1911: INDIANS SWEEP ISLE OF MAN TT

Lee Evans making 2nd place at 1909 TT on his 750cc Indian

The Hendee Moto-Cycle corporation is over half a century gone, but 100 years ago, they were the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world (lo, how the mighty do fall...), and originators of many 'firsts' in the business.  The first to create a 'works' professional racing team, with the first professional team rider (Jake deRosier), and certainly the first factory racing team sent abroad.  In 1910 Oscar Hedstrom (designer of the Indian) sailed to England with Jake deRosier for something like a racing invasion.  An Indian had placed 2nd in the twin-cylinder class in 1909 (Lee Evans aboard), and Hedstrom, mindful of potential export sales, subsidized Billy Wells' London dealership, and racing exploits at Brooklands and the Isle of Man TT.

Jake deRosier in 1911, on his personal 'Big Twin', which he raced at Brooklands

The mouse didn't roar in 1910, as deRosier's velodrome tactical skills proved little use on the Island's goat-path circuit, and he fell many times.  The rest of the team, well used to racing on horrid dirt surfaces (road-racing being quite illegal in England), was yet plagued with a batch of rotten innertubes, which spat riders off like watermelon seeds.  Still, deRosier did very well at paved venues, and in a battle of Titans, beat Matchless' Charlie Collier, England's top racer, in a 2 out of 3 race at Brooklands.

Charles B Franklin, Indian team member, who later went on to design the beloved 'Scout'

1911 was a different matter.  Hedstrom brought his own mechanics (3!) and deRosier on a steamer from New York, determined to have a better result.  The ACU had changed the route of the TT to the 'Mountain' course (over Snaefell, a 1400' climb), in an effort to force English manufacturers to adopt gears and clutches.  The whole 'point' of the TT was to 'improve the breed', and in this, the ACU showed much foresight...if you want to win races, you had better develop your product line.

Oliver Godfrey aboard his 1911 TT winning Indian

Indian was immediately at an advantage, as their machines already had two-speed gears, clutches, and all-chain drive as standard.  English makers scrambled to attach epicyclic rear hubs and bolt-on clutches to their belt-drive machines.  The capacity limit of the twin-cylinder class had been reduced to 580cc, so Indian sleeved-down a few examples of their 'little twin' for the races.

Godfrey escorted by Billy Wells, Indian importer for England, and Mrs. Wells, with a grand hat!

The result of their efforts could not have been better; Oliver Godfrey rode the first non-English motorcycle to win the TT, and after Charlie Collier (who had been 2nd) was disqualified for an illegal re-fueling, Indians took the top 3 spots - a clean sweep!

The original over-the-fence papparazzi shot; Godfrey inside the Indian team paddock, celebrating.

Indian sent factory racers to England until 1923, when Freddie Dixon placed 3rd on a single-cylinder model, and after that, silence.  No American-sponsored, American-made racers appeared in Europe for nearly 50 YEARS, until the Trans-Atlantic Match Races began in 1971, which saw the likes of Dick Mann, Cal Rayborn, Dave Aldana, Gene Romero, Don Emde, etc, battling it out on H-Ds against Norton Commandos and Triumph Tridents.  A worthy subject for another article!

It took 50 years after Indian's TT win for an American company to send racers back to England...Cal Rayborn in 1971, aboard his H-D XRTT750...what a machine!