Posted by
Jincheng Corporation on Monday, January 18, 2010 3:12:40 AM
In times of war, almost everything becomes a potential weapon, and
the motorcycle is no exception. Though the purposes differ, some
motorcycle attributes prized by civilian riders, such as compact size,
maneuverability, and light weight, have long been attractive to
soldiers as well. Of course, in the early days, motorcycles
weren't entirely satisfactory. Though some could deal with the
primitive conditions of everyday use, military life was more abusive.
Soldiers might ride them into places no regular rider would
contemplate. Still, as the machines themselves were refined and
improved, far-sighted military planners saw an increasing role for them
to play.
Europeans were somewhat more advanced in their thinking. As militarism
took hold in Germany during the early 1930s, that country's major
motorcycle manufacturers developed machines that could do more than
carry two soldiers to the battlefront in a hurry. The bikes became
weapons in and of themselves, some carrying machine guns and other
armaments; others were configured with sidecars, often fitted with gun
mounts.
In contrast to its German counterparts, the Indian Motocycle Company
(the "r" in motorcycle was dropped in 1923) of Springfield,
Massachusetts, did not have the lights burning all night at its
factory. Founded in 1900, Indian was weathering the Depression; while
moderately profitable, the company had never fully regained its health
after years of poor management. Mere survival was something of an
achievement; by the mid-1930s an industry once made up of dozens of
competitors had been ruthlessly pruned down by attrition or takeovers
to just two main players, Indian and Harley-Davidson.
As the decade came to a close, most people—especially those in
Europe—were convinced that war was inevitable. The U.S. government was
a little slow to react, but the French Army placed an order for some
2,200 Indian Chiefs, many with factory sidecars. This brought a welcome
infusion of cash into the company, though none of the machines actually
reached France. Among the more than 2.6 million tons of merchant
vessels sunk by German U-Boats in 1940, was the S.S. Hanseatic Star and
its cargo of crated Indians.
By then, the U.S. government had issued contracts to Indian and Harley-Davidson for prototype Police Motorcycle .
Indian responded with the Model 640, a clever amalgamation of
components from civilian production. A 30.5 cu in engine from the
Junior Scout was modified. Compression was lowered for easier starting,
reliability, and in anticipation of poor-quality fuel in combat zones.
Various military-specification components, including a dust- and
water-resistant air filter, were installed in a Sport Scout frame.
A few modifications were made to make the 640 more suitable for war.
Front forks and seat stays were lengthened, effectively giving the bike
nearly five inches of ground clearance. A luggage rack with attached
saddle bags was mounted behind the rider; carriers were provided for
extra gas cans; the civilian fenders were replaced with simple
mudguards, raised high enough to prevent the build-up of mud between
wheels and fenders. Blackout military running lights were specified,
and parts were renumbered to satisfy military nomenclature. And,
naturally, the whole unit was covered with a coat of solid olive-drab
paint.
Anyone unfamiliar with motorcycles would be unable to identify the
641's maker as, in standard military practice, no badges or decals
bearing a trade name were attached. Each bike did carry a special
warning and information plate as demanded by the government,
admonishing users that "no equipment is to be added to motorcycle", the
not-to-exceed speed for the Model 741 seen here was 80 mph, giving
specifics of oil grade, spark plug, maintenance manual and parts list
numbers. At the bottom of the plate, the machine was correctly
identified as an Indian Motocycle.
The Army considered the 640 satisfactory after extensive testing; it
was durable enough and did what it was supposed to do, but had one
drawback—it was slow. To address the power deficit, a second model, the
741, was created. Outwardly identical to the 641, it used the civilian
low-compression version of the 45 cu in Sport Scout powerplant.
As the war in Europe intensified, the U.S. military began to see the true potential of motorcycles
on the battlefield. Strategists saw, as did horrified civilians,
newsreels displaying the rapid progress of Germany's Blitzkrieg
("lightning war") through Belgium and France, with various BMW, DKW,
Zundapp and NSU motorcycles leading the charge. The British, too, were
making good use of motorcycles in the North African desert war.
Increased demand was a mixed blessing for Indian. The factory was not
in ideal condition for war work, as many machine tools had been sold
off during the Depression. Of those remaining, many were in poor
condition. Given material restrictions and war priorities already in
place, replacing them was certainly a difficult proposition.
Even so, the company persevered. Its employees made up for the
shortages as best they could, with sheer hard work and perseverance.
Their best was very good. Some 44,000 Indian Police Motorcycle
and an unknown, but substantial, number of sidecars were built between
1939 and 1945. The effort won the factory an "E" pennant from the
Army-Navy Production Board for the excellence of its work.
Apart from these orders, Indian also filled its share of a 5,000-unit
contract given to both Indian and Harley-Davidson by the British War
Department. After the bombing of Coventry destroyed a major portion of
the Triumph works, the UK was determined not to run short of
motorcycles. A majority of the bikes sent were 640s. In addition,
limited civilian production continued—mainly 74 cu in Chiefs for
law-enforcement use and various models for those in "essential"
occupations.
Indian also developed a prototype for yet another military bike. The
841 followed BMW practice with a shaft drive, and its Scout-based
engine turned the cylinders 90 degrees from normal orientation and
widened the angle between them. Other improvements, including a new
fork design, were incorporated. The end result bore remarkable
similarities to later Moto Guzzi products. Some 1,000 841s were
produced.
But events beyond the control of Indian management conspired against
the company. In 1944, the military decided it had enough motorcycles to
serve the Allies in Europe, and saw no use for them in the Pacific
Theater. Contracts were abruptly cancelled, even as 640, 741s and 841s
were rolling out of the Springfield works. Worse, the government was
unwilling to pay for the last $412,000 of materiel produced.
The leftover bikes, including the majority of the 841s not used for
testing purposes, were sold to the public at knockdown prices. It is
said that 841s fetched $500 apiece. Many, if not all, of the surplus
machines were repainted; shorn of their military fittings, they became
"civilian" Indians. Some of the spares from this period continue to
turn up today and, as they are suitable for both military and civilian
machines, are much prized.
Despite its downward business spiral, despite the glory deservedly
attained by the Jeep as the four-wheeled servant of soldiers in all
theaters of war, Indian played an important role in national defense
during the 1939-45 period. The bikes, and the men who built them,
answered the call, and the 640s, 741s and 841s that survive today are
proud reminders of Indian Motocycles' finest hour.
from:ultimatemotorcycling