conversion to move the shift lever to the left side of the motor-
cycle (as you see on the Model 741 here). You see Model 741s
in both configurations (when you see them at all, as surviving
Model 741s are much rarer than WLA Harleys).
Tides turned
The significant use of the motorcycle as a military vehicle fell
out of favor toward the end of World War II (the Army ultimately
turned to the Jeep as its primary small vehicle). That notwith-
standing, Harley-Davidson fared well and World War II set the
tone for its postwar success. Indian’s strategy for meeting World
War II production needs (i.e., focusing nearly exclusively on mili-
tary production) ultimately led to its demise. Indian sold 38,000
motorcycles during the war (less than half of what Harley did).
Indian struggled after the war and it was never able to match
Harley-Davidson’s postwar civilian and police sales success.
The onslaught of the lighter, faster and better-handling vertical
twins from Britain didn’t help, either. Indian limped along for a
few more years, changing ownership and then offering rebadged
British Royal Enfield vertical twins with Indian nameplates. That
strategy flopped, too. Indian folded its tent, declared bankruptcy,
and went out of business in 1953.
Chino’s Planes of Fame and Robert Pond
The Indian 741 shown here is proudly displayed by the Planes
of Fame Museum in Chino, California. Planes of Fame is argu-
ably one of the best places in the world to see vintage warbirds,
including many from World War II. This Indian Model 741 motor-
cycle was previously a part of the Robert Pond collection. Pond
was a particularly interesting man. Born in Minnesota in 1924,
he entered the family business (tiles and floor polishing and
cleaning equipment) to become its eighth employee. At the
end of his career (when he sold the business and retired), it had
grown into an organization employing thousands that sold for
a rumored $500 million. Pond trained in the Navy Air Corps in
World War II, left when the war ended, and returned to build the
family business into an industrial giant. Along this journey, Pond
continued flying, designed aircraft and started collecting and
restoring classic aircraft, automobiles and motorcycles (includ-
ing the Indian 741 you see here). When Pond died in 2007, his
family permanently loaned this Model 741 to the Planes of Fame
Museum. Paul De Laurell and his wife, Cindy, both volunteers at
Chino’s Planes of Fame Museum, cleaned the fuel tank, fuel lines
and carburetor, poured a little aviation gasoline into the fuel tank,
and the Indian fired right up. MC“The significant use of the motorcycle as a military vehicle
fell out of favor toward the end of World War II.”