As with most motorcycles on the market in the early part of the 20th century, Hedstrom’s Indian bikes were based on the traditional bicycle-style design, where manufacturers more or less bolted engines to bicycle frames. With the exception of Harley Davidson, who built their bikes from scratch, Hedstrom and his partner Oliver Hendee were proponents of the evolutionary design process from the bicycle to bespoke frames.
With the launch of its 4hp model E bike, Indian had fully moved away from the bicycle frame into a philosophy of mounting an engine at 45 degrees onto a specially designed frame.
The North American brand also stepped up its thinking around innovation in 1910. Hedtrom’s company introduced the Springfield front fork on their bikes as well as essential modifications to the engine and drive system—namely the addition of a mechanical oil pump and a two-speed transmission on some models.
The Indian Power Plus in the museum’s collection dates back to the year 1920. It was donated to the Museu do Caramulo by Ricardo Lacerda Correia de Barros, having acquired it in 1968 from Mr. A. Arménio based in Castro d’Aire. The bike cost 650 escudos at the time of purchase