Indian Model O
The Indian Model O was a lightweight motorcycle made by the Hendee Manufacturing Company from 1917 to 1919.[1][2] Indian expected to sell the Model O to young or thrifty riders. The United States' entry into World War I caused Indian to shift manufacture to military motorcycles, and the low cost of the Ford Model T caused the market for lightweight motorcycles to collapse.
 1917 Indian Model O Light Twin | |
| Manufacturer | Indian |
|---|---|
| Also called | Indian Light Twin,[1] "Model Nothing"[1][2] |
| Parent company | Hendee Manufacturing Company |
| Production | 1917–1919[1][2] |
| Assembly | Springfield, Massachusetts, USA |
| Predecessor | Indian Model K Featherweight[2] |
| Class | Lightweight standard |
| Engine | 15.7 cu in (257 cc)[2] flathead flat-twin |
| Bore / stroke | 2.0 in × 2.5 in (50.8 mm × 63.5 mm)[1] |
| Top speed | 36 mph (58 km/h)[3] |
| Power | 4 hp (3.0 kW)[3] |
| Transmission | 3-speed manual, hand shift[1] |
| Suspension | Front: pivoting fork,[2][3] replaced in 1917 by trailing-link fork[3] Rear: none, rigid |
| Brakes | Front: none Rear: contracting band[1] |
Concept and design
The Model O was designed as an entry-level motorcycle to attract young riders.[1][2] It replaced the two-stroke single-cylinder Model K Featherweight, which was made in 1916 only.[2] In a layout similar to contemporary Douglas motorcycles from Great Britain, the Model O's flathead flat-twin engine was mounted with its cylinders along the line of the frame.[1][2] This added smooth operation to the Model K's existing light weight and practicality.[1][2]
The Model O had a cradle frame supporting the engine at the bottom of the crankcase, while the gearbox was mounted under the frame, below the rear cylinder.[2][3] The rear wheel was rigidly mounted to a subframe bolted to the frame.[1][2] The front suspension was initially a pivoting fork used on the Indian Single from 1906 to 1910 and on the Model K Featherweight.[2][3] This was replaced during 1917 by a leaf-sprung trailing link fork.[3]
Reception
The Model O was released in 1917, the year in which the United States entered World War I.[2] Indian diverted its efforts to selling motorcycles to the US military.[4] The appeal of lightweight motorcycles as transport was also eroded by the availability of mass-produced cars,[2] especially the Ford Model T, for which mass production began in 1913.[5] The Model O was not designed to appeal to enthusiasts, to which enthusiasts replied by calling the motorcycle the "Model Nothing". The Model O continued to sell poorly until 1919, when it was discontinued.[1][2]
Legacy
In 1919, the year in which the Model O was discontinued, Harley-Davidson introduced its Model W Sport Twin.[2][6] The Model W had a Douglas-like layout similar to that of the Model O, using a flat-twin engine with a transverse crankshaft and cylinders parallel to the frame.[2][6] Larger and more powerful than the Model O, the Model W had several innovations, including unit construction of engine and transmission, an enclosed drivetrain, and a coil-sprung trailing link fork.[2] The Model W sold well in its first year, but sales fell after that,[2] and it was discontinued in 1923.[2][6]
References
- Citations
- Indian Model O — Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
- Girdler, Allan, The Harley-Davidson and Indian Wars, pp. 56–59
- One of the rarest pre-WWII Indians – 1917 Indian Light Twin Model O Project – Engine no. 32J281
- Girdler, Allan, The Harley-Davidson and Indian Wars, p. 53
- Ford Heritage: The Model T Put the World on Wheels
- 1922 Harley-Davidson Sport Twin — Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
- Sources
- Girdler, Allan (2002) [1997]. "Chapter Six – The Model O and The Model WJ Sport Twin: The Little Engines That Couldn't". The Harley-Davidson and Indian Wars. St. Paul, MN US: Motorbooks International Publishing. pp. 56–59. ISBN 0-7603-1353-9.
- "1917 Indian Model O". Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. American Motorcyclist Association. 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-09-22. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
- "1922 Harley-Davidson Sport Twin". American Motorcyclist Association. 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-11-14. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
But in the U.S., it was a different story. The machine languished in the Harley line through 1923, then was dropped.
- "One of the rarest pre-WWII Indians – 1917 Indian Light Twin Model O Project – Engine no. 32J281". Bonhams. 2012-01-12. Archived from the original on 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
- "The Model T Put the World on Wheels". Manufacturer's corporate history website. Dearborn, MI USA: Ford Motor Company. Archived from the original on 2012-11-16. Retrieved 2013-05-17.
In October 1913, mass production of the Model T began at Ford's Highland Park, Michigan, Assembly Plant. Henry Ford had previously organized men and components to enhance Model T production, but the moving assembly line quickly improved chassis assembly speed from 12 hours and eight minutes to one hour and 33 minutes.
