Iconic motorcycle brand Indian coming to Lee County

Bill Hannong, 64, still remembers riding at the age of 2 with his father on a 1947 Indian Chief motorcycle.

But the iconic Indian brand soon fell on hard times afterward and now being an Indian aficionado can be a solitary pastime — although Hannong regularly rides his 1950 Chief to downtown motorcycle events in Fort Myers and Cape Coral.

That's about to change, however, as the company that makes Indians expects to open a Lee County dealership soon.

There's already a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle-themed dealer and attraction at Daniels Parkway and Interstate 75.

Suddenly, it seems, the Fort Myers-Cape Coral area is revving up as a motorcycle mecca.

"Why didn't the Indian brand die when production stopped in 1953" Hannong said. "It's because the sleek styling and uncompromising design made it the bike of choice for serious riders.

"It wasn't all buttons and bells and things like that, you had to know what you were doing," he said. "You had to have some kind of mechanical ability as well as being an athlete to handle features such as kick-starting and a more complex ignition system."

Steve Menneto, vice president for motorcycles of Medina, Minn.-based Polaris Industries Inc., said the company will be opening an Indian dealership soon in this area.

"In the Fort Myers area we're continuing to grow our distribution network — we're talking to a couple of people about becoming a dealer," he said.

Meanwhile, Harley Davidson of Fort Myers recently opened its Six Bends park – a 16-acre Harley and motorcycle-themed attraction next to the dealership.

Six Bends is having its grand opening Nov. 8.

Hannong, owner of Amazing Tattoo Studio in Cape Coral, was glad to see Harley's expansion but overjoyed at the prospect of an Indian dealership. "The Indian is just a part of American history that really has a heartfelt spot with me."

Menneto said Polaris, which has been manufacturing updated Indians since 2011, is keenly aware of the need to maintain continuity with the classic Indians. The original company stopped production in 1953 and they disappeared except for a few false starts, until Menneto bought the rights to build them.

New models, for example, include design cues such as straight-down exhaust pipes that hark back to the original machines.

Hannong said the modern-day Indians are true to the original and allow more people to enjoy the brand.

But it's not all mechanics and aesthetics, he said — it's a vibe that is impossible to express: "If you have to explain it, they can't understand."

Follow this reporter: @DickHogan (Twitter).