Indian 5 H.P. Light Twin
Indian wrapped a brand-new loop frame around a compact V-twin and made an early motorcycle look much less like a bicycle with a motor attached.
1909 Indian 5 H.P. Light Twin cover · Unknown author · Public domain (PD-US)
More than a set of wheels.
Indian had already put a V-twin into production by 1907, but the 1909 line marked a bigger break with bicycle practice. The 5 H.P. Light Twin used the new loop frame, which carried the engine inside a continuous lower cradle. Its 38.61-cubic-inch twin sat between the smaller singles and the 61-cubic-inch Big Twin, giving riders a lighter way into V-twin motoring.
Look a little closer.
Indian's 1909 engine code used the letter A for the year, so the 5 hp twin family begins 20A001- in the club's surviving identification data.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A frame shaped for a motorcycle
Earlier Indians could use a diamond frame inherited from bicycles. The 1909 loop frame curved beneath the engine and made the engine part of a purpose-built motorcycle package. Museum histories identify 1909 as the key production-year change, although racing machines had explored loop-frame ideas earlier.
Source: Museum of American Speed · 1909 Indian ↗Why the gearbox remains carefully labeled
The Indian Motorcycle Club identification table calls the 20A 5 hp twin the first two-speed model. A surviving-machine image record describes a single-speed transmission, and museum pages say only that some period models had two speeds. The safest conclusion is that transmission equipment varied or surviving machines differ; this packet does not force one gearbox onto every 1909 Light Twin.
Source: Indian Motorcycle Club of America · 1901–1909 identification guide ↗The rider's starting controls
The Audrain museum's unrestored green twin uses its bicycle-like pedal cranks to help jump-start the engine. That surviving machine is described as single-speed, while other identification material calls the 20A family two-speed. The pedals are therefore documented rider controls, but the gearbox equipment remains survivor-specific rather than a universal claim for every Light Twin.
Source: Audrain Automobile Museum · 1909 Indian ↗Where these facts come from
- Indian Motorcycle Club of America · 1901–1909 identification guide
- Museum of American Speed · 1909 Indian
- Indian Motorcycle · official company history
- Audrain Automobile Museum · 1909 Indian
- Wikimedia Commons · 1909 Indian 5 HP Light Twin
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.