A superb and rare photo a Henderson motorcycle engine,
photographed in 1910s!
In 1911 the American Henderson
Motorcycle Co., 268 Jefferson Ave.,
Detroit, Michigan,
was formed by William G. Henderson in partnership with his brother Tom W.
Henderson. Bill had the ideas and enthusiasm for motorcycling, and Tom had the
better financial acumen. The Henderson
brothers constructed a single prototype motorcycle during 1911. The prototype
had the belt drive typical of the times, but this was changed to chain drive
for production models. Henderson Motorcycle promptly announced a new 57 cubic
inch (934 cc) IOE four cylinder 7 hp motorcycle, with the engine
mounted inline with the frame and chain drive. Production began in 1911, using
the in-line four cylinder engine and long wheelbase that would become Henderson trademarks, and
it was available to the public in January 1912. Advertisements boasted 7 H.P.
and a price of $325. It was the third, four cylinder, production motorcycle
built in the USA., and featured a folding hand-crank starter handle.
Improvements included a better brake (singular), lower seating position, and
improved girder forks. It was in this year that Carl Stearns Clancy of New York returned from
circling the globe on a 1912 Henderson,
armed with many photographs to prove it. The 1914 Model C had a two-speed
gearbox incorporated in the rear hub. (The first Henderson to have gears.)
Shortly after the Model D was announced, it was followed by a Model E, with the
wheelbase reduced from 65” to 58”, through a change in the footboards, and this
improved handling. The 1916 Henderson Model F featured a shorter wheelbase that
became the standard, and the engine now incorporated a cam gear driven “mechanical
oiler”, and a kick-start. With the 1917 Hendersons the old splash lubrication
was superseded by wet sump lubrication. A three-speed gearbox was now attached
to the engine and incorporated a heavy-duty clutch. Sales soared and new
dealerships were established. Alan Bedell averaged 48 mph for
1154 miles at Ascot Park in California setting a new 24 hour record,
and then, on June 13, 1917, broke the transcontinental long distance record of
1915 (set by “Cannonball” Baker on an Indian Twin,) when he rode his 1917
Henderson from Los Angeles to the city of New York (3,296 miles) in seven
days, sixteen hours, and fifteen minutes. The roads outside of towns were
primitive by today’s standards, and the ride would have been more like an off
road ride than the highway tour of today. The Cannonball Baker
Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash was named in Baker's honor. Despite
record breaking and racing successes, the effects of WW1 on sales had damaged
their financial position. In 1917 the Hendersons sold the firm to Ignaz
Schwinn, owner of Schwinn, the manufacturer of Schwinn bicycles and Excelsior
motorbikes. Production was moved to Schwinn's Excelsior Motor Mfg.& Supply
Co., 3701 Cortland Street, Chicago, Illinois. Hendersons were marketed
extensively overseas as well as in the United States during the Schwinn years.
Today, there are almost as many extant Hendersons in Europe and Australia/New
Zealand as in the U.S. The Excelsior name had already been used in Germany and
Britain, so export models were marketed as the "American-X". When
production resumed for the new Model H, the engine serial numbers began with a
Z, instead of the older H. The Henderson had the following specifications. The
engine was an inline four with IOE valve layout. Its displacement: 67 cubic
inches (1100 cc), bore x stroke: 2.53 x 3.0 inches (64.3x77.7 mm). The
carburetor was a Schebler and ignition was by magneto. A 3-speed transmission
was fitted. Only the rear featured a brake, by band. Tire size was 3.00x28
inches (7.62x71 cm) (front and rear). Initially Bill and Tom Henderson worked
in management at Excelsior (with Tom receiving twice the pay of Bill), but Tom
soon left, early in 1919, to become a Henderson exporter. The 1919 Model Z
included a GE generator on the Z-2 “electric” model. The 70 cubic inch
(1147 cc) 4-cylinder developed 14.2 H.P. This model had a new Henderson
logo which included the red Excelsior “X”. In 1915 Arthur O. Lemon had joined
Henderson as a salesman, and was employed in the Excelsior Engineering
Department after the sale of Henderson. Lemon designed an updated motor for the
1920 Model K. Bill Henderson and Arthur Lemon had worked closely together in
the past, but Bill didn’t like Lemon’s changes toward heavier motorcycles. He
left in 1920, before the Model K came into production, to form the Ace Motor
Corporation, where he would make the lighter, faster motorcycles he had
envisioned. Arthur Lemon was then put in charge of engineering for Excelsior
and Henderson. The Model K weighed more, produced more power, and was more
durable and reliable than its predecessors. The 79.4 cubic inch (1301 cc)
side valve engine, with 2.6875 inch (68.3 mm) bore, and 3.5 inch
(88.9 mm) stroke, was rated at 18 hp (28 bhp) The K had a top
speed of 80 mph (128 km/h). The Henderson Model K was the first
motorcycle to use full pressure engine lubrication. It was also the first
motorcycle to offer, an optional, reverse gear (for use with sidecars). The
frame had steel forgings on every joint. Forks and handlebars were the same as
the Series 20 Excelsior. Among its several advanced features were electric
lighting and a fully-enclosed chain. The K continued on sale to 1922, with
sales increasing despite the post WW1 depression. Increasingly, Henderson
motorcycles were being used by law enforcement agencies, and their reputation
continued to improve, with durability and distance records often falling to
them. In 1922 the 28 hp (at 3400 rpm) DeLuxe was released.
Improvements included a larger, more efficient carburetor, improved intake
manifold and rear brakes; redesigned crankshaft, cylinder head cooling, exhaust
system and seat. There were also optional Lynite die-cast alloy pistons and a
revised reverse gear. The heavier Police Department version was demonstrated
first to the Chicago Police, and achieved 98 mph. When it was demonstrated
to the San Diego Police a genuine 100 mph was achieved. Harley Davidson,
decided to challenge Henderson to a contest that was held at Dundee Road,
Chicago, in April 1922. The Harley won the first heat, but lost the other
eleven, with the Henderson exceeding 100 mph. This was a shining hour for
Henderson. Between May 30 and 31, 1922 Wells Bennet and his Henderson Deluxe
set a new 24 hour endurance record (including all the intermediate
records) at the Tacoma Speedway, Washington, clocking up 1562.54 miles
averaging 65.1 mph. This record was not beaten until 1933, by a Peugeot
with a team of four. The solo record was not bettered until 1937 when Fred
Ham’s 61 cubic inch Harley averaged 76 mph. On December 11, 1922 William
Henderson was killed in a motor accident testing his new Ace. In 1923 Arthur O.
Lemon left Excelsior to become chief engineer for Ace. The 1926 Henderson had
its frame redesigned with a downward slope to the rear for a lower centre of
gravity. This enabled the fitting of a shorter, wider, 4 US gallon (15 litre)
fuel tank. Three ring alloy pistons were now standard, the cylinders and
camshaft were changed, low and reverse gear ratios were altered and it was fitted
with larger 3.85” tyres. The 1927 Henderson DeLuxe featured machined and
polished “Ricardo” cylinder-heads and developed 35 hp at 3,800 rpm.
The clutch was strengthened with two extra plates. There was a new tank top
instrument cluster, featuring speedometer, ammeter, oil pressure gauge and a
headlight switch. There were new valve spring covers and an updated Zenith
carburetor. On January 27, 1927 the Indian Motorcycle Company purchased the Ace
Motor Corporation. Arthur Lemon moved to Indian, where the Ace was to become
the Indian Four. The 1928 Henderson DeLuxe engine had higher compression, and
hardened, polished steel valve guides. The front end was changed to leading
link forks and a front brake was added. The wheels were also changed to drop
center rims (may have happened mid year). In June 1928, Schwinn poached Arthur
Constantine from Harley-Davidson, to become Chief Engineer. Constantine looked
at the existing model, and embarked on a redesign. The Henderson Streamline
model, commonly called the "KJ", appeared in 1929, and featured
improved cooling and a return to the IOE (inlet over exhaust) valve
configuration, gave 40 bhp at 4000 rpm. It had a five main bearing
crankshaft, and down draft carburetion. Advertisements boasted of “57 New
Features”. The Streamline was fast - capable of a genuine 100 mph
(160 km/h), and advanced for its time, with such features as leading-link
forks and an illuminated speedometer built into the fuel tank. The Streamline
model was produced from 1929 until 1931, and sold for $435. On Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929,
the Wall Street stock market crashed, but Henderson
sales remained strong, and business continued. At this point Excelsior Motor
Mfg. & Supply Co. was one of America’s “Big Three” of motorcycle
production, alongside Harley Davidson and Indian. On April 29, 1930, the new Henderson “Special” KL
solo was demonstrated on a new smooth concrete Illinois highway. Joe Petrali achieved
116.12 mph and 109.09 mph on two recorded runs, averaging 112.61. The
higher compression two-ring pistons, and an enlarged 1.25 inch
(32 mm) carburetor, meant the KL engine produced 45 hp at
4,500 rpm. The KL was remarkably flexible in top gear, pulling smoothly
from 8 to 110 mph. They were even more popular with U.S. Police
Departments. The "Special" (KL) model was priced $30 more than the
regular KJ model, and was available in 1930 and 1931. The summer of 1931 saw
Schwinn call his department heads together for a meeting at Excelsior. He
bluntly told them, with no prior indication, “Gentlemen, today we stop”.
Schwinn felt that the Depression could easily continue for eight years, and
even worsen. Despite of the full order book, he had chosen to pare back his
business commitments to the core business, bicycle manufacture. By September
1931 it was all over. In 1994, founded by Dan and Dave Hanlon secured the
rights to the defunct Excelsior-Henderson trademark and founded the
Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Company in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. The company
declared bankruptcy in 1999 and folded soon after.
This is a very nice and very rare non period photo
that reflects a wonderful era of Henderson ‘s motorcycle history in a wonderful
way. This is your rare chance to own this photo, therefore it is printed
in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 11" (ca. 20 x 27 cm). It
makes it perfectly suitable for framing!
Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you
buy. For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on
photo, for ebay purposes only)
No copyright
expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our
archives that we have gathered from various sources.
All items always sent well
protected in PVC clear files and board backed
envelopes.
We have
photographs that came from professional collections and/or were bought from the
original photographer or press studio! They are all of professional and
excellent quality.
After many decades
of professionally collecting photographs and posters we are clearing out our
archives. They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They
will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a
border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace,
restaurant, bar or club!
First come -
first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any
questions before the auction ends.