HARLEY VS. INDIAN
UP FRONT
EDITOR'S LETTER
REVISITING A HISTORIC RIVALRY
It’s a rivalry as old as motorcycling, a battle of the only brands that were able to survive the Great Depression and go on to build bikes that grew with the Interstate Highway System. It’s Harley-Davidson versus Indian, of course, and even though Indian went out of business in 1953, the cultural imprint of the brands lives on powerfully.
Celebrating this is a new exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, called Harley vs. Indian. If you haven’t been to the museum, it’s a local gem that’s becoming a national treasure for car and motorcycle enthusiasts.
While it’s true that the bulk of the collection and display is four-wheel related, following the $125 million renovation of the building, completed in 2015, the museum board has made a concerted effort to include more motorcycles, thanks in particular to Museum Director Terry Karges and Treasurer Richard Varner. If you recognize the names, it’s because these are the same people behind MotoAmerica, the revitalized effort that’s brought pretty much better everything to America’s roadracing national championship.
The Richard Varner Family Gallery is the main display for most things two-wheel and where the Harley vs. Indian exhibit lives now.
I recently hosted the opening of the exhibit, moderating a panel that included Don Emde, Nevin Pontius, and Varner. Emde is one of the preeminent motorcycle historians of our time, accumulating an extensive photo archive and doing great research that led to the excellent book Finding Cannon Ball’s Trail, which recounts the path of Erwin “Cannon Ball” Baker’s record-setting crosscountry ride on an Indian in 1914. Don and his father, Floyd, also enjoy the distinction of being the only father/son duo to have won the Daytona 200, dad in 1948 and son in 1972. Both are in the AMA Hall of Fame. Pontius is the head of marketing for Deus Ex Machina in Los Angeles and brought the branding perspective to our motorcycle companies. And Varner brought his lifelong motorcycle expertise to the gallery that bears his name.
Beginning a historic discussion about Harley-Davidson versus Indian requires we first acknowledge who won. Harley-Davidson has been in business in an unbroken run since 1903 and will sell roughly 250,000 motorcycles this year. Indian had a pretty rough go following the closure of the company in 1953. But we are fortunate that Indian has been brought back to life and is making great, competitive products, even if there is a long way to go to match H-D’s market share or volume. So while we acknowledge Harley-Davidson’s success and longterm victory, we must also acknowledge and admire Indian’s dedication not only to building new street product but efforts like the Scout FTR750 flat-tracker. So on the showroom floor and on America’s dirt, the rivalry is more than reborn.
The Harley vs. Indian exhibit of course celebrates this from a historical perspective, comparing and contrasting design and technology of the two marques. It’s a great selection of beautiful motorcycles (plus a few vintage quarter midget race cars with Indian and Harley power) highlighted, for me, by a 1936 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead and 1939 Indian Super Scout. Sidecars and trikes are displayed as well as minibikes and scooters, including a 1948 Indian Stylemaster and a 1963 Harley-Davidson Topper.
“All of us at the museum share a great passion for motorcycles,” Karges said. “It’s our great pleasure to be able to showcase the history of these two incredible American manufacturers and to educate the public on their contributions to American culture throughout the last century.”
The exhibit runs through early next year.
MARK HOYER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
THIS MONTH’S STATS
1,358 MILES COVERED FROM SEATTLE TO SANTA MONICA IN THE URAL
one SEVERE SPILL WHEN SEEKING "RELIEF” IN THE SIDECAR
27 LOWESTTEMPERATURE IN DEGREES RECORDED ON OURTREK
