls, built the first motorcycle with an 'electric starter' and 'electric lighting' and were amongst the first to use V-Twin engines.

Obviously my records of my visit to the museum have a certain 'Indian' flavour...

1913: INDIAN TWIN:


LEAF SPRING FRONT SUSPENSION ABOVE THE FRONT MUDGUARD	HUGE GEARSHIFT LEVER

1914: INDIAN C-3 BIG TWIN - FACTORY SIDECAR: A quote from the 1914 Indian Motorcycle catalogue, 'The Indian Sidecar offers all the pleasures of motoring for two people, in a safe, dignified and comfortable manner, at minimal cost...The enjoyment of motoring is made possible for the masses'.

The Indian Sidecar was powered by a 998cc V-Twin which produced 7bhp, driving through a three speed transmission. Three thousand two hundred (3,200) Indian Sidecars were manufactured.


LEAF SPRING FRONT SUSPENSION SET INTO THE FRONT MUDGUARD	REAR LEAF SPRING SUSPENSION AND A SPRUNG SEAT


	LEAF SPRING FRONT SUSPENSION

1941: INDIAN 440-4: When I first spotted this exhibit I immediately thought it looked like the 'Henderson 4'. Amazingly, the Indian 440-4 was a 'Henderson 4' rebadged. It transpires that the '440-4' was one of several in-line four cylinder motorcycles that evolved from the Henderson 4 of 1911. The Henderson Company became the Excelsior Motor Manufacturer and William Henderson initially continued working with Excelsior. In 1919 however he created the Ace Motor Corporation and continued the four cylinder in-line design evolution. Ace faltered, changed hands a few times and in 1927 Indian purchased the company. The four cylinder motorcycles marketed by Indian at that time were essentially Ace Motorcycles, painted red with the Indian logo. The last Indian four cylinder in-line motorcycle was manufactured in 1943.

The Indian 440-4 was powered by a 1,265cc In-line Four which produced 38bhp, driving through a three speed transmission. Ten thousand four hundred and one (10,401) 440-4's were manufactured.


RIDER COMFORT WAS A PRIORITY	HENDERSON, REBADGED AS INDIAN

2004: INDIAN FAT TYRE 210 SCOUT: In 2004, this motorcycle was considered to be probably the last ever produced by Indian.

The Indian Fat Tyre 210 Scout was powered by a 92 cu. in. V-Twin OHV which produced 67bhp, driving through a six speed transmission. Two were manufactured.


MODERN V-TWIN STYLING	GREAT ENGINE DETAIL

1928: MOTO GUZZI FALCON:

MOTORCYCLE SHOWS AND MOTORCYCLE MUSEUMS: Please continue viewing my records of Motorcycle Shows and Motorcycle Museums I have visited by selecting from the following...

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