The Springfield beginning
Indian's origins trace to 1901 and the work of George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom. The marque became a major force in early American motorcycling, developing road motorcycles and competing in racing.
United States · Springfield · Motorcycle heritage
Indian Scout, Chief and the Springfield Years
From the early Indian factory to the Scout, Chief and Four: the engineering and history of the original American marque.
The Scout and the Chief
The Scout was introduced in 1920 and the Chief followed in 1922. Both names have endured far beyond their original mechanical designs. A 1920s Scout and a modern Scout must be treated as different motorcycles for research, parts and specifications.
The four-cylinder chapter
Indian also produced four-cylinder motorcycles, commonly known as Indian Fours. They form a distinct engineering branch of the marque's history and should not be folded into the V-twin model families.
1953 was not the end of the name
The original Springfield manufacturing era ended in 1953. The Indian trademark and later revival efforts followed a more complicated path. AnyBike distinguishes factory continuity, ownership of a brand name and production of a particular model.