They were called the “Duesenberg of motorcycles,” and this magnificent 1922 Excelsior-Henderson DeLuxe Four shows why: Hendersons were the biggest, most expensive and fastest street motorcycles built in America. Every Henderson motorcycle from its 1912 debut to its 1931 demise was a big, fast machine and durable too, as proved when Carl Stearns Clancy became the first person to circle the globe on a new 1912 Henderson Four. The brand was the brainchild of William Henderson, whose very DNA rested in the American motor industry: his grandfather founded Winton Motors, among the oldest auto builders in the USA, and his father was Vice President of Winton. Young William had no interest in cars but was obsessed with the idea of building an elegant 4-cylinder motorcycle. By 1911 he had a prototype running, and with an initial family investment of $175,000, William and his brother Tom Henderson founded the Henderson Motorcycle Co. in 1912. Henderson’s Fours were widely praised from the start, as beautifully made, elegantly styled, smooth and very quick, but the company probably lost money on every bike sold. By 1917, as inflation of labor and materials costs cut into their business, the brothers Henderson sold their company to Ignaz Schwinn, who added fours to his Excelsior singles and V-twins. Schwinn kept his Excelsior-Hendersons in the press by supporting long-distance tests and speed contests. In 1917, Alan Bedell and his Henderson took four days off “Cannonball” Baker’s fastest cross-country ride. Police departments and gentleman riders appreciated the quiet quality of the smooth 4-cylinder, which is among the quietest fours ever built in America. In 1920, Arthur O. Lemon took over the engineering of new Excelsior- Henderson models under Schwinn, building them stronger and more powerful. His 1920 Model K used a 1301cc sidevalve motor with full pressure oiling and 28 HP, with a top speed of 80 MPH. The Model K used steel forgings for the frame lugs, and the machine featured electric lighting and a fully enclosed chain. The DeLuxe model was released in 1922, which had a larger carburetor, better cylinder head cooling and a new exhaust system and seat. A Police Department version of the DeLuxe was tested by the San Diego Police at a genuine 100 MPH, which initiated a fight with Harley-Davidson, who challenge Excelsior-Henderson to a speed contest at Dundee Road in Chicago. A Harley-Davidson won the first heat, but lost the next 11, with the Excelsior-Henderson exceeding 100 MPH on subsequent runs. Later that year, Wells Bennet and his Henderson DeLuxe set a new 24-hour endurance record in Tacoma, adding up 1562.54 miles at an average speed of 65.1 MPH. It was a solo record not beaten for 15 years. This magnificent Excelsior-Henderson DeLuxe Four is fully restored to correct and original condition, with many charming extras, like a spotlamp, Klaxon horn, “stop” taillight and parcel rack. THE BOB WEAVER COLLECTION S188 1922 EXCELSIOR-HENDERSON LONG TANK DELUXE
