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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 trendy Excelsior Super X, which was the first American 45 cubic inch motorcycle.

A second response was the 1928 introduction of the 101 Scout, which some fans believe to be the height of Indian Motorcycle technology. There remain, however, enthusiasts who are happy with Indian’s use of the frame from its other superstar model, the Chief, in the Scout line starting 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.

The two heavyweight motorcycle companies Indian Motorcycle Company and Harley Davidson were trying to out do each other in America in the early years of 20th century. The competition was well known and was written about in a book called Harley-Davidson and Indian Wars by Allan Girdler. The run away success of Scout was strongly retaliated by Harley Davidson.

One testament 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 interest 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. Fights over ownership of the brand name played out in court throughout the 1980s and 90s.

The claim of ownership came through in 1988 when IMCOA Licensing America won the trademark by the Federal court in Denver. A nine company conglomerate was set up to form Indian Motorcycle Company of America. From 1999 the production of Scout Motorcycles were started and carried on till 2003 when the company again had to declare bankruptcy.

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 Indian scout motorcycle was a pioneer of it’s times. If you are a real Indian lover you’ll be interested in reading this page on Indian motorbike accessories.

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