Format: Hardcover  

ISBN: 978-0-9564975-5-0

Pages: 353

Copyright Year: 2011

Availability: Usually ships within 24 to 48 hours unless otherwise noted in the product description.

The Indian has been the iconic image for American big V-Twins down through the years, due in no small measure to the motorcycles designed by Charles B. Franklin - the Indian Scout and the Indian Chief.

Charles B. Franklin was born and raised in Ireland, where he quickly became involved in motorcycle racing during the pioneer years. He rapidly established himself as Ireland’s first big star of racing and was the first to represent Ireland in international motorcycle competition. In the Isle of Man TT he consistently finished in the top eight, and in 1911 claimed second place, a remarkable achievement in itself.

But it was when he moved to Indian in the United States, where he became the chief design engineer, that his genius really flowed. His designs catapulted Indian back into the forefront of motorcycle design in the 1920s and ’30s, and his racing engines and motorcycles won much glory for Indian against stiff opposition. Franklin introduced remarkable improvements in side-valve combustion chamber design that predated the work of Harry Ricardo. He championed a holistic approach that popularized new features such as the semi unit-construction "powerplant," helical-gear primary drive, double-loop full-cradle frames and a host of other improvements to the early motorcycles. This book not only chronicles his life but also sheds much new light on the history of Indian motorcycles and the often turbulent times of the Indian Motorcycle Company itself. A much needed book for all Indian fans and all who love the history of the classic American V-Twins.