GROUP This 1914 Excelsior Model 7-C is an older restoration of a twin- cylinder, single-speeder with all chain drive, which sold for $225 when new. The 61 CI (1000cc) motor developed 10 HP, and it was equipped with a Bosch magneto and Schebler Model H carburetor. The Excelsior 7-C’s engine was advanced in using positive lubrication, with a pump on the timing cover feeding the main bearings and cylinder walls, while the Eclipse clutch was controlled on the left handlebar through a system of rods and pulleys. Ignaz Schwinn, born in 1860 in Baden, Germany, was an American success story who became a household name for nearly a century. He trained as a machinist and worked at the Kleyer bicycle works (which later became Adler), gradually rising to factory manager and bicycle designer. In 1891, he immigrated to the U.S., landing in Chicago for the World’s Fair. His industrious work ethic in the bicycle trade attracted the attention of a wealthy Chicago financier, Adolph Arnold, and the pair set up a bicycle manufacture as Arnold, Schwinn & Co. Arnold retired in 1908, and by 1911, the Schwinn Mfg. Co. built 100,000 bicycles per year, making Ignaz Schwinn a very wealthy man. That year he decided to add motorcycle manufacture to his portfolio and purchased the second-largest motorcycle company in the U.S., the struggling Excelsior Motor and Mfg. Co., for $147,000. The company’s Excelsior Auto-Cycle was solid, reliable and easily maintained, and it had an excellent dealer network. In 1913, two motorcyclists did extraordinary duty with standard Excelsiors. Lee Humiston became the first motorcyclist to achieve a properly timed 100 MPH, and Bob Perry covered 303.75 miles in 5 hours, 22 minutes and 8 seconds during the Savannah road race. By 1914, the Excelsior Auto-Cycle was advertised in seven different models, priced according to specification. This 1914 Excelsior Model 7-C features the model’s first-year footboards ahead of the starter pedals, and it’s powered by a 62 CI motor and a single-speed, all- chain drive with a clutch. 1914 EXCELSIOR TWIN F249
