Indian Motorcycle continues its six-part Forged video series by introducing vintage racer and restorer, Brittney Olsen as the second of three renowned builders creating unique customs around the all-new Indian Scout platform, with each build rooted in a historical figure, machine, or era of inspiration taken from Scout’s storied 100+ year history.
The Forged series highlights how customizers were always in the minds of Indian Motorcycle’s design and engineering teams when developing the all-new Indian Scout. With a new steel tube frame plus easily removed and replaced metal bodywork, the Indian Scout is much easier to work with making it a perfect canvas for self-expression.
Olsen, a champion American antique motorcycle racer and founder of 20th Century Racing, has been on a mission to preserve and honor the legacy of early American motorcycle racing, bringing her passion and enthusiasm to every project with the aim of inspiring others. From an upbringing surrounded by machine tools in her father’s fabrication workshop, Olsen was primed for a future in racing, restoration and customization, but it was meeting drag race legend, Shirley Muldowney that made Olsen realize that women could be racers too and which really set things in motion for Olsen.
With the role model of Shirley Muldowney, Olsen has been championing the women of American motorcycling from the early 1940s and 1950s ever since, and one rider in particular, Cecilia Adams, is the source of inspiration for Olsen’s Forged Indian Scout.
“I have this one image, and it is just ingrained in my brain,” says Olsen. “That Cecilia Adams bike. That was a period correct custom. We’re talking about when customs were just not something you would see. The thing with Cecilia, she’s so well documented on that bike, riding that bike, racing that bike. That’s what I hope to do in the 21st century. I hope to be like a Cecilia Adams.”
Hosted by fellow builder Roland Sands, episode two sees Sands and Olsen discuss this legacy, 20th Century Racing’s previous builds, and plans for the new Scout project. With the bike already partly stripped down, Olsen describes plans to take the look really old school with a girder front end, Flanders bars and the idea of extending the rear metal fender to echo the look of early Scout models.
With all three builds to be fully revealed in the second half of the Forged video series, the next episode will introduce the third builder, Ronna Noren from renowned Swedish builders, Unique Custom Cycles.
Watch Season 2, Episode 2 at the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vj2MIOLg98