Decades before Polaris Industries acquired Indian Motorcycle, the manufacturer traded hands numerous times, giving rise to a number of very…non-Indian Indians. For a time Brockhouse Engineering sold rebadged and slightly modified Royal Enfields under the Indian name. The company was later sold off again, this time to AMC, which proceeded to sell rebadged AJS and Matchless bikes as Indians, though this too ended when AMC went under in the early ‘60s.
It was at this point that Floyd Clymer entered the fray. In addition to being a well-known racer, motorcycle dealer, writer, publisher, and promoter, Cylmer was also responsible for arranging a deal with Italjet head honcho, Leopoldo Tartarini, to produce Indian-branded minis powered by 50cc Minarelli singles that were fittingly dubbed the “Papoose”. A few years later, Clymer passed away, at which point the Indian trademark was reportedly sold to his lawyer, Alan Newman.
As the mini market was booming at the time, Newman opted to continue importing the Italjet minis, believing that a range of Indian minis had the potential to attract young riders and establish brand loyalty that would ensure the company’s longevity. In ’71, the Los Angeles-based attorney inked a deal with a factory in Taipei that agreed to produce mini Indians using existing 70, 75, 80, 100, 125, and 175cc mills from Minarelli and Fuji.
One of the machines produced at the factory in Taipei was a tenth-liter dirt bike called the MT100. I’m a little confused as to whether or not the MT100 and ME100 are the same bike, just sold under different names in different markets, or if there are any differences. The MT100 was powered by an air-cooled, two-stroke, 97cc single fed through a Mikuni VM22 carb and paired with a five-speed gearbox. Even with drum brakes fore and aft, and a relatively heavy steel tube chassis, the Indian 100 still weighed in at just 190 lbs wet (175 lbs dry), enabling riders to make the most of the Fuji F500K’s 8 horsepower.
This particular MT100 example has reportedly undergone an extensive restoration, and according to the seller the machine “runs like new”. You can find this 1974 Indian MT100 for sale here on Craigslist in Chester, New Jersey with a price of $2,000.