Photo: Tony Warren from Orlando. Wikimedia Commons.

Old-School Vvvvvrrrooooom: Scouts, Chiefs & Their Wacky Precursors

I admit it. I’m attracted to shiny objects in general, and the Indian motorcycles video posted on Motortopia this morning stole my heart away.

And yes, I’m a history nerd, so my initial attraction was sealed once I learned more about them. Here are some fun facts about my new favorite ride.

Hendee, on the far left, was Old School. Really Old School.

#1. Yes, it took awhile for co-founder George Hendee to catch on to the “motor” part of “motorcycle.” He started off as a champion cyclist, and for a few years held the speed record for the “High Wheel” on a half-mile dirt track — 2 minutes and 27.4 seconds.

#2. It took a watch case maker to get the whole “motor” thing going. Young immigrant Oscar Hedstrom was an apprentice for a watchmaker, but ever since he’d come to Brooklyn as a boy, he’d loved to ride his bike round the city.

#3. Put two cyclists together, add a little engine know-how and you get … (more…)