I've long been an enthusiast of Indian motorcycles, but until recently I'd ignored anything earlier than the late 1930s as I thought they were too expensive, too awkward, and not a practical riding proposition on the roads of today.
Then I had an opportunity to buy an unrestored 1925 Indian Chief, which I felt I couldn't pass up even though it took almost every last dime I had.
Actually riding my Chief made me appreciate just how good these motorcycles really are. It became obvious to me that, in their day, they would have been among the best that was available. Comparison with the contemporary models of other marques shows the early 1920s Chiefs and Scouts to be design leaders of their time. Even mighty Harley-Davidson had to follow the trends that they set.
Eighty years hence, these machines are remembered and appreciated by knowledgeable motorcyclists everywhere, a sentiment captured in the slogan "Old Indians will never die".
Who created the Chiefs and Scouts?
If you read a few Indian marque histories, the name Charles B Franklin will inevitably appear. But there will not be much in the way of details about him.
Not only that, the Indian accounts will only tell half of the story about him. Before his emigration to the US to join the Indian factory, Charles B Franklin had a whole other life. Along with the Collier brothers Harry and Charlie, Franklin was one of the foremost British motorcycle racers and record-breakers of the pre-WWI era. This part of his story is mainly to be found only in the works of British writers, for whom his later role at the Indian factory is outside the scope of their interest.
Because any interest in Franklin is nowadays divided between people who fondly appreciate Indian motorcycles (who, though staunch, are a small minority in an already minority sport), and people who perpetuate memories of British racing at Brooklands track and Isle of Man TT before the First World war (who are nowadays precious few), Franklin is very much an unsung hero of motorcycling. He is not even listed in the AMA Motorcycling Hall of Fame!
The full impact of Charles Franklin's contribution to motorcycling can only be seen if the various historical threads are pulled together. What I've endeavored to do in this website is collect together and present all the published information I could find about him. The aim is to illustrate his achievements, and set them within the context of his time.
We all hope to leave something of ourselves for people to remember us by. Charles Franklin achieved such an awful lot during his relatively short life, that he certainly deserves to be remembered. I hope this site will help contribute to that.
[Back to Contents]