The Peterson Automotive Museum Presents Harley Versus Indian

The Petersen’s newest exhibit will celebrate the century old rivalry between Harley-Davidson and Indian. The exhibit explores the history of competition between the two American motorcycle manufacturers. It will be held in the Museum Richard Carter Family Gallery, and will open to the public on Saturday March 4. The Petersen Automotive Museum is located on the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles, 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

12 Responses to “The Peterson Automotive Museum Presents Harley Versus Indian”


  1. 1 BobS Feb 26th, 2017 at 12:14 pm

    I dig museums and I really dig old motorcycles. But there’s a great disturbance in the force today. “Celebrating 100 years of rivalry”…um no, there aren’t 100 years of rivalry and no I’m not talking about corporate changes in ownership. I’m talking about the true nature of rivalry. What made this competition a rivalry 100 years ago was two motorcycle companies each trying to build the best motorcycle. It wasn’t about which company had the most authentic corporate heritage and culture, and it wasn’t about which company paid the most homage to it’s past success. It was about which motorcycle was the fastest. Which brand made the most dependable, most rugged, most capable bike for the least amount of money. That’s what the rivalry WAS. Today the rivalry is which comapany best pretends to be something it’s not by imitating something it used to be. I probably as much or more than anyone was hopeful that more competition would bring better products to market and for a time that appeared to be working. But with Indian so laser focused on pretending to be 118 years old and making bikes that look like they came from the 40’s, with the demise of Victory, and with the lack of cruiser competition form foreign brands, I’m now skeptical. The manufacturing wars have given way to the marketing wars. Why can’t the best performing bikes also look good and be comfortable to ride?

  2. 2 Teddy Feb 26th, 2017 at 2:05 pm

    Wish I could visit.

  3. 3 seymour Feb 26th, 2017 at 2:45 pm

    Sponsored by Indian

  4. 4 Janos Kafka Feb 26th, 2017 at 4:57 pm

    Amen BobS ! You said it all so I don’t have to .

  5. 5 Calif Phil Feb 27th, 2017 at 8:07 am

    It’s a great museum It should be on everyone’s TO DO list

  6. 6 SIGFREED Feb 27th, 2017 at 8:24 am

    Not to detract from the good work done by the historians – but AMEN to BobS.

    I have a feeling that the ‘other American’ – viz MOTUS – may just be ticking many of his boxes. Perhaps they need to step up their “marketing” (in the void created by the loss of the Victory) and show their target market how they are everything the geriatrics (ie the ones born more than a hundred years ago) are not and should be.

    I have never ridden a MOTUS, have not even seen one, but I bet it will hold its own comfortably alongside the Germans, Italians and Japanese.

    MAKE AMERICAN MOTORCYCLES GREAT AGAIN…

  7. 7 boston jim Feb 27th, 2017 at 9:33 am

    We all need to start an email campaign to Jay Leno, to do one of his shows at this new exhibit, Jay’s the Guy, to pull it off? Please Jay?

  8. 8 Jim Tom Feb 27th, 2017 at 12:13 pm

    Sigfreed, teh Motus is amazing and hand built about an hour from my home. I rode one last year and I am currently have a laser focus on one. Hope to be an owner/rider in 24 months 🙂

  9. 9 Opera N Iron Feb 27th, 2017 at 5:01 pm

    It was not that long ago that we had great, American motorcycles winning the AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike championship against the likes of Aprilia, Ducati, Triumph, AND the big 4 from Japan. That same year, this same, little, American motorcycle company won the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championship against the great biggest American motorcycle company, Harley-Davidson. Now that great, little, American motorcycle company is extinct. And that is only because today’s big, American motorcycle companies care more about being profitable than they do about being great.

  10. 10 fuji Feb 27th, 2017 at 7:05 pm

    Opera N Iron. I can appreciate your enthusiasm but your interpretation of what transpired in racing is questionable. Be a little more specific.

  11. 11 Pat h Feb 27th, 2017 at 10:24 pm

    Buell

  12. 12 Opera N Iron Feb 28th, 2017 at 1:31 pm

    fuji, no questionable interpretation here. In 2009 Danny Eslick won the AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike championship on a Buell. That same year, Hector Arana won the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championship on a Buell. Not too shabby for a small, American motorcycle company of only 180 employees, especially when you consider the mammoth, factory-backed racing programs they went up against.

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Cyril Huze