Of the two founders of the company, George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom, it was Hendee who came up with the name Indian and in 1904 also chose the now famous red and gold color scheme. From their single cylinder models, the worlds first to feature twistgrip controls for both throttle and ignition, Indian then debuted its new V-twin in 1907.

Fast forward to 1915 and another significant year for Indian as the production line saw some “firsts” as well as “lasts.” The 1915 Big Twin marked the last Indian motorcycle to carry the original Hedstrom F-Head engine and the cradle-spring rear frame. As such, some purists regard this model as the last “real” Indian.

A “first” was the addition of Schleber carbs. In addition, customers could now opt for either the standard two-speed or the new three-speed gearbox debuted on the Big Twin along with a stouter clutch and dual controls. Weighing in at 370-lbs. the 15-hp Big Twin, as seen here, could transport its passenger to 55-mph in considerable style.

Now celebrating its 100th birthday, this beautifully restored example by past AMCA president Art Sigal also features a magneto-generator sparked electric headlamp and taillight plus tank mounted speedometer as well as kick start gearing and kicker.

This stellar example was a centerpiece at the Brookline, Massachusetts Museum of Transportation’s special exhibition “Putting America on Wheels.”