The Hubley "Indian" Cast Iron Motorcycles

Monday, June 24, 2013
     (Saint Jean Baptiste Holiday)

The Hubley "Indian" Cast Iron Motorcycles

   Today is the Saint Jean Baptiste (John the Baptist)  Provincial Holiday here in Quebec. I just came back from Toronto yesterday, having gone to redeem a merchandise crediut from Eddie Bauer - a fine company that actually stands by their products in this day and age!

  Returning to today's topic, I went for a walk with our dog Buddy, and we came upon a neighbour on the other side of a large boulevard. Martha was gardening as gardeners up here just mow lawns. Anything else is "extra".  So we were talking about gardens, then the subject moved to scooters. Martha rides to school where she works as a day care person for young children. She takes a  lot of ribbing (jokes), but she laughs it off and then informs the "jokers' that gas costs her $ 4.00 a week!  So who's the joke on now!

   I'v written briefly about Hubley cast iron motorcycles, but decided to  return and Martha reminded me about that thought. As it turns out, Hubley made 2 different models based on the leading motorcycle companies of the time - Harley Davidson and Indian. I decided to write about Hubley's Indian today.

"Indian motorcycles were manufactured from 1901 to 1953 by a company in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, initially known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company but which was renamed the Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company [sic]^[1][2] in 1928. The Indian factory team took the first three places in the 1911 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. During the 1910s Indian became the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. Indian's most popular models were the Scout, made from 1920 to 1946, and the Chief, made from 1922 to 1953.

The Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company went bankrupt in 1953. A number of successor organizations have perpetuated the name in subsequent years, with limited success. In 2011 Polaris Industries purchased Indian Motorcycles and relocated operations from North Carolina, merging them into existing facilities in Minnesota and Iowa. A range of new models is due to be released in late 2013."*

* Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_(motorcycle)

Please click on this sentence to go to Bertoia's fine website

I like this model because of the "accessories" that accompany the toy.

There are 2 tanks, a first aid kit, and a hose wheel, and some other tank.

The cotton cord and the red ball are for pulling this toy, hence the name "pull toy". By the way, those 2 part are original.

 This is a great model of a  Hubley Indian motorcycle.

A few weeks ago, I posed about motorcycles also. At one time there were many "real" motorcyles on the roads in the USA, and they had many functions such as merchandise and mail delivery.

Most of the motorcycles today were made in the 1930's. I think the above one was repainted. What's interesting is that this one has a "clicker" that makes a noise like a motorcycle. Also, the empty space where a headlight would be might be where an actual lightbulb went. Some of these toys had batteries and a connection to a headlight.

This Indian motorcycle is my favourite. The main reason is that I like detail in a toy. and detail is harder to add for a cast iron toy than other methods that existed at the time such as die cast or slush. So for those small rivets to have been added at that time (1930's) is fabulous.

I occasionally drop by a large motorcycle dealership near my house looking for small screws or parts that I need around the house.  Of course I have to look at those great motorcycles. My favourites there are the BMW's, but those Harleys and the Japanese brilliant-coloured motorcycles certainly attract my attention. 

Perhaps, in my next life, I'll get one, with a side car for my wife and Buddy!

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a great part of the summer day 

(winter in the southern hemisphere),

 wherever you may be.

Stacey