Book excerpt: In The Harley-Davidson and Indian Wars, author Allan Girdler takes you on a colorful tour of the men and machines that competed to dominate the American motorcycle industry. This book chronicles the legendary machines such as the Knucklehead and the Four, as well as motorcycles like the Hummer and the Model CZ whose times came and went or, perhaps, never came at all. The racing history is also told with a flourish, from the days of total-loss oiling, wooden race tracks, and high mortality rates to the cataclysmic times of Class C racing, when roaring V-twin -powered beasts were manhandled on dirt tracks, asphalt, and through the nastiest terrain the country has to offer. The Harley-Davidson and Indian Wars tells the story of these two makers, from the days when Harley-Davidsons were built in the Davidson family's back yard to the tragic demise of the Indian Motorcycle company.