Fred Marsh
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| Fred Marsh |
"Indians was fascinating and it rode better and it was quicker and it just appealed to me for some reason I can’t explain."
When
we interviewed Fred Marsh he was 96 years old and the oldest Indian Motocycle
dealer. He bought his first Indian motorcycle at 16, before he was legally
allowed to drive it on the public roads. He got his start at dirt track
racing in 1924- when the AMA would not permit the use of brakes or a clutch.
He also raced in short course and hill climbs. Fred bought his factory
original racing motorcycle for $300 plus $9 tax. Protective gear was limited
to a leather football helmet, leather jacket and heavy boots. Fred raced
professionally until he was 58 but continued to participate in amateur
races well into his 80’s. In 1926, he took on the Indian Motocycle
dealership in Hartford, CT. He continues to work seven days a week at
his motorcycle shop in Connecticut.
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Jim Seidell / Butch Baer / Jack Armstrong
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