General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

TUBULAR STEEL FRAME/ CHROMED HANDLE BARS, SAFETY GUARDS FRONT & REAR, HEADLIGHT CASE, EXHAUST PIPE/ METAL PARTS/ LEATHER SEAT/ RUBBER TIRES, FOOTPADS/ GLASS HEADLIGHT LENS

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

254.0 cm

Width

91.4 cm

Height

106.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Motorized Ground Transportation

Category

Motorcycle vehicles

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

INDIAN

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Massachusetts

City

Springfield

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

``American motorcycles never challenged the supremacy of the automobile; manufacturers could not compete economically with Henry Ford`s mass-produced Model T. After boom years in the early 1890s, the motorcycle market contracted rapidly and by the 1920s only three major manufacturers remainds, of which Indian was the largest. When Excelsior stopped production in 1931, Harley-Davidson and Indian were left. At that time, Indians were considered to have the better design, and Harleys to be the more reliable bike; riders were fiercly loyal to their chosen brand. Indian`s founders had left by 1916 and ownership changed several times. For a while, Indian was part of the group that owned the Du Pont paint company, a factor which influenced color schemes used for the bikes.`` (Huge Wilson, ``The Ultimate Motorcycle Book``, 36.) There were four prominent four-cylinder American motorcycles in the early part of the century (1927-1935): the Pierce, the Cleveland, the Henderson and the Ace. The Henderson brothers worked in the Excelsior-Henderson organization for a couple of years, and then left to design and produce the Ace. In 1927 Indian obtained the right to the ACE motorcycle, adding a four-cylinder machine to their range.Despite the low demand for luxury motorcycles during the Great Depression, Indian not only continued production for the Four (Cleveland and Henderson had ceased their production in 1931), but continued to develop the motorcycle. One of the less popular versions of the Four was the "upside down" engine on the 1936-1937 models that consisted of a unique exhaust over-intake (exhaust valve in the cylinder head and the intake valve in the block) cylinder head. While in theory, this was said to improve fuel vaporization and be more powerful, the new system made the cylinder, and the rider's inseam, very hot and required the exhaust valvetrain to be frequently adjusted. As a result, sales of the Inadian Four dropped. The introduction of dual carburetors in 1937 did not revive sales or interest in this motorcycle. The design was returned to the original configuration in 1938. Fours were expensive to build and investment in them, rather than V-twins, contributed to Indian's demise. The Indian Four was discontinued in 1942.

Function

GENERAL TRANSPORTATION

Technical

Like the Chief, the Four was given large, skirted fenders and plunger rear suspension in 1940. The weight of the 1940's Four also climbed to 568 lbs., 36 pounds more than the rigid-frame from 1939. Both the Chief and the Four were fitted with a plunger sprung rear frame, along contemporary automotive lines, with deep valances that extended low enough so that stays were no longer fitted to suppoet them, the valances being bolted to the frame in the rear and to the lower fork legs in the front.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

STAMPED INTO ENGINE CASE LEFT IS: `DC1-396/B' THE LAST LETTER NOT ON SAME PLATE AS OTHER #/ `INDIAN' STAMPED INTO AIR INTAKE CAP & PAINTED RED

Missing

MFR NAME PLATE FROM FUEL TANK SIDES

Finish

FRAME PAINTED BLACK/ FRONT & REAR FENDERS, FUEL TANK RED/ BROWN SEAT/ CHROMED FRONT FORK, HEADLIGHT CASE, EXHAUST PIPE, HANDLE BARS, SAFETY GUARDS FRONT & REAR/ BLACK TIRES, FOOT PADS

Decoration

N/A