You Can’t Wear Out an Indian Scout: Indians and the Wall of Death

From the early days of the Tom Davis Trio to the current day, the Wall of Death has always been an attraction and the bike of choice for the riders has always been the Indian Scout - a bike from the 1920s which was especially suited to the Wall of Death. To quote Sammy Pierce, the world’s largest Indian motorcycle dealer: ‘You can’t wear out an Indian Scout, / or it’s brother the Indian Chief. / They’re built like rocks to stand hard knocks, / it’s the Harleys that cause the grief.’ The Indian Scout was never the best motorbike in the world, but it was the bike to use for trick riding on the Wall of Death. Indians were used because of their left-handed throttle control and low centre of gravity, which made them ideal for this risky form of entertainment. Wall of Death rider and owner Allan Ford and author Nick Corble tell the story in words and pictures of the Wall of Death and the famous Indian motorcycles used to ride this popular but but now rare fairground attraction.