Description
Indian 1919 “ PowerPlus” 998 cc side valve V- twin engine# 83M505
The Indian PowerPlus engine was a design of Charles Gustafson, who had already earned fame as an engine designer at the Reading Standard company before he was approached by the Indian management.
His task was to design a powerful, robust, reliable and production friendly engine to replace the old F-head V-twin design of Oscar Hedstrom.
The resulting 61” side valve PowerPlus introduced in 1916 was an immediate success:
The side-valve engine of the PowerPlus proved utterly reliable and almost unbreakable, even in the hands of the tuning shops which developed it to its limit to achieve that extra ounce of power.
The model enjoyed a nine year production run and is still one of the most coveted American vintage motorcycles. Power developed is a healthy 18 BHP.
This splendidly restored machine was sold new in Sweden.
The green finish is not uncommon with Indians from Sweden because Stockholm importer Wiklunds offered this colour as an option. Lighting system is acetylene with “Stockholm” lamp and cylinder.