1909 Indian 5 HP Light Twin

• All-original with very rare factory green paint.
• The first year of the loop frame.
• For sale in complete, operational, and original condition.
• Engine No. 20A352
• HP: 5
• ENGINE: 38 cu. in. pocket-valve V-twin cylinder
• CARBURETOR: Hedstrom
• TRANSMISSION: Single-Speed, Chain Drive
• FORK: Cartridge Spring
• START: Pedal Start
• BRAKE: Rear Band Brake
• WHEELBASE: 52.25 in.

This 1909 Indian is in complete, operational, and orig­inal condition! She was manufactured in Spring­field, Mass­achu­setts, only several years after the first Indian motor­cycle was sold to the public in 1902 and a year after they introduced the V-twin, setting the world motor­cycle speed record. This was the first year of the loop frame, and it has a 4 HP Hedstrom motor from Hendee Mfg. Co. The year 1904 was also the year the trademark Indian deep red color was introduced, making this green factory paint rare.

In 1897, George M. Hendee, an accomplished bicycle racer from Mass­achu­setts, founded the Hendee Manufacturing Company to produce bikes. They were initially branded “Silver King” and “Silver Queen” until the name “Amer­ican Indian” was adopted and then shortened to “Indian” in 1898. In 1900, Hendee teamed up with Oscar Hedstrom from Sweden to develop single-cylinder Motor­cycle prototypes in Mid­dle­town, Conn­ecticut. Together, they opened the first factory in Spring­field, Mass­achu­setts in 1901 to create the first Amer­ican Motor­cycle company where they would be produced until 1953. They hired the Aurora Auto­matic Machinery Company to manufacture their engines in 1901, which they did under license until 1907 when they would go on to produce Thor Motor­cycles.

The first Indian motor­cycles with chain drives were sold to the public in 1902 and the pair would go on to produce powerful and reliable vehicles. Hedstrom, a successful racer, broke a new world speed record of 56 mph in 1903 in the company’s first reliability trial and won an endurance race from NYC to Spring­field and back. 1904 would bring the introduction of the signature deep red color and, in 1905, Indian’s first V-twin factory racer. Their reliability and ingenuity would make them the largest motor­cycle manufacturer in the world by 1910, taking the first three places at the 1911 Isle of Man.

In 1913, Indian began supplying the U.S. Army and they turned the majority of their production efforts from 1917 to 1919 to World War I, most models being based on the PowerPlus. In 1914, Erwin “Cannon Ball” Baker set a record riding from San Diego to the East Coast on a PowerPlus. He would go on to ride a 1916 61ci (1000cc) 42-degree V-twin PowerPlus, which became a highly successful roadster and racing bike, remaining in production with few changes until 1924. In 1923, the company changed its name to the Indian Motocycle Company without an ‘r’ in ‘Motor­cycle’ and Indian would continue making its mark, including at the first Daytona 200 in 1937 with a Sport Scout. Indian turned yet again to war production from 1940 to 1945 during WWII and has undergone many changes in name and in location since - from North Carolina, to Minn­esota and Iowa, it is now owned and produced by Polaris Industries. Indian motor­cycles are still widely known and purchased not just for their rich history and classic Amer­ican style, but for their modern technology, craftsmanship, powerful engines, their comfortable touring models and cruisers, and their distinctive sound.

“A Little History” From the Audrain Automobile Mu­seum

“This 1909 Indian Twin, aside from the tires, is unrestored and with all orig­inal parts, including Indian’s reliable four-horsepower, two-cylinder engine and factory-orig­inal green paint. One might initially think of this as a motorized bicycle, but in fact, it is considered a motor­cycle, with the pedal cranks only used to help jump-start the engine.

The “Indian Motor­cycle Co.” was orig­inally founded as the Hendee Manu­fact­uring Com­pany by George M. Hendee of Spring­field, Mass­achu­setts, in 1897 to manufacture bicycles, later branded as “Indian” from 1898 onwards as it gave better product recognition in export markets.

With the addition of Carl Oscar Hedström in 1900, the com­pany designed a motor­cycle with a 1.75 bhp single-cylinder engine, and the first Indian motor­cycles were sold to the public in 1902. In 1904, the com­pany introduced the deep red color that would become Indian’s trademark.

The Design

In 1909, Indian Motor­cycle pioneered the “loop frame” that was more similar to racing motor­cycle design than the previous “diamond frame” that originated with bicycles. Indian also introduced several advancements on its 1910 models, including a leaf-spring front fork and an auto­matic oil pump. Some models also had a two-speed transmission, floorboards, starter hand cranks, and the Indian Motor­cycle script logo.

Did You Know?

One of Indian’s most famed riders was Erwin “Cannonball” Baker, who set numerous long-distance records. In 1914, he rode an Indian across the United States, from San Diego to New York, in a record 11 days, 12 hours, and 10 minutes.”

“1909 Indian 5 HP Light Twin” From RM Sotheby’s

“During the first decade of America’s fast-growing motor­cycle industry’s existence, Indian swiftly emerged at the forefront as one of the more prominent makes. The company’s participation in various sporting events rewarded them with valuable publicity, which, in turn, popularized their machines to the masses beyond the capabilities of production.

These first years saw the production motor­cycle develop from no more than a motor-driven bicycle to a rugged, reliable means of trans­port­ation. Progress was rampant, and the company’s racing endeavors continued to fuel its advancement.

By 1909, the Indian lineup was entirely redesigned. The bicycle-inspired diamond frame was replaced with the more conventional loop frame, which had previously been fitted to the racing machines of the company’s top riders. A new, streamlined torpedo-type gas tank was fitted between the upper and lower tank rails, and oil was carried in a large-capacity half-gallon tank that was fixed to the frame beneath the seat. In addition to the improved 2.75-horsepower, single-cylinder model, two new twins were offered: the five-horsepower, 38-cubic-inch Light Twin and the sturdy seven-horsepower, 61-cubic-inch Big Twin. Mechanical intake valves were also now standard equipment on all models.

This rare 1909 Indian Twin, formerly of the Jim Atchley Collection, is preserved in unrestored, orig­inal condition, and it still retains its unusual green factory paint. The machine features the five-horsepower, 38-cubic-inch, twin-cylinder, pocket-valve engine and its orig­inal Hedstrom carburetor and Bosch magneto. Other high-wear items, such as the seat, pedals, and grips, are also orig­inal to this machine. This remarkably preserved bike is among the earliest orig­inal twin-cylinder Indian motor­cycles in existence.”