Franklin’S Indians: Irish Motorcycle Racer Charles B Franklin, Designer of the Indian Chief

The Indian has been the iconic image for American big V-Twins down the years, due in no small measure to the motorcycles designed by Charles B Franklin – the Indian Scout and the Indian Chief. Charles Franklin was born and raised in Ireland where he quickly became involved in motorcycle racing during the pioneer years. He rapidly established himself as Ireland’s first big star of racing and was the first to represent Ireland in international motorcycle competition. In the Isle of Man TT he consistently finished in the top eight, and in 1911 claimed second place, a remarkable achievement in itself. But it was when he moved to Indian in the USA, where he became the Chief Design Engineer, that his genius really flowed. His designs catapulted Indian back into the forefront of motorcycle design in the 1920s and ’30s and his racing engines and motorcycles won much glory for Indian against stiff opposition. Franklin introduced remarkable improvements in sidevalve combustion chamber design that pre-dated the work of Ricardo. He championed an holistic approach that popularised new features such as the semi unit-construction ‘powerplant’, helical-gear primary drive, double-loop full-cradle frames and a host of other improvements to the early motorcycles. This book not only chronicles his life but also sheds much new light on the history of Indian motorcycles and the often turbulent times of the Indian Motorcycle Company itself. A much needed book for all Indian fans and all who love the history of the classic American V-Twins.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Foreword Why a book about Charlie Franklin? The First Great Irish Motorcycling Competitor Prologue Birth, ancestry and upbringing Ireland in Franklin's day First motocycle In competition at the dawn of motoring From International Cup to Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Indian gets noticed in Britain Brooklands track 1911 - an Indian summer Charles Franklin - Indian's man in Dublin Franklin goes to America Franlkin's competition career summary American Motorcycle Designer Springfield in 1916 Settling in at Indian Powerplus and Light Twin US motorcycle competition up to 1919 Indian Scout - the marvel of motorcycle engineering Harley vs Indian wars 1919-1922 Side-valve genius Chief engineer Out on a hight note - Indian in British competition 1920-1923 Indian Chief - a heavy-duty plugger Overhead valve racer experimentation Indian Prince - the personal motor Scout Forty-Five and the overhead valve hill-climb motors Weird scenes at the Wigwam The immortal 101 Scout Modernisation for the `thirties Illness and death Franklin's motorcycling legacy Appendix Epilogue Bibliography Notes Index

About the Author :
Harry V Sucher first began researching the history of Indian motorcycles in the 1930s when still a teenager in California. A veterinarian by profession and life-long motorcyclist by passion, he was the first to take a scholarly approach to documentation of America’s motorcycling history. He personally interviewed Indian personalities like Frank Weschler, Thomas Callaghan Butler, and Helen Hedstrom-Carlson and he drew upon these sources for his seminal work The Iron Redskin. His recollections provided the Franklin’s Indians book project with a last remaining living link to Franklin’s contemporaries at the Wigwam in the production era. Dr Sucher passed away not long before the first edition of this book went to print.

Review :
An extensive and well-presented study of designer Charles B Franklin and the Indian motorcycles he created. Doesn't simply focus on the Scout and Chief (although they get a lot of coverage) but sets Indian's history in context with the social and industrial situation in the early decades of the 20th century. Originally published by Panther and out of print for a while. This edition is a good quality soft back with useful and well-captioned illustrations (some colour, mostly mono). - Real Classic. This excellent book not only chronicles Franklin's fascinating family history and life and times in Ireland, but also contains detailed descriptions of early TT races. Much new light is also shed on the history of Indian motorcycles and the often turbulent times of the Indian Motorcycle Company itself. An absolutely essential book for Indian enthusiasts and motorcycle historians alike. This is, in my opinion, one of the best motorcycle history books in recent years. - Jonathan Hill - freelance. It's an intriguing story told in an interesting and engaging way, a must have for any bike lover's book shelf. - The Indian News. The latest edition to the Veloce Classic Reprint collection recalls the earliest history of the Indian Brand in detail seldom seen. Its focus is on the contributions of Charles Franklin to the development of Indian motorcycles and their early success on the street and on the track. The story is told with insight and detail, not generally available without extensive research in many now very hard-to-find resources, but all brought together in this single truly remarkable volume. The four co-authors create a story that is encyclopaedic in depth and detail, yet engaging and enjoyable to read. - Ultimatemotorcycling.com. I would highly recommend this book - onnowieringa.blogspot.com I can highly recommend this book if you are interested in Indian motorcycles, or if you want to learn more about motorcycle racing from the 1910s to the 20s in England and America - IPMS/USA Journal