The Greatest American Motorcycle isn't a Harley or Indian
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- Опубліковано 20 січ 2024
- Today we're looking at the history of one of the most Iconic but often overlooked American Motorcycle companies: The Henderson Motorcycle Company.
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My father owned a Henderson in 1932 which he would ride from LA to June Lake over the Mojave desert for his summer job at June Lake lodge (east side of the Sierra). He was 16 at the time & the road over the Mojave was simply boards placed on the sand. He told me tales of dragging large blocks of ice from the lakeside icehouse up to the lodge by pulling them behind his Henderson. My dad was always a bit of a ladies man & I assume the Henderson did not hurt his reputation! I envy his summertime motorcycle adventures during that period. My dad rode his entire life, never being without a motorcycle. I have followed in his wheel tracks having ridden since I was 5. I am 73 now, own 3 bikes & always choose 2 wheels over 4 whenever possible.
Amazing story, thanks for sharing
You are my brother from another mother
Thanks For The Awesome Comment
My dad told about his four cylinder Henderson he had till my grandmother found out, No more Henderson. Great video, Thanks!
You must have been crying when you found out.
No...he was telling that story since I was 6. My dad had it when he was twenty something, and he was born 1915.
So your grandfather sold it?
Sorry dude, but he shouldn't get married 😁
That all happened in the 1930s as he told.@@jasonlemuel5078
I'm surprised that you didn't mention that the Henderson Brothers created ACE after they left Schwinn due to creative differences. They continued to develop four cylinder motorcycles until the death of William Henderson in 1922. He died in an accident test riding a new model.
Oh, whatta shame.
Then Indian bought Ace and that was developed into the indian 4. End of the lineage in '41.
My grandfather lived in NYC after arriving in Ellis Island around 1908. He bought a Henderson in 1913 and at one point he rode his Henderson from NYC to Hartford. It took days. I wish I had seen photos and learned more about his days motorcycling and that particular motorcycle. It became my lifelong passion to ride on and off road. I just turned 65 and I just can't stop. Great video.
Rickenbacker's, or the Fern Bar, that once existed in San Francisco's financial district, was full of track bikes. I walked in for a beer and ended up spending hours studying and photographing these velodrome racing motorcycles. I met the owner who said he bought the motorcycles at auction throughout the Midwest.
A friend of mine has a Henderson motor sitting under his workbench in his dad's wood work shop... it's been there for 40 plus years.. I love just looking at it and touching it when I go by there. Magical 😊❤
A guy shows up at the Vanilla Bean in CT on one unrestored but running well. Its amazing!!!!
Pre dating the Henderson were FN, which I believe was the first inline four and Pierce;
The first FN four was in 1905
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_Four
And in the US the first Pierce four was in 1909
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierce_Four
Would love to see a sequel video about the ACE brand of Motorcycles (1920-1926).
There was a short production run for the later Excelsior Henderson bikes. A fella just a half mile from where I was back in 2013 sold one of those late 1990s bikes for $4500. He acquired it from his late brother. I thought about buying it but was concerned about maintenance and parts availability ,and I wanted a bike to actually ride. That bike is probably sitting in someone's collection now. Waiting to be appreciated.
I have one and love it. You can get parts and there is good technical support out there.
I Also Own A 1999 Excelsior Henderson #906 It Went Through Atlantic Excelsior Henderson In Virginia. ThankYou To Jamie And Martie Jones
When I was a teenager in the late 60's and and earlt 70's my friends and I had bikes we'd ride on a neighbours farm. The farmer would sometimes stop by the shop where we worked on them and tell stories of his youth. One time we were going to push-start a bike and he joined in, saying "I hope Im not pushing you towards your death." Once we got the bike going we asked what he meant. It turns out he had a friend with a Henderson four that stopped by the farm and his bike wouldn't start, so they gave him a push. When it started the throttle was jammed wide open and he disappeared into a field of full grown green corn. He said when the bike stopped he walked into the field and found the poor guy out in the corn moaning, "His hands were ripped to shreds." I guess his face wasn't a whole lot better. I never knew they had a front seat for the women, what a selling point, eh?
I'd love to see a retro styled bike based on this, with the air cooled longitudinal 4 cylinder engines.
One of the my grandfathers had a used Henderson Four in the early 1920s. It was severely damaged in a fire and due circumstances beyond his control it was not rebuilt and the pieces were left in the storage area of a small auto repair shop in Eldorado, Arkansas. He didn't get another motorcycle until 1969 when he bought a Honda CB350. I wish he hadn't let the salesman talk him out of the CB450. Lower production machines always hold greater value.
My friend is a farmer in CT he has two Henderson that still run
I think I know him. Is he an older fellow? Always complaining about the government, the weather and the market price for his produce?
You knocked out of the ballpark with this video!
My dad had a Henderson KJ and 2 parts bikes which my brother and I still own. Dad rode with the Hiway Ramblers out of the Chicago area.
the engine longitudinal in the frame makes total sense I could see that engine with modern injection and water cooling lasting and lasting
Jaguar XKE inline six motorcycle. Alan Millyard are you listening?
Thanks, I admire the Henderson fours. Their descendants ACE and Indian-4 deserve mention as well, especially the phenomenal, but short lived ACE.
The DNA of Henderson is in the Indian Four as well. Henderson left Excelsior to begin Ace, which was eventually purchased by Indian.
What a great video! I love the detailed history. Keep up the great work!
Your videos and narration are always terrific, enjoyable and informative.
Great research dude
I always learn something new every time I watch a video on this channel. Thank you so much!
Great channel and great narration and content! Your presentation is very professional and you make an overall great video! Best of luck and continued success...
Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska has a couple of Hendersons.
...and the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, NY has at least one Henderson 4 + lots of aviation items; worth your time if in the Finger Lakes!
To me, the Harleys of 1912 really do look like jumped-up bicycles: sure, you've got a motor, but it looks like that thing ought to have a basket in front. The Henderson looks PROPERLY beefy, like a modern bike--that's my first impression, even though it's 112 years old. It looks like a bike from 20 years later. Absolutely ahead of its time.
fascinating - thanks - I can't imagine how quiet the earliest ones were with all those external moving parts clacking away under the rider's right leg.
More! More! Fascinating presentation and great narration!
One of the issues with the new X-Henderson, was another "Me-too" V-twin. They should have stuck with the small I-4 engine.
Agree. In this sales climate, I have no idea what it would take in order to survive. "Progress" these days can take a toll quickly.
Fascinating, enjoyed that thanks. Next time I visit Sammy Miller's museum I'll seek out the Hendersons.
Great video but somewhat disappointing that there's no mention of Carl Stearns Clancy's round the world ride on a Henderson 4 in 1912-13. I've read the book by Dr Gregory Frazier and that was an epic ride!
Yes, good point, I believe I saw the cover photo for that book, as it briefly flipped past in your video. Find and read this book, it probably had much to assist the Henderson sales of 1912 & 1913, to have regular installments of Clancy's round-the-world adventure.
Sincere request : SLOW DOWN the speed you flip through your still photos. Pick the best ones, and let us, your viewers, have a few moments to inspect them. Not everyone has AD/HD. This is Ken Burns' "big secret". Learn from that.
TT.
PS: Henderson gave way to the Ace, and that to the Indian and Cleveland fours; mostly as engineers jumped ship.
The name was bought by an Indian firm in 2020 so E-H might be resurrected again soon.
Was it Mahindra? 🤦🏽
It was Bajaj. So maybe a little more hope than if it was Mahindra 🤞🏽
Wait, wait, wait... they wanted to put *hot* air into the carburetor intake?
That doesn't sound right at all.
Back in those days they were probably having trouble vaporizing the gasoline.
Busy ready the book One Man Caravan where the guy rides around the world on a Henderson.
See also, "Motorcycle Adventurer" by Dr. Gregory Frazier, also about Carl Clancy's long ride, just before World War 1 broke out and changed many of the things he saw & reported.
TT.
I was SO happy to see Indian make a comeback ! I was SO looking forward to an in-line 4 cylinder engine - that unfortunately never came . A miscue in my opinion . ( I’m a Harley guy , BTW , and have my 13 th since the 1970’s ) I would have eagerly bought one if it ever came out , especially with the vintage running boards , large sprung seats , and long straight- back handlebars !
I saw one of those close up. The frame looked like an old Schwinn Cruiser or Varsity.
my uncle has a 22 Henderson here in New Zealand very cool bike
Great video Thanks 👍
great vid. tks.
Like the video & topic, but can i suggest more audio clips of the subject w/o talking over or adding music? It's rare to see one in real life, let alone get to hear what they sounded like (even if it just sounds like a mail truck).
Yes, I second this motion.
TT.
Just found you.... EXCELLENT...... More please???😃😃😃
Good stuff 👍🎉
I am surprised you didn't elaborate on the 90's revival of the Excelsior-Henderson brand a bit more. They produced almost 2000 bikes before they went under, most of which are still on the road today. We EH owners have a pretty close knit community and get together for rallies frequently. You might also have mentioned that the Excelsior-Henderson brand and trademarks were sold to an Indian company, Bajaj. At present, Bajaj hasn't done anything with that name, but there could be a bike in the future with the Excelsior-Henderson name on it.
I live in Butler Pennsylvania there's a motorcycle Warehouse on main Street that has a Henderson in there window. in restored condition.
Very interesting and well done
I think I read somewhere that you could use an Eastern Europe NSU engine to make a “modern” rendition of this motorcycle. Mounting the engine in the same arrangement.
Looks like it might have been the inspiration for Denmark's "Nimbus!"
You have really made yourself a successful channel by knowledge congratulations!
I Own A 1999 Excelsior Henderson Super X #906 Mechanical Restoration Done By Atlantic Excelsior Henderson Virginia Thank You Jamie And Martie Jones
It was very important to have an engine that didn't jerk, before roads were made from Tarmac, and and after Williams passing, Kermits voice would never sound the same again.
In line Buick straight 8 such a smooth running engine
very cool...my dad owned one in uh..1932?..his first vehicle..then he bought a Graham Paige car...which he said was junk..and became a Chevy guy..until his death in 79..Chevies!..41, 51, 55, 60, 64, 67, 72..I only remember the 55 and onward...I was born in 53...
Thank you for the info. I guess Schwinn had to do what he did to stay in business. I don’t think I want to own the book on Henderson but I might like to read it.
Can you do a video about the Harley Davidson Fat boy and the controversy behind its name please?
Gracias por el video
They did not go out of business they sold their business to Schwinn bicycle co. In 1917 and came back in the very early 1990s! You better read your book some more because I was around😮
My grandfather had 1 he lived in Brooklyn ny and him and his friend would ride out to long island and get the cops to Chace them back to the city line.
The saddest part of the 90's Reboot, was then Republican Governor
Jesse Ventura (the former wrestler) refused to sign over the $50 million
dollar check, the State had already approved.
It was to hire 60 more employees,
and double the automated machines to make more, and less expensive bikes.
No surprise Jesse Ventura became a Harley rider, as his term ended.
A real POS.
Didn't Henderson start the Ace Motorcycle Company after leaving Schwinn? I think Indian bought the Ace (Indian 4)
after Henderson was killed in a motorcycle accident.
Very cool
Haha
Actually saw a triseat one once which was probably the only reason that form factor stuck with me. Like the notion of a young rural family commuting to church on 2 wheels in the days where helmet mandates were unfathomable.
You are right and it ain't a Henderson it was a crocker
Holy Henderson!!!😮
Pubs were a thing in 1912, It was 1920-1932 were (legal) pubs weren't a "thing", LOL. (in the US).
Long live Indian!!!
They had Saloon's😊
It's the placement of the engine in the frame logantudily. that made these motorcycles great motorcycles. and it's a shame that this concept didn't continue into future. it was a much better design than the Japanese four cylinder engines. that were placed in the frame the other way.
something else that a person has to remember. is that this was during the era of board track racing. a very dangerous sport in which many of the racers lost their lives.
I agree that the longitudinal fours looked cool but it probably wouldn't work with a modern sportsbike as it makes the wheelbase too long, which hampers handling. Also, the torque effects tend to make the bike fall over when stationary and the bike less willing to corner one way. Having said that, people enjoy Triumph Rockets (a longitudinal triple) and Moto Guzzis (a transverse v-twin). Apparently you get used to it.
There’s a wonderful book by a ww1 veteran riding across the us on a Henderson pre highways. Free on Gutenberg press.
what about the Excelsior-Henderson?
@6:40 not the same as, but rather a similar concept to that of a turbo
enjoyed the video, but some wildly wrong info in it. No Henderson ever made anything near 700 horse power - none! 7 horses yes and that was quite good back then, remember there were nothing but dirt roads back then. I have restored and been riding a Deluxe for over 20 years, it has low 20's horse power. Which is more than a model T and the bike weigh's more than a 1,000 pounds less. They are and were fantastic machines, you are 100 % right there, that's me on my Deluxe at the very beginning of the video - again enjoyed it
I think you missed the joke at that part
How long could the valve train last open like it is especial racing in the dirt. Does not seem like good idea.
great story thanks for doing it..
the mentioned 1912 selling price of $325. in an inflation calculator = $10,010.oo in 2024
awesome
Over 250 Engine Cycle makers in the U.S.A.
"Crocker" is another fantastic motorcycle that's rare as hen's teeth these days.
You beat me to it crocker are a beautiful bike and well worth a look. In the 50's Gilera had a lot of success with in line 4 cylinder bikes followed by mv Agusta but I'm pretty sure moto guzzi had similar bikes before them the had an L twin race bike way before ducati. The Honda multi cylinder race bikes from the early 60's on were amazing machines with gear driven cam shafts so they could rev very high .
And then there is the Millyard Viper motorccle!
Right,and it does 200 at half throttle!
FN (Fabrique Nationale daarmee de guerre S.A Herstal) there 4 cil is top.
I've been riding legally 46 years ,and now prefer 4 wheels,and air conditioning.
The Goldwing of its day.
Fully enclosed chain? I didn't see any such thing in this video
Ignez Schwinn made a mistake, instead of assigning his engineers to make better brakes, he shut it down. You didn't mention the death of his racing rider in 1931 during a race due to the poor quality of breaking !
Pierce was earlier and more innovative. Fuel and oil are housed in the frame. Quality was equal to a Mercedes.
The Greatest American Motorcycle isn't a Harley or Indian .. It's Hodaka
most certainly there were pubs
Forward by Jay the tool.
Yeah... nice images and some background, but there's no way it developed 700 hp; SEVEN is what it produced.
No it definitely produced 700hp
That's absurd. @@bartmotorcycle
@@Sevarian71 did you not watch the video? I say pretty clearly that I was joking and that it produced 7 horsepower
@@bartmotorcycle some guys can't understand the jokes but i love those amidst the facts about good ol' machines❤
Tjek Nimbus .🏁🇩🇰
Parts bin special,all Yamaha biles in the80s were.
FYI YES FFS PUBS WERE INVENTED DERRRRR
He should have chose 6 cylinders instead, way better.
Maybe bmw K100 would be comparable to Henderson
I prefer Excelsior.
Everyone has copied Us PERIOD
Henderson 4 wasn't revolutionary in 1912. FN 4 was imported starting in 1905. Pierce 4 came out in 1909.
Er, the FN Four? Oh, sorry - not American and so doesn't count.
Underwater channel
ATK anyone?
Let me tell something about ALL CARS AND BIKES storyes! The UA-camrs always say the begining was a poor Boy bla bla bla. ...