One of the rarest balloon tire bikes known. This is an original bicycle in excellent condition. Earlier bicycles sold with Indian badging were of the single-tube tire variety, but this was exclusively a balloon tire bicycle. It was built in Germany just before the outbreak of World War II. Needless to say, any dealings with Germany during this time were soon haulted, making this a very rare bike. This example is missing it’s chain guard, but is otherwise complete. Many of the components used are made in the USA, which leads to suspicion that the bikes were shipped to the USA incomplete, and were outfitted with the desired parts by Indian before being sold. This is pure conjecture however. The saddle is a Mesinger Streamline model, nicknamed the “Tornado Saddle” by collectors due to the shape of its springs. The tires are Fisk whitewalls and are believed to be original, however many collectors install Continental whitewalls since they were made in Germany. Worth noting is that the front fork on this bike is the original. These forks were prone to breaking, and as a result few remaining bikes still have the original fork. The thumb screw on the side of the head tube is for steering dampening. Hardly needed on a bicycle, but the Indian motorcycles of the day had them, so why not the bicycles!
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Original paint, decals, and pinstripes still look great after all these years.
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The traditional Indian in Head-Dress decal just like the motorcylces had!
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Mesinger “Tornade Spring” Streamline saddle.
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Aluminum Indian badge.
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Rear swing-arm of the frame pivots where the crank housing is cradled by the frame.
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Skirted fenders designed after the Indian motorcycle tradition.
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