Older Bikers

1904 Indian MotoCycle
(If you look at the image you will notice MotoCycle instead of MotorCycle is not a typo.)

We “believe” this is from a 1904 Sales Booklet for the Indian Motocycle.

There is not a copyright date inside the book, however it states that it is the “Third Introductory greeting to our friends and patrons of the Indian Motocycle.”

It also states “ The Indian is well liked and that his future is Assured. As he issues from our Wigwam during the year 1904 he will be found handsomer, stronger and speedier than before and true to that distinguishing Indian Trait, more silent then ever.”

The motor is a Hedstrom 1 ¾ horse power.

The saddle is in two weights: B-100 for riders weighing up to and including 160 pounds.; B-990 for those heavier.

The weight of the bike is listed as: 98 pounds ready to ride.

The battery is a dry three cell pattern, and will drive machine from 800 to 2500 miles, according to the care it receives.

Gasoline Capacity: The regular tank holds a shade less than one gallon and under ordinary conditions will drive the machine from 75 to 85 miles.

The machine is guaranteed for the year of 1904.

In a future post, we will share additional information from this booklet, including the races it won at the Motorcycle Carnival, held at Manhattan Beach September 7 and 9, 1903 and the worlds records it set at the Ormond-Daytona Beach races races last March.

This original booklet was purchased by OBRC at an auction for over $1,000 and Donated to the American Legacies Not-For-Profit organization for long term preservation.

That is just part of what OBRC and the American Legacies Organization is about.

Love the History of Motorcycling, look forward to more.

Thanks Bob
Since these books are so hard to come by, and so expensive, American Legacies has made reprints available to us. OBRC used to buy the reprints from American Legacies wholesale and resell them to the public for $20.00 ea. But we can not get any more from American Legacies right now. So, we are waiting for them to get some more published.

In the meantime here is another little tid bit from 1903.

At the Motorcycle Carnival, held at Manhattan Beach, September 7 and 9, 1903, the Indiana, although in competition with machines with motors as high even as "five horsepower", secured eighteen of the twenty-two prizes offered.

In the contests listed below, they were first in every event.

The contests consisted of a "four-hours race", with prizes for the leader at the end of each hour,
the greatest number of miles covered without a stop,
and prizes for the first at the completion of the four hours:
an economy contest, to see which machine could travel the farthest on a single PINT of gasolene:
a one-mile race for novices:
a skill contest
and a five-mile handicap.

Indian also won a special prize for the machine covering the greatest number of miles in the four-hours contest without a stop.

I have no idea how fast or slow those machines could travel, but just looking at the seat and no shocks, I could not imagine imagine riding 4 hours on that thing. My but used to hurt on a rigid frame chopper riding 8 to 12 hours a day, much less with a thin hard seat and no highway bars.