A superb and extremely rare image showing the legendary Bert le Vack and his amazing Indian 8-valve 61 c.i. (1,000cc) V-twin factory racer , photographed during a race meeting at the British circuit of Brooklands, in 1921 . He would WIN the race with an average speed of 107.5 mph (173.00 km/h)!

The absolutely magnificent Indian 8-valve (!!!) 61 c.i. (1,000cc) V-twin racer was introduced in 1911 and was produced until 1918. Indian placed it on sale to the public at the astronomical price of $350. It featured overhead-valve heads with four valves per cylinder, and was easily capable of speeds of over 120 mph. In various forms, it was raced on the dirt track as well as on the boards with very great success. It is unknown how many of the 8-valve racers were manufactured, but production was very small indeed; most machines were ridden either by factory riders or were "loaned" to promising privateers. Like the other board track bikes of its era, it lacks such amenities as brakes, a clutch, or even a throttle (carbs were run wide open, with the only control of the engine speed being an ignition cut-out). The Indian 8-valve V-twin racers were very successful on the wooden board tracks that ruled racing in the beginning of the 20TH century in the USA and Europe. Bicycle racing on banked, wooden velodromes was enormously popular at the turn of the 20th century. Many of the very first machines identifiable as motorcycles were built by bicycle mechanics, and were used as "pacers" to train bicycle racers. The first race probably occurred the first time that two of them happened to be on the track at the same time. Indian’s Oscar Hedstrom was one of these enterprising young mechanics, and his design was so elegant and reliable that it was produced in quantity by the Hendee Manufacturing Company as the first Indian motorcycle. Timber was cheap, labor was plentiful, and board track racing offered a level of spectacle not seen since Roman times. With the help of an engineer from New Jersey by the name of Jack Prince -- who sought to build a chain of large tracks from coast to coast -- board track races spread across the nation like wildfire. The Coliseum in Los Angeles, over a quarter mile long, was opened in 1909, followed immediately by a one-third mile bowl in Springfield, Mass., and in 1910 by full mile-long tracks in Playa del Rey, California (a suburb wedged between Los Angeles and the Pacific ocean) and Salt Lake City, Utah. Tracks up to two miles in length were thrown up in 1911 in Oakland, Denver, Buffalo, Cleveland, Chicago, and Detroit. 1912 brought tracks to Milwaukee, Omaha, Houston, Cleveland and Atlantic City. Race promoters made wads of money, with $10,000 daily gate receipts a common draw. Very high speeds and a complete lack of safety precautions lead to spectacular wrecks on the board tracks in the 1910s, often killing a half-dozen competitors and spectators at a time. Controversy over safety had already caused the national sanctioning organization to switch the 1913 National Championship Races over from the boards to the safer, but less profitable, dirt ovals. True to form, racing improved the breed. Motorcycles went from able-to-keep-up-with-bicycles in 1900 to the first 100-mph average lap, turned by Lee Humiston on a "Big-Valve" Excelsior at the Playa del Rey track in 1912. Technical competition among the manufacturers was just as fierce as the racing itself. The race for prestige led famous manufacturers like Indian, Excelsior, Cyclone, Thor, and Flying Merkel to develop purpose-built racing equipment with the highest attainable horsepower they could squeeze from their motors. Few were as successful in doing this then Indian was!

Indian is the oldest motorcycle marque currently in production in the USA. They were manufactured from 1901 to 1953 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Indian was initially known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company but was later renamed the Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company. The Indian factory team took the first three places in the 1911 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. During the 1910s Indian became the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. Indians most popular models were the Scout, made from 1920 to 1946, and the Chief, made from 1922 to 1953. The Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company went bankrupt in 1953. Between 1953 and the early 1970s, different organizations imported motorcycles into the United States and applied the Indian logo to them, with varying degrees of legitimacy. The rights to the Indian marque were reconciled in the late 1990s and were acquired by Indian Motorcycle Company of America, which began building new Indian motorcycles in Gilroy, California in 1999. The Indian Motorcycle Company of America went bankrupt and ceased production in 2003. Rights to the Indian marque were acquired by the Indian Motorcycle Company of Kings Mountain, North Carolina in 2006. The concern has since begun production of the new Indian motorcycle. The "Indian Motocycle Co." was founded as the Hendee Manufacturing Company by George M. Hendee and Carl Oscar Hedström. Both Hendee and Hedström were former bicycle racers who teamed up to produce a motorcycle with a 1.75 bhp, single cylinder engine in Hendee's home town of Springfield. The bike was successful and sales increased dramatically during the next decade. In 1901, a prototype and two production units of the diamond framed Indian Single were successfully designed, built and tested. Work began on these in previous years. The first Indian motorcycles, featuring belt-drives and streamlined styling, were sold to the public in 1902. In 1904 they were made available in the deep red color that would become Indian's trademark. The engines of the Indian Single were built by the Aurora Firm in Illinois. In 1903, Indian's co-founder and chief engineer Oscar Hedström set the world motorcycle speed record (56mph). In 1904, production of Indian motorcycles was up to over 500 bikes annually and would rise to its best ever 32,000 in 1913. In 1907, Indian built its first V-twin, and in following years made a strong showing in racing and record-breaking. One of the firm's most famous riders was Erwin "Cannonball" Baker, who set many long-distance records. In 1914, he rode an Indian across America, from San Diego to New York, in a record 11 days, 12 hours and ten minutes. Baker's mount in subsequent years was the Powerplus, a side-valve V-Twin, which was introduced in 1916. Its 61ci (1000 cc), 42 degree V-twin engine was more powerful and quieter than previous designs, giving a top speed of 60 mph (96 km/h). The Powerplus was highly successful, both as a roadster and as the basis for racing bikes. It remained in production with few changes until 1924. Competition success played a big part in Indian's rapid growth and spurred technical innovation, as well. One of the American firm's best early results came in the Isle of Man TT in 1911, when Indian riders Godfrey, Franklin and Moorehouse finished first, second and third. Indian star Jake De Rosier set several speed records both in America and at Brooklands in England, and won an estimated 900 races on dirt and board track racing. He left Indian for Excelsior and died in 1913, aged 33, of injuries sustained in a board track race crash with Charles "Fearless" Balke, who later became Indian's top rider. Work at the Indian factory was stopped while De Rosier's funeral procession passed. Oscar Hedstrom left Indian in 1913 after disagreements with the Board of Directors regarding dubious practices to inflate the company's stock values. George Hendee resigned in 1916. The Scout and Chief V-twins, introduced in the early 1920s, became the Springfield firm's most successful models. Designed by Charles B. Franklin, the middleweight Scout and larger Chief shared a 42 degree V twin engine layout. Both models gained a reputation for strength and reliability, which led to the old Indian saying: "You can't wear out an Indian Scout, or its brother the Indian Chief. They are built like rocks to take hard knocks; it's the Harleys that cause grief." In 1930 Indian merged with DuPont Motors Company. DuPont Motors founder E. Paul DuPont ceased production of duPont automobiles and concentrated the company's resources on Indian. DuPont's paint industry connections resulted in no fewer than 24 color options being offered in 1934. Models of that era featured Indian's famous head-dress logo on the gas tank. Indian's huge Springfield factory was known as the Wigwam, and native American imagery was much used in advertising. In 1940, Indian sold nearly as many motorcycles as its major rival, Harley-Davidson. At the time, Indian represented the only true American-made heavyweight cruiser alternative to Harley-Davidson. During this time, the company also manufactured other products such as aircraft engines, bicycles, boat motors and air conditioners. The first 1922 model Chief had a 1000 cc (61ci) engine based on that of the Powerplus; a year later the engine was enlarged to 1200 cc (73ci). Numerous improvements were made over the years, including adoption of a front brake in 1928. In 1940, all models were fitted with the large skirted fenders that became an Indian trademark, and the Chief gained a new sprung frame that was superior to rival Harley's unsprung rear end. The 1940s Chiefs were handsome and comfortable machines, capable of 85 mph (136 km/h) in standard form and over 100 mph (160 km/h) when tuned, although their increased weight hampered acceleration. In 1950, the V-Twin engine was enlarged to 1300 cc (80ci) and telescopic forks were adopted. But Indian's financial problems meant that few bikes were built, and production of the Chief ended in 1953. Recognition of the historical significance of this model was made with an August 2006 United States Postal Service 39-cent stamp issue, part of a four panel set entitled American Motorcycles. The Indian Scout was built from 1920 to 1949. It rivaled the Chief as Indian's most important model. Indian purchased the ownership of the name, rights, and production facilities of the Ace Motor Corporation in 1927. Production was moved to Springfield and the motorcycle was marketed as the Indian Ace for one year. In 1928, the Indian Ace was replaced by the Indian 401, a development of the Ace designed by Arthur O. Lemon, former Chief Engineer at Ace, who was employed by Indian when they bought Ace. The Ace's leading-link forks and central coil spring were replaced by Indian's trailing-link forks and quarter-elliptic leaf spring. By 1929, the Indian 402 would have a stronger twin-downtube frame based on that of the 101 Scout and a sturdier five-bearing crankshaft than the Ace, which had a three-bearing crankshaft. Despite the low demand for luxury motorcycles during the Great Depression, Indian not only continued production of the Four, but continued to develop the motorcycle. One of the less popular versions of the Four was the "upside down" engine on the 1936-37 models. While earlier (and later) Fours had IOE (inlet over exhaust) cylinder heads with overhead inlet valves and side exhaust valves, the 1936-37 Indian Four had a unique EOI cylinder head, with the positions reversed. In theory, this would improve fuel vaporization. In practice, it made the cylinder head, and the rider's inseam, very hot. Dual carburetors, fitted in 1937, did not help. The design was returned to the original configuration in 1938. Like the Chief, the Four was given large, skirted fenders and plunger rear suspension in 1940. In 1941, the 18" wheels of previous models were replaced with 16" wheels with balloon tires. The Indian Four was discontinued in 1943. Chiefs, Scouts, and Junior Scouts were all used for various purposes by the United States Army in World War II. However, none of these could unseat the Harley-Davidson WLA as the motorcycle mainly used by the Army. The early version was based on the 750cc Scout (45 cu.in.) 640 compared directly with Harleys offer, the WLA, but was either too expensive or heavy, or a combination of both. Indians eventual offer, the 500cc (30.5 cu.in.) 741, was underpowered and could not compete with the WLA. Indian also offered a version based on the 1200cc (74 cu.in.) Chief, the 344. Approximately 1,000 experimental versions mounting the 750cc motor sideways and utilising shaft drive, as on a modern Moto Guzzi, the 841, was also tried. During World War II, the US Army requested experimental motorcycle designs suitable for desert fighting. In response to this request, Indian designed and built the 841. Approximately 1,000 841 models were built. The Indian 841 was heavily inspired by the BMW R71 motorcycle used by the German Army at the time, as was its competitor, the Harley-Davidson XA. However, unlike the XA, the 841 was not a copy of the R71. Although its tubular frame, plunger rear suspension, and shaft drive were similar to the BMW's, the 841 was different from the BMW in several aspects, most noticeably so with its 90-degree longitudinal-crankshaft V-twin engine and girder fork. The Indian 841 and the Harley-Davidson XA were both tested by the Army, but neither motorcycle was adopted for wider military use. It was determined that the Jeep was more suitable for the roles and missions for which these motorcycles had been intended. In 1945, a group headed by Ralph B. Rogers purchased a controlling interest of the company. On November 1, 1945, duPont formally turned the operations of Indian over to Rogers. Under Rogers' control, Indian discontinued the Scout and began to manufacture lightweight motorcycles such as the 149 Arrow, the Super Scout 249, both introduced in 1949, and the 250 Warrior, introduced in 1950. These bikes suffered from poor quality and a lack of development. Production of traditional Indians was extremely limited in 1949, and no 1949 Chiefs are known to exist. From 1955 to 1970, Royal Enfield motorcycles were painted red, and marketed in the USA as Indian Motorcycles by the Brockhouse Corporation, who had acquired the rights to the Indian name after it went under in 1953. Gerard Kelly, of manual fame, was involved, but Americans were not impressed by the badge engineering, and the venture was unsuccessful. The largest Enfield "Indian" was a 700 cc. The marketing agreement expired in 1960, and from 1961, Royal Enfields were available in the US, still through Kelly, but under their own name, up until Kelly's death in 1970. Manufacture of all products was halted in 1953. Brockhouse Engineering and Royal Enfield bikes were imported from England and badged and sold as Indians through the rest of the 1950s. After this the Indian name passed to the company that imported Matchless motorcycles into the US, however it did not attach the name to any motorcycles, and it went into liquidation in 1962. From the 1960s entrepreneur Floyd Clymer began using the Indian name, apparently without purchasing it from the last known legitimate trademark holder. He attached it to imported motorcycles, commissioned to Italian ex-pilot and engineer Leopoldo Tartarini, owner of Italjet Moto , to manufacture Minarelli-engined 50 cc minibikes under the Indian Papoose name. These were so successful that Clymer also commissioned Tartarini to build full-size Indian motorcycles based on the Italjet Grifon design, but fitted firstly with Royal Enfield Interceptor 750 cc parallel-twin engines, then with Velocette 500 cc single-cylinder engines. After Clymer's death in 1970 his widow sold the alleged Indian trademark to Los Angeles attorney Alan Newman, who continued to import minicycles made by ItalJet, and later manufactured in a wholly owned assembly plant located in Taipei (Taiwan). Several models with engine displacement between 50 cc and 175 cc were produced, mostly fitted with Italian two-stroke engines made either by Italjet or Franco Morini, but the fortunes of this venture didn't last long. By 1975 sales were dwindling, and in January 1977 the company was declared bankrupt. The right to the brand name passed through a succession of owners and became a subject of competing claims in the 1980s, finally decided in December 1998 by a Federal bankruptcy court in Denver, Colorado. The Indian Motorcycle Company of America was formed from the merger of nine companies, including IMCOA Licensing America Inc., which had been awarded the Indian trademark by the Federal District Court of Colorado, and California Motorcycle Company (CMC), an existing motorcycle fabricator. The new company began manufacturing motorcycles badged under the famous "Indian" name in 1999 at the former CMC's facilities in Gilroy, California. These motorcycles are often referred to as "Gilroy Indian" motorcycles. The first model was a new design called the Chief. Scout and Spirit models were also manufactured starting in 2001. These bikes were initially made with off-the-shelf S&S engines, but used the all-new 100ci Powerplus engine design from 2002 to 2003. The company went into bankruptcy again in late 2003, after a major investor backed out. On July 20, 2006, the newly formed Indian Motorcycle Company, owned largely by Stellican Limited, a London-based private equity firm, announced its new home in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, where it has restarted the Indian motorcycle brand. The new Indian Chief motorcycles are produced in limited numbers, with the focus on outstanding quality, performance, and exclusivity. The limited production 2009 Indian Chief features a redesigned 105 cu in (1,720 cc) Powerplus V-Twin powertrain with electronic closed loop sequential port fuel injection. A new charging system provides increased capacity for the EFI. Engine cylinders are Nikasil plated, eliminating the need for cast-iron liners. A new crankshaft eliminates "scissoring". The exhaust system is a new design with integrated 3-way catalytic converter and heated oxygen sensors. All body parts are e-coated and the frame and swingarm are e-coated and powder coated for enhanced corrosion protection. A six-speed transmission delivers power through the belt drive to 16 inch wheels out back. Stopping is achieved via Brembo 4-piston calipers, with 11.5 inch dual rotors at the front. Standard 5.5 US gallon tank helps extend cruising range. Seats are all-leather and built to exacting specifications. And last but not least, between 1962 and 1967, New Zealander Burt Munro used a modified 1920s Indian Scout to set a number of land speed records, as dramatised in the 2005 film The World's Fastest Indian.

Herbert 'Bert' le Vack was a motorcycle world speed record holder throughout the 1920s and earned the nickname the 'Wizard of Brooklands' for his expolits. An expert racing engine tuner, le Vack worked for some of the great marques and in the late 1920s joined Motosacoche in Switzerland as the works rider, chief designer and tuner. Bert le Vack was killed in an accident in 1931 testing the Motosacoche A50 in the Swiss Alps. Despite his surname, Bert le Vack was born in North London and was of Scottish descent, the son of an upholsterer and antique dealer Albert Edward le Vack. Bert's grandfather was John le Vack, a Scottish steam locomotive engineer, who moved to London from his birthplace in Caithness. Bert's first job was with Legros and Knowles, of Willesden Junction. He moved on to work for Daimler, Napier and the London General Omnibus Company Le Vack began his racing career on bicycles but once he visited Brooklands he began tuning motorcycles and won the first hill climb he entered on a 1909 Triumph. In 1912 he competed in the London to Edinburgh Run and in 1913 he was working with another JAP test rider at Brooklands called John Wallace, who was sacked for being 'under age'. On the outbreak of the First World War they both turned their talents to assembling and testing aircraft engines. Wallace founded Duzmo Motorcycles In the 1914 Senior TT he averaged 45 mph (72 km/h) and won a Gold Medal. After the war le Vack had his own garage and it was a chance exchange of a Scott for an MAG-engined Edmund that re-awakened his interest in motorcycle racing. Tuning up the Edmund led to the neglect of his business, so when he had an offer of employment from Wallace he agreed and began developing Duzmo engines. He then built a competition motorcycle that he used in competitions and demonstrations. He called the bike the 'Ace' and then it became the 'Duzmo' in 1920 when Bert became well known as a racer. Towards the end of 1920 Bert moved to the Hendee Manufacturing Co, who made Indian motorcycles in Springfield, Massachusetts. He joined their London Depot. Le Vack was very much in favour of using alcohol-based fuels in racing and obtained supplies from a London distillery. This led to an offer to work as an engine designer for John A. Prestwich, founder of the JAP company who produced racing engines for many top marques, including Brough Superior. Le Vack used his experience with Indian to help JAP develop their British vee-twin - the 'Super Big Twin', so called because of its 986 cc ohv engine. Although le Vack only stayed with JAP for four years he played a significant part in their success and JAP advertisements in the Motor Cycle showed Bert on a Brough Superior with the 976 cc vee-twin JAP engine. As well as his tunign knowledge, le Vack gained a reputation for blending special racing fuels and had his own workshop in the Tottenham factory. Described as a quiet spoken man with few friends, le Vack became something of an enigma. in a rare interview for The Motor Cycle in 1923 with the title 'The Making of a Speed Man' he described his early days when he nearly blew himself up by looking into a petrol tank at night with a match. In the late 1920s he joined Motosacoche in Geneva, Switzerland, for whom he had already ridden in the 1914 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. Motosacoche built racing motorcycles and le Vack joined as the works rider, chief designer and tuner and was killed in the Swiss Alps on the 17th September 1931, while testing the Motosacoche A50 on public roads close to their factory. Bert le Vack rode for Brough Superior and helped keep T. E. Lawrence's Broughs tuned. He also rode for the leading manufactureres of the 1920s, including Indian, New Imperial and Zenith, After a time in Birmingham at the New Hudson works, Bert went to Motosacoche and rode for them in the 1914 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Races. Bert won the Brooklands 500 in 1921 on a 1000 cc Indian. In 1923 he secured second place in the 1923 Lightweight Tourist Trophy Races with a New Imperial 250 cc - despite a breakdown that meant he had to push the bike half a mile to the finish.

This wonderful photo reflects the golden era of Indian as no other. How exciting where those times!

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This is your rare chance to own this non period photo that reflects a very interesting and historic piece of motorcycle history. Therefore it is printed in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 10" (ca. 20 x 25.5 cm).

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