Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle to root against as much as who to root for . The sharpening of sporting loyalties between fans of both marques erupted into a bitter rivalry . America ’ s worst financial crisis also coincided with the peak of the Harley- Davidson and Indian wars .
The American Motorcycle Association had dual professional racing programs . Class A was for pure race machines , while Class B was for heavily modified bikes . They both lacked a deep field of competitors , so the AMA hatched an idea for a more accessible class .
The new “ production ” Class C rules initially featured several novel requirements . The machines were to be side- valve Twins up to 750cc or overhead- valve Singles of no more than 500cc . They had to be stock and street- legal with lights , a horn , and everything else . They also needed to be owned by the racer , ridden to the track , raced , and then ridden home .
Harley ’ s model D that debuted in 1929 , the so- called “ 3- cylinder ” because of the bike ’ s vertical generator , evolved into the more powerful R series by 1932 . It was better able to compete – both on track and in the showroom – with Indian ’ s Scout 101 and the freshly minted Sport Scout .
The first full season of Class C racing was in 1934 and shaped up as a remarkably even contest of quality versus quantity . There were more Harleys and fewer ( but usually faster ) Scouts . Proving that riders mattered as much as mounts , amateur racers swapped wins all season . It was great entertainment and provided a lot of parity , so it caught on .
Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle
Top : Small dealers that thrived in the 1920s struggled during the Great Depression . Above : American motorcycle manufacturers tried to paint a bright picture despite the economic woes brought on by the Great Depression .
AMERICANRIDER . COM | OCTOBER 2023 | 19