Book Review by George Yarocki

FRANKLIN’S INDIANS is a must read for any antique motorcycle enthusiast, Indian, Harley, Excelsior or any other make. Oddly enough, without the internet, “ FRANKLIN ’S INDIANS” would never have happened as reported by the authors on page 319.
 
Timothy Pickering, Harry V. Sucher, Liam Diamond and Harry Havelin have done it! They have accomplished what no one else has, a look inside the Indian motorcycle factory and a look at some of its executive’s through the short life of engineer, rider, racer and designer Charles B. Franklin.  The amount of research and just plain hard work behind every page is staggering.
 
Much of this book is devoted to motorcycles in competition, tracing the racing career of C.B. Franklin from 1904 through 1916.  Franklin and other men racing these early motorcycles made an immense contribution to the durability and safety of   the motorcycles we now ride, often losing limbs or their lives in the process.
 
Some of the book deals with what was going on in the motorcycle manufacturing business. The book is very informative to those of us interested in antique motorcycles as to design, manufacture and sales. I have learned much about Excelsior, Harley-Davidson and Indian that I didn’t know.  I have also learned much I didn’t know about the various Indian models; the “Little Twin” “Power-Plus” “Chief” “Scout” “Standard” “Four” “Prince” “Sport Scout” “Junior Scout” “Standard Scout” as to how some of these models came into existence and in some cases why that model ended.
 
The “Side Valve Genius” section takes us to detonation, combustion chambers, the squish theory and much more of interest to competition minded persons. This is reading hard to put down.
 
The 101 Scout has been my passion since I purchased my first one at the age of fourteen in 1941 and Charles B. Franklin was the person behind its design. In fact the authors of this book list the Indian 101 Scout as Franklin ’s masterpiece.
 
I just can’t help it, I have to quote some of the praise offered to the 101 Scout on page 289, quote, “in 1928 Charles Franklin took Indian’s “best ever” production engine and dropped it in their best ever frame and running gear. The result is one of the best balances of speed, handling, power, weight, stability and agility ever to have been wrapped up into a single motorcycling package.”
 
I have read nearly every book written about Indian motorcycles but this is different. It is primarily about C.B. Franklin but along the way you are exposed to so much additional information you won’t believe it. Get the book, you will not be disappointed. (end)
 
Doug Strange tells us how to get it ---The US vendor for this book is Chris Smith at Motorsport Publications, at: www.classicbikebooks.com