You probably know that the history of Indian Motorcycle between 1953 (when the original Indian Motocycle Co. went bust) and 2011 (when Polaris took over the marque) is murky and filled with charlatans and dreamers. In that 58-year period, no less than 10 individuals or entities laid claim to the Indian name, each offering (or promising to offer) a new …
1947 Harley-Davidson FL with Sidecar
If you’re like me, you kinda clocked out halfway through Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, when it went from travelog to philosophical ponderance. I’m more of a John Sutherland guy ─ I like wearing a leather jacket because it looks cool, and I don’t really want to mess with tappets ─ so, once he left the …
Ex-Military – 2016 Christini 450
You’ve seen two wheel drive bikes before thanks to companies like Rokon. But thanks to a fancy mechanical system enclosed within the head tub and frame, Christini has been the most successful manufacturer of two wheel drive bikes that can go anywhere and do it quickly. They’re also the only one who had any success (though limited) with selling bikes …
No Reserve – 1965 Cushman Super Silver Eagle
In the wake of the Second World War, the United States was experiencing a transportation boom, and Cushman Motor Works was eager to capitalize on the trend. Come 1949, the Nebraska-based manufacturer dressed up one of its 50cc scooters to resemble popular baggers like the Harley-Davidson Big Twin and Indian Chief. Dubbed the “Eagle,” the little scooter proved an instant …
1992 Goodman HDS 1200
In the earlier 90s, a gentleman named Simon Goodman (the grandson of the founder of Velocette) out of Great Britain built 17 examples of what he called the HDS 1200: a hybrid that combined a Norton Featherbed-style frame with a Sporster 1200 motor.
100th Anniversary – 2003 Harley-Davidson V-Rod
In 2001, Harley-Davidson released the V-Twin Racing Street Custom (VRSC). You may remember it as the V-Rod. A muscle bike that was used as a base for drag racing, Harley got some attention with this bike because the Revolution v-twin engine was jointly developed with Porsche. For 2003, Harley-Davidson celebrated their 100th Anniversary with special variants of their most popular …
In The Crate – 1976 Harley-Davidson SX175
Post Listing Update: This SX175 did not meet reserve with just an opening bid of $5,000. In 1969, Yamaha released its wildly popular 250cc DT-1, selling around 50,000 units in its first couple years of production. Other manufacturers took notice of this, including Harley-Davidson. They would toss their hat in the MX-ring the following year in an effort to nab …
1924 Ner-a-Car
Designed by Carl Neracher in 1918, the Ner-A-Car was sold as a cheap automobile alternative. Approximately 10,000 were built and sold in the US, and another 6,500 were built and sold in England under license. Here’s one of the latter.
Press Release – 2025 Indian Scout
I just featured an old-school 101 Scout and I’m intrigued to hear that Indian is bringing back the model (along with 4 others!) as part of the all-new Scout lineup for 2025.
Harley-Powered Honda Interceptor
Is this fun or heresy? Or maybe…both?
1930 Indian 101 Scout
The Indian Scout was introduced in 1920 – eight years later the 101 Scout was released and some motorcycles consider it to be the most iconic Indian motorcycle ever built thanks to a bevy of racing-inspired upgrades. Said upgrades included a stronger frame, improved suspension, a longer wheelbase, and a front brake. However as the Great Depression took hold, Indian …
1913 Indian Big Twin
The last Indian to feature the F-head engine in a cradle-spring frame, the Big Twin is one of the milestone bikes of Indian’s long history. 1913 was the first year of the cradle and 1915 was the last year of production before Indian stopped racing efforts to help with the war, replacing Oscar Hedstrom’s design with their first flat head …
1971 Rupp Black Widow
Rupp Industries was based in Mansfield, Ohio, and for nearly 20 years they were able to compete with Honda and other Japanese manufacturers for a share of the lucrative mini bike market. Their top-of-the-line competition bike was the Black Widow, which was based on the Roadster/2. The Black Widow is probably the best-known of Rupp’s creations. It paired a 4 …
Harley/Aermacchi Sprint Land Speed Racer
Per the seller, this “is the current record holder at El Mirage” though I’m unable to determine exactly which class he’s referring to.
10 Miles – 1999 Harley-Davidson MT500
One of the rarest bikes ever built by Harley-Davidson, the MT500 was originally built by the British in the 80s. Rights to the design were sold by Armstrong-CCM to HD, who sold just 355 copies of the MT500 in 1999, and a few more the following year. Only select HD dealerships were allowed to sell these bikes.