Charles Gustafson Jr. onboard one of the four Indian Big Base 8-Valve factory motordrome specials at the saucer in Columbus, Ohio, July 4, 1912.
It was in May 1911 that Hedstrom's first "valve-in-head" racing special, commonly known now as the 8-Valve, debuted on the dirt tracks of the Northeastern circuit. Still, that August, Excelsior's new racer, the Big Valve 7, created in part with the expertise of the company's star rider Joe Wolters quickly challenged the perennially dominant Indian at the races. With Wolters in the saddle, the Excelsior 7 racked up victories, stealing record after record from Indian with its prowess on the timbers of America's motordromes. Hedstrom returned to his machine shop determined to return with a contender, and in November 1911, a new breed of 8-Valve, specifically engineered to lay waste to any who challenge debuted at the new saucer in Oakland, CA.
Hedstrom's new 8-Valve design distilled a board track racing machine to its essence; raw and uncompromising speed. The rigid frame was tweaked, made taller and longer with a slightly raked fork and longer steering tube. The fuel tank was made to fit, giving the new 8-Valve its distinctive, elongated line at the neck, sharply sloping in the rear to keep the riding position as low as possible. The oil tank was notched on the right side to accommodate the short exhaust from the rear cylinder and aid in warming the oil. The traditional jackshaft assembly was deleted altogether as the machine was now a direct drive off the crank with rigid footpegs attached, given the lack of pedals.
Taking a cue from Excelsior's successful new model 7, Hedstrom increased the size of the flywheels and cases, with the new racer getting the designation of the Big Base 8-Valve as a result. Being purpose-built for the motordrome, the Big Base had no brakes, transmission, clutch, suspension, or throttle; power regulation is left to a metal tab on the handlebars, which would break the electrical circuit from the magneto. The cylinders heads were ported, with several holes to aid airflow to the combustion chamber. Each head had two intake and two exhaust valves actuated in pairs by a rocker arm so gasses could more efficiently move in and out of the chamber. As often was the case with Hedstrom’s designs the machine's simplicity was elegant, raw, and efficient, and its power would soon redefine the idea of speed.
With both Charlie Balke and Jake DeRosier having been let go recently following complaints DeRosier made upon first seeing Excelsior's 7 at Riverview, Indian tapped veteran racer Ray Seymour to unveil the new Big Base 8-Valve at the Elmhurst Motordrome as soon as it was ready. Ironically, the demands DeRosier had made in his snappy letter were features found throughout the new Big Base. On November 19, 1911, Seymour unleashed the new Big Base on the boards at Elmhurst, quickly demonstrating its potential by taking the lead at nearly 90 MPH. However, in typical fashion given the dreadful state of tire technology at the time, Seymour's rear tire blew apart at speed. The seasoned rider maintained control, but as he descended the track, another rider, Theo Samuelson, slammed into the limping racer, sending them both violently tumbling at speed across the splinter field.
After a short recovery, a bruised and battered Seymour returned with his repaired Big Base two weeks later, ready to let loose once again at Elmhurst. He promptly set a new track record at 88.5 MPH before facing off against Wolters with enough power to best the current champion. Still, Wolters was a highly skilled competitor, and the two battled elbow to elbow during the first 10-mile race. Wolters took the inside line, his favored strategy and barely edging past Seymour across the finish line when out of nowhere, a biplane drifted onto the track in front of the speeding demons. The plane piloted by Didier Masson had been flying exhibitions for the new track's opening festivities and attempted to land in the infield. The plane touched down safely but, carrying too much speed, ran up onto the track just as the riders crossed the line at 90 MPH. On the high side of the track, Seymour maneuvered and avoided a collision, but Wolters careened headlong into the aircraft. He plowed through the wing and still-turning prop, suffering a fractured skull and numerous cuts. The story itself is worthy of its own spotlight, but it must be said that Wolters was back to race the very next week, taking the win in two events.
Seymour continued testing his new mount with a few hiccups along the way at Elmhurst, but he and Hedstrom knew that the Big Base was now the machine to beat and their best shot at putting Indian back on top. The first press on Indian's Big Base 8-Valve began to trickle out that December, describing it as the "direct drive" special, along with a mention on December 30 of the talented young professional, the Texas Cyclone Eddie Hasha had just taken delivery of his in San Francisco. On January 6, 1912, an article in Bicycling World & Motorcycle Review introduced enthusiasts to Hedstrom's latest factory racer with images and a detailed description. The new machine was similar to the earlier 8-valves, but its refinements revealed its brutal capability.
In February of 1912, Hasha and teammate Ray Seymour uncrated their new Big Base 8-Valve machines in Los Angeles to open Jack Prince's latest motordrome, the 50-degree banked boards of the L.A. Stadium. On February 12, 1912, Hasha, who was making his debut in Los Angeles, leveled the field of Class A competitors onboard his new Big Base 8-Valve labeled No. 32 in front of an opening crowd of 8,000. Hasha not only won each event in distances of 2, 3, and 4 miles, beating out Excelsior's team of Wolters, DeRosier, and Balke but in each distance he ran, he reclaimed the standing record by wide margins. Within two weeks, Hasha and Seymour had reclaimed all of the records recently lost to the Excelsior squad with their pair of Big Base machines. On April 7, at the big mile at Playa Del Rey, Hasha smashed the record marks from 1 to 10 miles, hitting a new top speed of 95 mph with his powerful Big Base further establishing as the best tool for the job at hand.
Seymour and Hasha continued on their war path in the early 1912 season onboard the only two Big Base 8-Valves to have rolled out of Springfield. Then, on July 4, 1912, the world's best motorcycle racers descended on Columbus, Ohio, for the opening races at the country's latest motordrome. Race promoter and track builder Jack Prince upped the scale of the new track, increasing its length to 1/2 mile with a continuous banking of 48 degrees. The opening events were scheduled as the first F.A.M. National Championship races, drawing in the biggest names in the country and the absolute best the manufacturers had to offer. However, due to conflicts between management at Excelsior and officials in the F.A.M., the Chicago-based marque refused to participate in the races in Columbus. On the other hand, Oscar Hedstrom arrived in force, with second pair of Big Base machines to compete alongside Seymour and Hasha. Morty Graves, another seasoned pioneer racer from the early days at L.A.'s Agriculture Park, was tapped to mount one of the new Big Bases, the other being staged in the pits as a reserve.
Despite having been fired with DeRosier the season prior, Charlie Balke remained one of the best riders in the sport as the star rider at Excelsior and arrived eager to talk his way into a ride on the new Big Base. Then, at the last minute, Hedstrom decided to grant Balke’s wish, giving his old champion Ca chance to run in the time trial event onboard the reserve Big Base. Without a single practice lap on the new machine, Charlie “Fearless” Balke shot around the 1/2-mile saucer coming within a fraction of a second of Eddie Hasha, hitting a top speed of 94 MPH, and securing his old spot on the Springfield factory team. Indian's Johnny U. Constant took the National Amateur title onboard a modified production F-head, while Ray Seymour decimated the competition taking every race and becoming the first National Champion onboard his Big Base.
The machine was Hedstrom's swan song at Indian, a fiery purebred birthed at the peak of the motordrome craze in America which put Indian back on top. Still, just as soon as the Big Base 8-Valve, the quintessential racing machine arrived on the timber saucers, the sport was already nearing its end. In just the first half of 1912 alone, ten riders had met their end in motordromes across the country. America's first motorcycling racing star, Jake DeRosier, was in a poor state following his collision with Balke in March at the L.A. Stadium. His injuries that day would ultimately lead to his death in 1913 after three failed surgeries on his injured leg. Public interest was declining given the rising death toll, when, in September, the tragedy that unfolded at the Vailsburg Motordrome would rattle the country to its core. The gruesome accident at Vailsburg claimed the life of young Eddie Hasha, teammate Johnny Albright, and a handful of young spectators turned the country's stomachs. Reigning national champion Ray Seymour and several other veteran riders promptly decided the risks were now too great and retired from racing altogether. Charlie Balke all but quit as well, stepping away for month’s before returning to win the inaugural Eglin road race in July of the following year. 1913 would mark the transition away from the perilous motordromes that had been so popular, as manufacturers, racers, and the F.A.M. began favoring flat tracks and the emerging Grand Prix style racing. For Indian's Big Base 8-Valve, the abrupt transition in racing venues marked the end for the iconic machine, for what is the greatest board track racing motorcycle ever produced without a board track on which to race it?
This image was taken at the F.A.M. National Championship races at the Columbus Motordrome on July 4, 1912. The spry little bulldog sitting atop is Charles Gustafson Jr., a member of the extended family at Indian and an accomplished racer in his own right. His father, Charles Sr., was a fellow Swedish immigrant, a close friend of Oscar Hedstrom, and an equally talented engineer. Gustafson Sr. had pioneered side-valve engines at Reading Standard in 1907, leaving to become Hedstrom's assistant in 1909. It was Gustafson Sr. who would take the engineering reigns over from Hedstrom upon his retirement in 1913 and would be the architect behind the 1916 side-valve Powerplus, laying the groundwork for Indian motorcycles for the four decades ahead. Gustafson, who was unhand but not competing in Columbus on July 4, 1912, then, represents the next era for Indian just before the shift, perched atop the final contribution made by its originator Oscar Hedstrom at the height of the famed motordrome era.
Want to be a part of preserving and sharing America’s rich history of motorcycle culture? Consider becoming a Patron of the new Archive Moto Patreon page. Supporters gain access to weekly bonus photos, exclusive content, Q&A’s, early access and discounts on books and merch, and more. Moreover, becoming a part of the Archive Moto Patreon community helps the project continue to research and share this remarkable history. Check out the page at www.Patreon.com/TheArchiveMoto.