Harley Vs. Indian: America's Motorcycle War Inside A World War

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By nan 1930s, only 2 American motorcycle companies mattered: Harley-Davidson (which is presently facing immoderate financial troubles) and Indian. Excelsior-Henderson had folded successful 1931, leaving nan marketplace to nan Milwaukee Motor Company and its Springfield rival. Both wanted nan aforesaid thing, riders' loyalty, and racing became nan battlefield. The AMA divided nan title into Class A for mill racers and Class B for modified thoroughfare bikes. But neither people caught nan wider public's attention, truthful successful 1934, nan AMA created Class C, utilizing accumulation motorcycles that had to beryllium street-legal and ridden to nan track. This displacement fto mean riders compete, and Harley's R-series squared disconnected against Indian's Sport Scout successful tightly matched contests. Wins depended connected riders arsenic overmuch arsenic machines, which made nan rivalry individual and highly visible. Fans took sides pinch nan aforesaid strength arsenic shot aliases boxing. 

The economical illness of nan Depression made racing much important than ever. It sold bikes erstwhile fewer group had money to spend. By mid-decade, Harley refined its Big Twins, and Indian promoted its Scouts, each institution fighting for a shrinking excavation of customers. Then came 1936. Harley introduced nan overhead-valve Knucklehead, a motorcycle truthful precocious it made astir everything other look dated. Indian stumbled pinch its redesigned Four, giving Harley a important separator heading into nan adjacent decade. When warfare came, Harley and Indian would transportation their conflict from racetracks and showrooms into subject contracts and world proviso lines.

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When nan U.S. entered World War II, nan War Department needed motorcycles successful monolithic numbers. Both Harley-Davidson and Indian were instantly tasked pinch building machines that could grip unsmooth terrain and subject demands. Harley's reply was nan WLA, a rugged 45ci side-valve V-twin that became nan backbone of Allied centrifugal pools. Indian supplied nan 741, a 500cc exemplary derived from its civilian Scout, on pinch nan 640 bid and a number of sidecar rigs. Both companies besides built experimental shaft-driven motorcycles astatine nan government's request, designed to mimic German BMWs. Harley produced nan XA, modeled connected nan BMW R71, pinch a flat-twin motor mounted crossed nan frame. Indian created nan 841, a transverse 90-degree V-twin that prefigured Moto Guzzi designs decades later.

These shaft-driven prototypes were fewer successful number but showed that some companies could innovate nether pressure. Production was staggering compared to peacetime output. Harley delivered much than 80,000 WLAs and tens of thousands of spare parts, while Indian produced complete 40,000 motorcycles, mostly nan 741 model. Factories ran nonstop, pinch subject contracts guaranteeing dependable income contempt nan economical turbulence of nan era. But pinch tooling already worn down from nan Depression years, some companies struggled to support up pinch demand. Still, motorcycles rolled retired of Milwaukee and Springfield by nan thousands, painted successful oliva drab and headed to nan front. 

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The warfare effort kept assembly lines busy, but it besides took a toll. Harley-Davidson and Indian some mislaid cardinal leaders during nan early 1940s. Walter Davidson, who had been president of Harley for decades, died successful 1942. His decease came conscionable arsenic accumulation was ramping up to meet authorities quotas, leaving nan Motor Company without its iron-fisted leader. William Harley, nan engineering mind down nan brand's success, passed distant a twelvemonth later. Indian's co-founder, George Hendee, besides died softly successful 1943 astatine nan property of 76.

These deaths marked nan extremity of an era. The men who had guided some companies from backyard workshops into world manufacturers were gone, leaving their successors to steer done wartime uncertainty. Speaking of leaders, did you cognize that Harley's caller CEO is simply a full dork?

Dealers crossed nan state besides struggled nether rationing. Even pinch dependable subject contracts, nan home marketplace vanished almost overnight. Riders who mightiness person bought a Chief aliases a Knucklehead had to hold until bid returned.

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By 1944, pinch nan Allies gaining ground, nan U.S. canceled galore open-ended procurement orders. Suddenly, Harley and Indian had warehouses of motorcycles pinch nary buyers. Thousands of WLAs and 741s became surplus, sold disconnected successful bulk to dealers aliases shipped abroad. In nan U.S., Harley dealers snapped up ample lots, reselling them to civilians eager for inexpensive wheels. Indian's surplus often went overseas, pinch bikes sent to Canada, Britain, Australia, and moreover Russia. 

While this kept nan mill level clear, it near Indian pinch little of a foothold successful nan recovering American market. At nan aforesaid time, automobile accumulation surged backmost to life. By 1946, U.S. carmakers built astir 7 cardinal vehicles, soaking up user demand. Motorcycles abruptly looked little basal erstwhile families could bargain cars. 

Harley introduced nan Panhead successful 1948, followed by nan Hydra Glide and later nan K-model, moves that kept it applicable arsenic nan marketplace shifted. Indian, meanwhile, stumbled pinch nan Arrow, Scout, and Warrior, plagued by breakdowns and mediocre reliability. The Chief carried nan marque for a short time, but activity changes and financial troubles pulled it down. Racing offered immoderate wins, yet they weren't capable to stabilize nan company. By 1953, Indian unopen down production, while Harley tightened its grip connected nan American marketplace and prepared for caller rivals.