— Exceedingly Rare 1904 Oscar Hedstrom Motor, First Motor to Power an Indian Motorcycle. Sold!
Today, football and basketball games fill mega stadiums throughout the country; at the closing of the 19th century, it was Track Cycling attracting the largest crowds. All kinds of races were held on weekends culminating in endurance events in which cyclists pedaled for six days straight without food or sleep - a feat that made for good theater but often made cyclists go to near death experiences. After New York and Chicago passed laws prohibiting this exhausting race format in 1898, cyclists started racing in pairs that switched off every few hours, maintaining the popular six-day format while giving riders some chance to rest.
Half mile, full mile, and 20 mile races were also held and racers used so called “pacers” to break the wind resistance.
In 1898, the first motorized pacer paced a 20 mile race in Madison Square Garden.
Oscar Hedstrom, a very successfull bicycle racer and bicycle builder took notice and made history by developing a better and lighter motor, to be known as the Hedstrom Engine, which eventually catapulted Indian motorcycles to world fame and iconic success.
The motor or engine offered here has serial number A624 and is, according to my research, the motor with the forth lowest serial number of any Aurora Thor motors ever manufactured, read more>>
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