All,
Did a little research and found a decent article on Wiki about
it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henderson_Motorcycle
What I didn't realize was that someone started up a new
Excelsior Henderson Company in the late 90s - and they actually produced
some motorcycles.
-Joey
On Fri, Jan 4, 2013 at 12:24 AM, surfswab <[email protected]> wrote:
> Henderson was one of the top 3 American manufacturers back in the day,
> after Harley and Indian. There were others as well, but consolidation
> of companies and the depression took its toll on most.
>
> That model was either extremely forward thinking or current motorcycle
> designers have reached back to it for design elements. I see
> similarities in the bat wing style fairing for instance, which occurs
> on today's Harleys, fenders and tank on the Victory, covered fenders
> on the Indian and the general "voluptuousness" of the Honda Rune.
>
> Interesting that that one was built b.f. (Before Fiberglass).
>
> On Jan 2, 11:08 pm, [email protected] wrote:
> > This is sweet! I never heard of the brand but I guess it was short
> lived!!
> >
> >
> > Glenn
> >
> > Subject: : 1930 Henderson "Streamliner"
> >
> >
> >
> > 1930 Henderson "Streamliner"The motorcycling world loves a
> ‘barn find’, an old, obscure machine wheeled out of the woodwork for the
> first time.
> >
> > It’s a 1930 Henderson that was customized before WW2 by a fellow called
> O. Ray Courtney and fitted with ‘streamliner’ bodywork.One night in March,
> 1930, O. Ray Courtney worked until two a.m. and drove home discouraged. He
> was trying to design a better motorcycle.He wanted one with the seat
> forward, with better cooling, better springing and a more beautiful body.
> Discarded sketches littered the floor of his shop. That night in a dream he
> saw a steamlined beauty skim across a flowered field. Too excited to report
> for work the next day, he hastily put his dream on paperand he is riding
> that dream cycle now through the streets of Pontiac , Mich
> >
> > The art deco influence is obvious; legendary automotive designer Harley
> Earl could have drawn those curves.It’s all the more unusual because the
> mechanicals are hidden: even at the height of the Art Deco movement, most
> motorcycles were a triumph of form over function, with exposed cooling
> fins, brake drums and suspension springs.The bike is owned by collector
> Frank Westfall of Syracuse .It caused a stir in June 2010 when it appeared
> at the Rhinebeck Grand National Meet, a motorcycle show held a couple of
> hours drive north of NYC.
> >
> > Grail Mortillaro (of the chopper blog Knucklebusterinc) had a camera to
> hand, so we have him to thank for these images.I took these photos at the
> Rhinebeck Grand National Meet where the newly restored bike was unveiled.
> The bike belongs to Frank Westfall from Syracuse , NY .According to some
> info I found online, the bike was originally built by O. Ray Courtney in
> 1936 and is based on a 1930 K.J Henderson . The bike is powered by inline
> four cylinder (not a scooter as some have said, check the shot of the motor
> below) and as I’m sure you can gather by now, is a one-off custom.What I
> can confirm is it does run and while it looked a bit unwieldy, Frank could
> be seen riding the bike around the Fairgrounds all weekend. But let’s be
> honest here (and maybe I’m wrong) - you don’t have this bike in your stable
> to go out for a long Sunday afternoon ride to get some ice cream. That
> said, it was pretty awesome to see the bike being ridden (even when rain
> started to come down) instead of being sheltered behind a velvet rope,
> never to see the rubber touch asphalt again. The bike is a fantastic piece
> of history, the craftsmanship is absolutely stunning and it’s surely more
> of a museum piece than a daily rider.
> >
> > Frank has obviously spent an incredible amount of time meticulously
> restoring and rebuilding the bike to its current gorgeous state. Hats off
> to Frank for the amazing work he did and for sharing it with all us
> gawkers. Frank, if you see this and want to send in more info about the
> bike, I’d love to share it
> >
> > Henderson was a Chicago brand and one of the American ‘Big Three’ (with
> Harley-Davidson and Indian) until the onset of the Great Depression. It
> went bust in 1931. But you can see the influence of the ‘streamliner’ style
> on another contemporary North American brand : Victory.If there’s a
> spiritual successor to this Henderson custom, it’s the Victory Vision Tour,
> a gargantuan cruiser with completely enclosed bodywork and not a leather
> tassel or saddlebag in sight.
>
>
> "If you don't know where you are
> going, any road will get you there."
> > Lewis Carroll
> >
> >
>
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>
>
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-Joey Kelley
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