Photo courtesy Harley-Davidson
Hillclimb competitions took American motorcycle racing to new levels .
HARLEY- DAVIDSON
VS
INDIAN
PART II
RACING FOR MARKET SHARE : 1930- 1945
By Kip Woodring
The inception of the Harley- Davidson and Indian Motorcycle wars began at the turn of the 20th century and continued through and beyond the first World War . The motorcycle market constricted due to the availability of relatively inexpensive cars and then the gloom of the Great Depression , which limited disposable income .
Harley and Indian fielded race teams to prove their machines were superior and show fans that they were worth riders ’ hard- earned money . Spectators watched as racers displayed their skills aboard everfaster motorcycles . Racing became an insiders ’ circus , with outsiders as the spectacle- loving rubes .
After Excelsior- Henderson folded in 1931 , it came down to just Indian or H- D . For spectators , it became who
18 | OCTOBER 2023 | AMERICANRIDER . COM