Camel Back

[Oilcan]

Regarding wood rims, the following is taken from the early sales catalogs:
1902 - no mention about rims or tires
1903 - Fisk 1 3/4" tires front and rear or 1 3/4" front and 2" rear
1904 - same as 1903 with the option of G&J tire in the same sizes
1905 - G&J 2" tires on steel rims. Option Fisk tires on wood rims
1906 - G&J 2 1/4". Rims- steel
So, with the information from the catalogs it appears 1905 was the last year for wood rims, and only offered as an option. I would like to know if wood rims or steel rims where standard equipment prior to 1905?
In 1909 the 28" wheel was still offered, I'm not sure when they reduced the size to 26" ?
My 1906 catalog shows the first v- twin ( called Indian double cylinder racer) with a normal exhaust set up.

[fillibuster]

Oilcan, glad to see somebody else looking at these things.
I have a kind of a theory that Hendee stocked up on non-motor parts, and Hedstrom had to work with existing stock until things like the cylinders were a year or more past their "prime", prime being best current design/application. So as models through 04 changed very little except for minor frame and fork reinforcements, the wooden rims were too economical to change. Steel rims must have naturally become the engineer's choice as speeds increased and economy of manufacture evolved. And they still had to use up stock, so woods were probably offered as "good" or "better" traditionally by advertising. Your sales catalogs (wish I had some) seem to prove this in 05. I'll bet woods were the only choice through 04
My books are Sucher's Redskin, Hatfield's Buyer's Guide, and Hatfield's Photographic History. There are a few discrepancies with the two authors, for instance, Hatfield states that Indian was building prototype twins for racing in autumn of 04, but were not offered until 06, and pics of twins though 08 had 2 rear cylinders, including the restoration by Steven Wright on page 17. Later racers with these "2-rears" were the smaller 5-hp twins. The first year of the twins with specific front cylinder was 09. And once again Indian is using up stock in offering 5-hp models along with the larger 7-hp with new cylinders. I believe that Hedstrom's new foundry can be credited with the cylinder improvements. ... there are later racers still running those 2-rears, most notably the 1911 Isle of Mann.

A frustrating thing searching through the books, are the gaps in detail changes. I can't find the 26" wheel anywhere, it goes from 28 to 23 (now I can't find when 23"!). Racers seemed to get stuck with the tallest and spindliest wheels, probably until they ran out! Cylinder changes are confusing with another exhaust direction on the front cylinder besides down, in 1910-11. Later, there are gaps in the Powerpluses, mid-twenties everything, early 30's. ..... good thing it's cold outside, or I couldn't sit here and curse at my books.