Information About 1948 Indian Motorcycle

From the time the 1948 Indian Chief motorcycle was introduced, it has been a classical American chopper. Perfectly structured like gold, having the skirted fenders trademark, with its black and chrome finish, this bike could be well-described as 'king of the road'. A vintage collector of motorcycles who has the 1948 Indian Chief can very well be proud of his collection. The Indian Chief was a prototype of the American chopper belonging to the mid years of the last century.

In the 1948 Indian Chief, the gear-shifter was on the left, the throttle was on the right, along with a foot-operated clutch. Appropriate co-ordination was important to operate these parts. After achieving adequate expertise, riding this bike would be wonder-filled, bringing alive the stories of those who have rode it.

A low thunderous sound made by this bike would announce its arrival before it is seen. The capacity of the flat head engine was 1,200 cc (74 cubic inches). After undergoing tough times, the company made a final effort to keep itself, thus launching this bike. Despite the fact that the Indian Motorcycle Company lost its business in 1953, this 1948 Chief portrayed the fashion, vigor and technological advancement to the maximum possible extent, compared to any world-class motorcycle of those times.

As another decade began in 1940, Indian Motorcycle Company indulged in production to a full extent in order to meet the requirements of the on going war. It also helped to supply and maintain bikes for the Police Force. The entire ten years of this decade was quite hard for the company, and it worked with a high level of excellence in the times of the Second World War. However, after the war was over, restoration became almost impossible.

The deeply skirted fenders was an icon Indian motorcycles which were sold in 1940, that portrayed the classical Indian style. Later in 1945, the company was sold and taken over by the Torque Engineering Company.

A few years later, the company was portioned to form two wings. The Atlas Corporation took the manufacturing part and the distribution part was bought by the Indian Sales Corporation. Historically, this was a remarkable incident. But the actual measure of the struggle was not perceived until the year 1948.

The 1948 Chief, apart from being classical, remained a winner race- bike even almost thirty years after its entry into racing. It is well-described as the soldier-like Indian Scout.

Floyd Emde rode a factory-made Indian 648 in the Daytona 200 and won the race. He was leading from the start of the race and persistently proceeded to set a new course record speed reaching 84 miles per hour. It was an amazing success.

To describe like Dickens, 1948 was the best and worst of times for the heroic Indian Motorcycle company. Their capability to make amazing bikes was noticeable to everyone. But after the World War II, the turns in the business were too much to withstand.