1948 Indian Roadmaster

Updated August 7, 2026

Lot number	600
Auction	Oily Rag Rare Parts & Bikes Winter Auction August 2026
Date	August 16, 2026 at 6:13 AM EDT
Auction house	Oily Rag Auctions
Location	Richmond

This is an opportunity to own a most desirable Indian motorcycle.Very good condition, was imported from the USA and rallied in Australia. Ready to be rallied again. By 1948, Indian Motorcycle was struggling. In the post-war years, returning GIs who'd learned to ride during their service fueled a motorcycle boom, and Indian struggled to keep up with demand after the company changed hands in 1945. From 1946 to mid-1948, the Chief was the only model Indian offered, essentially a pre-war design updated with girder-spring front forks borrowed from the military Model 841. With British motorcycles starting to gain traction in the American market, Indian's management focused its energy on developing new vertical singles and twins rather than overhauling the Chief. eBay + 3 Starting in 1946, Indian began giving the Chief secondary model names depending on which accessory group was bundled with it, and 1948's three trim groups were the Roadmaster, Sportsman, and Clubman. Indian only built about 3,000 motorcycles that year across these three groups, making 1948 bikes relatively scarce today. Motorcycle Classics J.D. Power What made the Roadmaster special The Roadmaster was the top-of-the-line touring package: it added a lot of chrome, a side stand and center stand, a steering damper, a "Chum-Me" double seat, twin spotlights, a windshield, and saddlebags, and was offered in Indian Red, DeLuxe Black, and Seafoam Blue. The buddy seat had an auxiliary set of springs for a softer ride for both rider and passenger, with arched chrome tubing forming a backrest and plenty of black leather tassels draping the seat and handlebars. Other Roadmaster-specific touches included chrome crash guards at the rear, a luggage rack, and a Roadmaster badge on the front fender. Motorcycle Classics + 2 What changed for the 1948 model year specifically Few changes were made compared to 1947, but notably: the frame was altered, the speedometer was now driven from the front wheel instead of the back, the horn design changed, and the generator gained a voltage regulator. Tires also changed from 4.5x18-inch to a taller, thinner 5x16-inch size, which handled better but was less comfortable and stylish than the old fat tires. Motorcycle Classics Motorcycle Classics Mechanical specs Engine: 42-degree side-valve V-twin, air-cooled, dry-sump, roughly 1,212cc (73.6 cubic inches) eBay Output: around 38–40 horsepower eBay Top speed: around 85 mph eBay Fuel/oil: three-compartment tank arrangement on the backbone — one side held over two gallons of gas, the other held another gallon of gas plus a 2.5-quart oil reservoir eBay Transmission: 3-speed hand shifter on the tank, originally paired with a foot-operated clutch (some surviving bikes have since been converted to hand-clutch operation) eBay Legacy Indian's fortunes didn't improve — the company ended all motorcycle production by 1953. That collapse, combined with the low original production numbers, is part of why well-preserv

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