1911 Indian 4 HP Single

• Preserved in remarkable orig­inal, unrestored condition.
• Accessories include front-wheel-drive speed­ometer, acetylene-powered headlight and taillight, manual Indian horn, accessory air pump, rare saddlebag, toolbox, very rare exhaust air horn, etc.
• Most importantly, this motor­cycle is in full operation and running condition.
• HP: 4
• ENGINE: 30.5 cu. in. Single-Cylinder Pocket-Valve Hedstrom-type
• ENGINE NO: 42C491
• IGNITION: Bosch Magneto No. 690109 Type DA2
• CARBURETOR: Hedstrom
• TRANSMISSION: Single-Speed Countershaft with Chain-Drive
• START: Pedal Start
• FRAME: Rigid
• FORKS: Leaf-Spring Trailing Link
• WHEELBASE: 53.5 in.
• FEATURES: Indian Motor­cycles Flag, Double Twist Horn
• TOOLBOX: The Persons Manu­fact­uring Co. from Wor­cester, Mass­achu­setts
• GAS TANK: Prest-O-Lite Tank No. 341037 Style MO
• SPEED­OMETER: Jones from New York
• HEADLAMP: Solar from Badger Brass Mfg. Co.
• BRAKES: The Corbin Screw Corporation, New Britain, Conn­ecticut

This Motor­cycle has been in our possession for over nine years and it has been only displayed and never fired up. Our mechanic, Ben, added fuel to the tank and checked the oil level and he was surprised to see the bike start on the first kick. And off he went... For the rest of the day, he started the bike at least ten times and was continually astonished that this early pristine relic started on the first kick every time!

See video here (16 seconds).

“1911 Indian 4 HP Single” From RM Sotheby’s:

“With the days of the motorized bicycle behind them, Indian took the lead in the American motor­cycle industry, producing rugged, powerful, and reliable machines for a network of thousands of dealers both at home and abroad. In the early 1910s, Indian ramped up production more than threefold, eventually producing 30,000 machines in 1913. The com­pany planned to further expand its operations with numerous additions at its Spring­field, Mass­achu­setts, factory. Racing victories, including a sweep of the first three places at the Isle of Man Senior TT in 1911, helped propel the com­pany into the mainstream, and increased advertising aided in making Indian a household name.

The lineup for the 1911 model year saw several improvements over that of the previous year. The 19-cubic-inch Singles were discontinued due to the desire for more power, and a heavier clutch, which is operated by the standard lever on the left side of the tank, was designed for all of the chain-drive models.

This 1911 Indian Single is preserved in remarkable, unrestored, orig­inal condition. It features Indian’s reliable four-horsepower, single-cylinder engine with the orig­inal magneto ignition and Hedstrom carburetor. A single-speed countershaft transfers power from the motor to the rear wheel via front and rear drive chains. The machine still retains its orig­inal red paint and countless accessories, including the orig­inal front-wheel-drive speed­ometer, an acetylene-powered headlight and taillight, a manual Indian horn, an accessory air pump, a leather tool bag with the orig­inal tool kit, extremely rare leather saddlebags, and an orig­inal Indian flag, which mounts to the handlebars. Importantly, the Indian is in fully operational running condition.

Few examples of early-teens Indians still in running condition exist today. Perhaps none are more complete and orig­inal than that which is presented here.”

In 1897, George M. Hendee, an accomplished bicycle racer from Mass­achu­setts, founded the Hendee Manufacturing Company to produce bikes. They were initially branded “Silver King” and “Silver Queen” until the name “Amer­ican Indian” was adopted and then shortened to “Indian” in 1898. In 1900, Hendee teamed up with Oscar Hedstrom from Sweden to develop single-cylinder Motor­cycle prototypes in Mid­dle­town, Conn­ecticut. Together, they opened the first factory in Spring­field, Mass­achu­setts in 1901 to create the first Amer­ican Motor­cycle company where they would be produced until 1953. They hired the Aurora Auto­matic Machinery Company to manufacture their engines in 1901, which they did under license until 1907 when they would go on to produce Thor Motor­cycles.

The first Indian motor­cycles with chain drives were sold to the public in 1902 and the pair would go on to produce powerful and reliable vehicles. Hedstrom, a successful racer, broke a new world speed record of 56 mph in 1903 in the company’s first reliability trial and won an endurance race from NYC to Spring­field and back. 1904 would bring the introduction of the signature deep red color and, in 1905, Indian’s first V-twin factory racer. Their reliability and ingenuity would make them the largest motor­cycle manufacturer in the world by 1910, taking the first three places at the 1911 Isle of Man.

In 1913, Indian began supplying the U.S. Army and they turned the majority of their production efforts from 1917 to 1919 to World War I, most models being based on the PowerPlus. In 1914, Erwin “Cannon Ball” Baker set a record riding from San Diego to the East Coast on a PowerPlus. He would go on to ride a 1916 61ci (1000cc) 42-degree V-twin PowerPlus, which became a highly successful roadster and racing bike, remaining in production with few changes until 1924. In 1923, the company changed its name to the Indian Motocycle Company without an ‘r’ in ‘Motor­cycle’ and Indian would continue making its mark, including at the first Daytona 200 in 1937 with a Sport Scout. Indian turned yet again to war production from 1940 to 1945 during WWII and has undergone many changes in name and in location since - from North Carolina, to Minn­esota and Iowa, it is now owned and produced by Polaris Industries. Indian motor­cycles are still widely known and purchased not just for their rich history and classic Amer­ican style, but for their modern technology, craftsmanship, powerful engines, their comfortable touring models and cruisers, and their distinctive sound.