[Jeff Higgins]

Kind of like Huschke von Hanstein to Vic Elford in 1966: "We don't have spare parts. Porshces don't break."

The proud Indian name has been sullied for far too long. There have been almost half a dozen guiless opportunists making use of the "Indian" name since '53. None have ever had any connection whatsoever with the original Indian. I hear rumors lately that they are set for yet another return; some investment firm that purchased the rights to Chris Craft now owns the name. What a shame.

This seems to run rampant in the motorcycle industry. We have seen Indian, Excellsior Henderson, Triumph, Norton, Vincent, and others "resurected". All the entrepeneurs that start up these companies are doing is cashing in on name recognition and nostalgia. None of the new companies carrying these proud names from the past ever had any connection with the original.

This is not to say they are not great motorcycles in their own rights. So why not use an original name, instead of riding on the coat tails of some one else's past glory? I think it actually detracts from them, cheapens them, and dooms them to be forever compared to the machines that wore those names in the past. It's a proven losing game - nostalgia ensures the originals will always be "better", regardless of modern advances.