Britten To Build Indians

BRITTEN TO BUILD INDIANS

ROUNDUP

UNTIL. NOW, NEW Zealand's John Britten has been reluctant to discuss his involvement with the Indian Motor Company being set up by Australian investor Maurits Hayim-Langridge, but in a letter to Cycle World Britten confirmed he has been working on prototypes.

"The product range will start with the simultaneous release of the Chief and the Superbike," said Britten. "The gap in the range will later he filled with the Scout."

The Chief is planned as a standard-style machine that pays homage to the past with certain styling cues, but is in every other respect a modern motorcycle. The Superbike repli-racer will be patterned after the current Britten racer (see “V1000,” this issue), and could be Britten’s entree into the U.S. and World Superbike scries.

“In the case of the Superbike, it will be most importantly demonstrated on the racetrack to prove that Indian not only has quality and good looks, but also that the compa ny possesses technology that leads the motorcycle world,” he said.

Britten acknowledges that controversy and empty promises have plagued the various attempts at restarting Indian, but has faith in Langridge and crew.

“The parent company is, in my opinion, the only business entity that has the ability to successfully re-establish the Indian

Motorcycle,” said Britten. “They have been quietly and painstakingly careful to create a rock-solid foundation, while other companies more flamboyant but unprofessional in manner have done little more than demean the powerful image Indian had in the past. The foundation, in terms of trademark ownership, business structure and plan, is now set; the financing is being carefully secured.”

While the estimated S100 million is being raised to float the company, Britten is shooting to have machines ready for the showroom and racetrack sometime in 1998.

“It is very exciting,” he said of the project. “My ambition is to make Indian the world’s greatest V-Twin-strong, powerful, beautiful, reliable and technically advanced. These are the criteria on which I will base my work.” -David Edwards