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History of Indian Riders:
Indian Riders
The first mention of an Indian Riders goes back to 1907, when a group of motorcyclists loosely banded together to go riding. The motorcycle was a new phenomenon on the roads of America, and acceptance of the loud, smoke belching “murdercycle” was slow in coming. Information is very sketchy going back that far, but one thread seems to run throughout the history of the motor vehicle: Brand Loyalty. Indian vs. Harley, Chevy vs. Ford, Porsche vs. Ferrari, one can find references to these rivalries. Whenever one name is mentioned as being better, the other always manages to be brought up.
The founding fathers of Indian recognized this loyalty, and wanted their dealers to help promote this feeling by urging them to help form local “Riders Groups” in their area. They felt that the association of like minded individuals would increase the overall experience in riding the motorcycle, foster a camaraderie among owners, give hands on feedback to the dealer on the good and bad points of the bike and of course, sell more motorcycles.
In the 1920’s the motorcycle had ceased being looked upon as pure transportation, but as a sport. Motorcycling was fun and riding a motorcycle was an experience that you could share with your family and friends. The brand of motorcycle one rode gave you bragging rights over your buddies that had the “other one” and good-natured (most of the time) competition could only help make riding better.
A “Riders Group” reinforces the strong loyalty amongst its family of riders and can better plan and promote activities for all of its participants. Local and regional rallies can be planned and organized and as the organization grows more benefits can be offered to each member so that the “Indian” experience gets better and better.