August 3, 2017  

Featured Photo: 1914 Indian Motorcycle With Sidecar

1914 Indian motorcycle with Sidecar

Photo by Lewis Reed

This is a photograph taken by Lewis Reed of an Indian motorcycle with his brother, Edgar, seated in the sidecar next to Uncle Bernie Hanshew. From what I’ve been able to research, I believe it’s a 1914 Indian. The handle bars on a 1913 had no cross bar, the 1914 model had a cross bar that can be seen on this one.  The tool box was mounted on the rear of the carrier in 1913 and moved to the top of the fuel tank in 1914. If anyone can help to date or confirm the identity of this machine please leave a comment.

In the early days, motorcycles were a staple of transportation, and both Lewis and Edgar Reed rode them.

Motorcyclists in the 1920s were more likely to wear a tie, goggles, and a sporty little cap than the leather of today.

1915 advertisement for the Indian Motocycle

A 1915 advertisement for the Indian Motocycle (spelling motocycle without the “r”)

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About Reed Brothers

I am a co-owner of the former Reed Brothers Dodge in Rockville, Maryland. Lewis Reed, the founder of Reed Brothers Dodge was my grandfather. We were a family-owned and operated car dealership in Rockville for almost a century. I served in the United States Air Force for 30 years before retiring in the top enlisted grade of Chief Master Sergeant in July 2006. In 2016, I received the Arthur M. Wagman Award for Historic Preservation Communication from Peerless Rockville for documenting the history of Reed Brothers Dodge in both blog and book format. This distinguished honor recognizes outstanding achievement by writers, educators, and historians whose work has heightened public awareness of Rockville’s architectural and cultural heritage, growth and development.

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