He Bought a Dead Brand Name... And Spent 7 Years Chasing It

In 1963, motorcycle legend Floyd Clymer bought the rights to a name everyone thought was gone for good: Indian Motorcycle. For the next seven years, this stubborn, colorful figure racer, dealer, publisher, and lifelong Indian loyalist fought to bring the brand back from the dead. He chased German engineers, burned through a quarter of a million dollars on failed prototypes, and finally partnered with an Italian workshop to build the Indian Velo 500, a lightweight motorcycle powered by a British Velocette engine. This is the true story of Floyd Clymer's obsession with reviving Indian Motorcycle a forgotten chapter of American motorcycle history most riders today have never heard. From winning Pikes Peak on an Excelsior in 1916 to building a small Italian-framed machine wearing his favorite badge in 1969, this is the story of a man who refused to let a legendary name disappear.