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38 m o u n t a i n d i s c o v e r i e s
“Ourfamily’sinterestinIndianmotorcyclesgoesbacktoDadwhorodeone.Lateron,IbeganridinganIndianmotorcycle,andthenItaughtmysonshowtoride.NowwehavethreegenerationsofRinker’swhoareIndianenthusiasts.”
SteveRinker’senthusiasmforIndianmotorcycleshasresultedinaspectacularcollectionof32modelsandaccessoriesdatingfrom1922to1952.EachofthevintagemodelsdisplayedatBuck’sIndianMotocycleandOutdoorsSportingGoodsShophasacompellingstorythatmakesitspecial.TotheRinkerfamily,thevalueofmotorcyclesisnotmeasuredbydollars,horsepower,orgearratiosbutratherintheenjoymentbikeshavebroughttothemovertheyears.
SteveRinkerexplainedthegenesisofhisfamily’straditionandfascinationwithIndianmotorcycles.“Mydad,Charles“Buck”Rinker,beganridinganIndianmotorcycleinthelate1950safterthecompanywentoutofbusiness;thatwasallhecouldafford.About18yearsago,IbecameinterestedinmotorcyclesandDadboughtmea1949Indian‘Junker.’Icouldn’tfindanyonetofixitup,soIdecidedtorestoreitmyself.Lateron,mysonsJustinandJaredbecameinterestedinmotorcycles,soweallworkedtogetheronthem.” IndianshaveadevotedfollowingamongmotorcycleenthusiastsliketheRinker’s.Thecompany’sreputation
iswelldeservedbecausein1901itrolledoutthefirstAmericanmotorcycle.Theinauguralmodelwaslittlemorethanabicyclewithasmallmotorattached,butby1907,thecompanydebutedatwinV,5horsepower“pacerbicycle”thatcouldbefoundracingondirttracksalloverthecountry.IndianMotocycleCompany(the“r”inmotorcyclewouldbeaddedatalaterdate)wentontocapture40%ofallmotorcyclesalesintheUnitedStates.Anenthusiasticsalesforceanddevotedcustomerbasecreatedunusualemotionaltiesbetweenmenandthetwowheelmachinestheyrode.Corporateleadershipfosteredwarmrelationsbywelcomingcustomerstotheirfactoryandspecialevents.IndianpersonalizedtheNativeAmericanthemebyrefer-ringtoitsfactoryinSpringfield,Massachusetts,asthe“wigwam”andcorporateofficers,GeorgeHendeeandCarlOscarHedstrom,as“chiefs.”
JustinRinkerfeelsthesamewayaboutIndianmotor-cyclesashisfatherandgrandfather.“Workingonmotor-cyclesissomethingthatIandmybrothercoulddowithDad.WhenIlookatthecollection,itremindsmeofthosetimeswhenweworkedtogether.Thatiswhatmeansthemosttome—workingwithdadonthemotorcycles.EventhoughJaredandIhavemovedaway,wealwaysfeellikeweareathomeinWestVirginiawhenworkingonmotorcycles.”
Buck’s
Romney, WV
A privately-owned collection — may be seen by appointment.
MOTORCYCLES
Written by Dan Whetzel New Photography by Lance C. Bell
Jaredrecalls,“WorkingonIndianmotorcycleswasamajorpartofgrowingup.Gettingorganizedfortheswapmeetswasfun.JustinandIreallylookedforwardtothetraveltimeandparticipatingintheshows.”
RidingandworkingonIndianmotorcyclescreatedpreferencesforcertainmodels.Justin’sfavoritebike?“A1941ScoutthatDadbought.The1941ScoutisthefirstbikethatIrodeonthehighwayandtheoneIusedtogetalicensewhenIwas16yearsold.”JaredfavorstheModel101thatwasfirstproducedin1928andhadconnectionstohillclimbingevents.“The101islightweightandeasytostart.BeingeasytostartwasimportantwhenIwasyoungandjuststartingtoride.Aftergrowingolder,Iappreciatedthe101’ssmoothrideandeaseofhandling.”
FamilyconnectionscombinewithlocalsportshistoryinoneoftheRinker’smostcollectibleIndians,a1928Model101ScouthillclimberthatwasmodifiedbytheCosgrovefamilyofCumberland,Maryland.TheModel101wasonlymanufactureduntil1931.Hillclimbingmotorcyclesaredesignedandengineeredtocompeteagainsttheclockwhileascendingsteepinclines.CharlesCosgrovepurchasedthehillclimberandmodifieditwithassistancefromhissonEdward.TheCosgroveswerewellknownhillclimberswhocompetedinregionalevents.
Buck, Justin and Steve Rinker with Justin’s first Indian, a 1941 Scout.
Skirted fenders were a typical trademark of the 1940-53 Indian Motorcycles as well as the indian fender light.
SteverecallsthatafterthepassingofEdwardCosgrove,“thefamilywantedtokeepthebikeandaccessoriestogether,andweagreedtodothat.ItmeansalottotheCosgrovesandustohavethebikeondisplay.Peoplereallyrelatetothestoriesaboutit.”IncludedwiththeCosgrove’sScoutareahelmet,racinggoggles,leatherracingjacketandpants,apitbox,andphotographs.
TheoldestIndianintheRinker’scollectionisa1922factoryboardtrackracer.AccordingtoSteve,“IndianmaderacingbikesthatcompetedonwoodentracksagainstHarleyDavidson(andothermanufacturers)andwerenotsoldtothepublic.Thefastestspeedeverrecordedwas122mphonanIndianjustlikeours.Theracingbikeisararemodel.”
AndSteve’sfavoritebike?“A1938Chiefismyfavoritebecauseithadalotofupgradesandgracefulstyling.E.PaulDuPontwhowaspresidentofthecompanyatthattimedesignedamotorcyclethatwasstreamlined.That’swhythe1938alwaysappealedtome.”
Motorcyclesarenottheonlyitemsondisplayattheprivatemuseum.Indianmarketedanamazingvarietyofproductsthataresoughtbycollectors.A1909bicyclewithwoodenrims,alawnmower,anoutboardboatmotor,alarmclocks,belts,sparkplugs,shockabsorbers,auto-mobilewindowvisors,pins,signs,andmatchboxesareamongthedisplayeditems.AlsodisplayedareachievementawardspresentedexclusivelytoIndiansalespersons.Butthemostunusualartifactisawoodendoorthatwasremovedfromthepresident’sofficeduringthemid1970s.Stevenoted,“ThisisthedoorthatMr.DuPontandtheothercorporateofficerswalkedthrougheveryday.Itismyfavoriteartifact.”
RemovalofthedoorissymbolicoftheIndianMotor-cycleCompany’sfate.Despiteadevotedcustomerbaseandstrongsalesintheearlyyears,thefirmfellintohardtimesafterWorldWarII.CompetitorHarleyDavidsonbenefittedmorefromwartimeproductionthanIndianandwaspoisedtocontrolthemarketfollowingtheendoffighting.AnadditionalcontributingfactortoIndian’sdemiseoccurredin1945whenE.PaulDuPontturnedover
controllinginterestinthecompanytoRalphRogers.DecisionsbyRogerstodiscontinuetheScoutmodelandintroducelightweightmotorcyclesofpoorqualitydoomedthecompanytobankruptcyin1953.Successorcompanies
havekeptthenamealivesincethattimebuttheirsuccesshasbeenintermittent.
WhiletheoriginalIndianMotorcycleCompanyhaspassedintohistory,theRinkerfamilyisintentonkeeping
itsmemoryalive.TheRinker’smayhavecreatedIndianhistorywhenBuck,Steve,andJustinracedagainsteach
otherintheMountainFestGrandPrixinMorgantown,WestVirginia.Steverecalled,“Weweretoldattherace
thiswastheonlytimethreegenerationsofthesamefamily
competedonIndians,andthatwasreallynicetoknow.”
TheRinkerfamilyenjoysmotorcycleracingandenters
a1930Scout,model101tocompeteinthebrakelesstankshiftcategory.TwoyearsagotheRinkerbikefinished
sixthinthepointstandings.Stevestatedthat“CarlTemple
fromDavenport,Iowa,isourrider.Iownthebike,andhehasthenerves.”
Jared and Justin Rinker in 2003 on a 1951 Indian Chief.
40 m o u n t a i n d i s c o v e r i e s
WhiletheRinker’senjoyracing,theirprimaryinterestinbikesremainsreflectiveofBuck’soriginalmotorcycleinneedofrepairs.AccordingtoSteve,“WebuyanIndianmotorcyclethatneedstobefixedup;thatiswhereourabilitiesandskillsarefound.Ishowedmysonshowtoworkonbikes,andnowtheyareinvolved.Itisimportanttounderstandthatwecon-siderourselvestobecaretakersofIndianmotorcycles.Hopefully,therewillbeotherindividualsinthefuturewhofeelthesameway,sothatwhatourfamilyaccomplishedwillbepassedontoothersthatwillgetthesameenjoyment.”
JaredsharesthesameopinionofpreservingIndianmotorcycles.“Ienjoythesearchfororiginalpartstomakeabikelooknew.Restoringthemisalaborofloveandgoingthroughtheprocessissatisfying.Onceabikeisfinishedandrestoredtoitsoriginalglory,wecan’tdoanythingbutsmile.ThefeelingofaccomplishmentmakesitworthwhilebecauseanIndianmotorcyclehasbeen
broughtbacktolifeandwillbeenjoyedforyearstocome.LikeDadsays,wearethecaretakersofIndianmotorcycles.”
TheRinker’ssportinggoodsstoreandmotorcyclemuseumislocatedapproximately3mileswestofRomney,WVonUnitedStatesRoute50.Formoreinformationvisitwww.Bucksindian.com.Arrangementstovisitthemuseummaybemadethroughemailcorrespondenceatrinkerindian@frontiernet.net.
Motorcycle racing at the Cumberland Fairgrounds. These 1930 era bikes were hand shifted and brakeless.
Left to right: Dick Fox, unknown, Jim Gaupaugh, and Edward A. Cosgrove of Cumberland, MD, with a new Sport Scout during an Indian seminar in 1938 or 39.
42 m o u n t a i n d i s c o v e r i e s
The Tri-State region was home to hill climbing and racing events from the 1930s through the 1960s. The most celebrated rider was Joe Hemmis, a Cumberland resident who won multiple national hill climbing awards. The 1959 season was particularly noteworthy for Hemmis when he competed in 36 events finishing first, 32 times for a winning percentage of .889. The same year he won double national championships by winning titles in Canada and the United States. The most memorable incident of Hemmis’ career occurred in 1964 at the national championship in Muskegon, Michigan, where he was interviewed by Bud Palmer on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Hemmis won a total of five national championships and more than 100 trophies during his career.
Tri-State motorcycle racing was highlighted in 1968-1969 when promoter John Barton organized a series of events at Fairgo, a former horse racing venue located at the Cumberland Fairgrounds. Barton’s events attracted more than 75 riders, including the 1967 National Champion Bart Markel of Flint, Michigan. The half mile track again hosted motorcycle racing in 1969 when amateur and expert riders competed. Unfortunately, the events were plagued by rainy weather which contributed to poor attendance and the end of motorcycle racing at Fairgo.
Top Photo: The 1929 Indian 101 Scout hill climber that Edward Cosgrove, Jr. rode to victory is now part of the Rinker Collection.
Inset photo: Edward Cosgrove Jr. the day he won the Class B Championship on the 1929 Indian 101 Scout.