You Were Asking
As you know already Richard, I’m having a sort out and thought you’d like these photos. They were taken in 1959 or 1960 in the USA. Glyn Chambers, Hertfordshire.
Thank you Glyn, a super group of photographs which I will dip into from time to time. This month, I’ve picked out the image of a 1909 Indian. The printer’s date stamp on the photo states ‘July 1959,’ thus one could reasonably assume the machine had then been recently discovered, or had been in a family’s custody for decades. Let’s hope it survives today.
The pre First World War period was, for Indian, like many other marques, a time of rapid development. Often, the new season model considerably differed from those of the previous year and changes occurred during the season, which put the machines at variance to the season’s catalogues, the small print of which advised the maker reserved the right to change specification as required, or in other words ‘at will.’
Some catalogues and history books inform the subject model is the first of the ‘loop frame’ F-heads. This is slightly confusing – correctly the 1909 season is the first year of the Indian loop frame but the F-head had been in use longer.
Taking the subject machine’s rolling chassis first. Indian began building motorcycles in 1901 with history implying just three machines were built this year – a prototype and probably a couple of others. Whether any of these were sold commercially seems unclear. These were the creation of cycle maker (Silver King safety bicycles) and businessman George (Mallory) Hendee (1866-1943) and designer/engineer (Carl) Oscar Hedstrom (1871-1960). This machine, designed and developed by Hedstrom in four months, with its engine sited below the saddle as stressed member and part of the saddle downtube, was built into a chassis which looked similar to that of a gents’ diamond framed cycle.
A deliberate move, probably suggested by Hendee, as he felt a cycle-like machine would be easier to market to what he considered a motorcycle sceptical public. Interestingly, George Hendee favoured the word ‘motocycle’ to motorcycle
By design, the machine had an F-head valve arrangement, with automatic inlet valve over mechanical operated side exhaust, which followed the then familiar concept of De Dion Bouton (from 1895).
The machine set the style for the next few years with fuel tank over the rear wheel, giving rise to the term Camel Back, rigid cycle type front fork and frame, chain primary and final drive, no gears or clutch, coil ignition and spray carburettor. In keeping with the times, Indian initially released little regarding engine capacity or calculated power rating, but by 1904 they stated their ‘motocycle’ was rated at 1¾hp, so it is reasonable to assume engines were of 200-250cc.
In 1904, the factory introduced a right-hand twist grip for controlling the ignition’s advance/retard facility, while the throttle remained a top tube chessman type lever. The logic here – and in common with many rivals – was that one only occasionally reset the throttle once underway and used the magneto’s advance/retard to vary road speed. Then, when a twist grip throttle was launched, it had to go on the left handlebar.
For 1905, Indian offered optional front fork suspension comprising a rocking action cycle-like lower fork controlled by a cartridge spring (coil spring encased in a tube). The cycle type diamond frame remained the only option for some years. In 1908, the automatic inlet valve was superseded by a pushrod and engine powered cam control design, giving a push/pull action to open and close valves, and, for the first time, magneto ignition was optional on selected models.
In the factory, Indian were working on an all-new loop frame, as fitted to the subject motorcycle depicted in the
1959 photo.
For 1909, the 2¾hp (316cc/19.3 cu in) single and 5hp V-twin (633cc/38.6 cu in) were offered with options of the dated diamond or brand new loop frame, with the latter offered with options of battery and coil ignition or magneto ignition, while battery and coil was the only choice for the diamond framed machines. All other listed models had loop frames only, with options of magneto or battery and coil – these models were 3½hp (442cc/29.96 cu in), 4hp (494cc/30/16 cu in) and 7hp (988cc/60.32 cu in).
The 5hp and 7hp were also offered with the option of belt drive, a real departure but offered in the hope of securing a few more sales from those who favoured such final drive.
Advances came thick and fast. For the 1910 season, there was the launch of the ‘leaf spring trailing link’ front fork, which was to stay with Indian to just after the Second World War, an automatic mechanical oil pump and, for the first time, the option of two-speed countershaft gearbox (a world first for a volume production machine) with free engine clutch across the range and the single speed direct chain drive remained an option.
Additionally, belt drive was offered to just the 4hp model, but this looked odd to most, as it comprised a larger diameter pulley to engine with epicyclic gear internally to reduce ratio driving a similar sized rear wheel fixed pulley. At the same time, the 4hp and 7hp models had their engine capacity increased marginally to give 499cc and 998cc respectively instead of 494cc and 988cc.