Indian Motorcycle celebrates 125 years with ‘Never Finished’ campaign
In celebration of its 125th anniversary, Indian Motorcycle — America’s first motorcycle company — is kicking off 2026 with the motto, “Never Finished,” a year-long campaign that celebrates Indian’s founders, George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom, while declaring that the 125-year-old brand will never stop innovating.
“The pursuit of innovation that drove our founders continues to drive us today,” says Nate Secor, director of marketing for Indian Motorcycle. “Whether through design, engineering, or marketing, we push ourselves every day to honor that legacy.”
The ‘Never Finished’ campaign isn’t just a celebration of our 125-year history; it’s a commitment to our riders that we are always innovating, always competing, and will always be pushing forward.” — Nate Secor
Following successful careers as bicycle racers in the late 19th century, Hendee and Hedstrom joined forces to engineer gasoline-powered bicycles to pace competitive races. Back then, early motorized pacers were notoriously unreliable. Hendee and Hedstrom, however, built well-performing machines that earned attention, and later the two began mass-producing motor-assisted bicycles.
By 1913, the company had become the market leader, producing 30,000 units annually in what was then the world’s largest motorcycle factory.
Indian Motorcycle would go through a 60-year hiatus before being resuscitated by Polaris, which acquired Indian in 2011 and began releasing new models in 2013. After bringing back the iconic brand, Polaris sold its majority stake in Indian to private investors in Octorber 2025.
To commemorate the company’s history in the U.S., Indian Motorcycle will celebrate its 125th anniversary throughout 2026 with a variety of products, programs, and rider promotions. More information will be shared throughout the year. To stay informed, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on the company’s Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube pages.
