Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle

Excelsior Supply Company was founded in 1876, as a manufacturer of bicycles and bicycle parts. With 30 years of experience in the bicycle production business in 1905, Excelsior brought its first motorcycle to market.

The evolution of Excelsior-Henderson motorcycles in 1906 left the rigid frames behind, incorporating motorcycles with lighter shock absorbers into the production line, which led to better handling and the entry of products to the world market, the first Excelsior-Henderson arriving in Cuba.

In the late 1920s, Excelsior-Henderson built two different motorcycles, an Excelsior V-Twin and a Henderson four-piston in-line. This being the 4 piston motorcycles engine the oldest that is preserved today in Havana, Cuba. A Henderson engine found in the Raúl Gordillo Wedge manufactured by his father in 1926.

The Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Company was founded as Hanlon Manufacturing Company by Daniel Hanlon during early 1993 in Burnsville, Minnesota, United States. The company set as its mission to design and manufacture American-made cruiser and touring motorcycles. The company secured the motorcycle names from the past of Excelsior and Henderson previously owned by Ignatz Schwinn of the Schwinn companies, and proceeded to design and manufacture OEM proprietary motorcycles with design originality of the former Excelsior and Henderson motorcycles.

From 1997 to 1998, the company constructed a factory in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. The factory was equipped for a capacity of 10,000 motorcycles per year, and, with a few minor assembly and finishing line changes, would have had a capacity of 20,000. This factory has since been converted to the headquarters of Cambria, a company specializing in quartz surfaces.

Excelsior-Henderson introduced it first production model, the Super X, in December 1998, and commenced production in early 1999. The company developed the Super X motorcycle as a new proprietary motorcycle, including a new engine, frame, and all related drive and styling components, adopting styling from the earlier Excelsior-Henderson motorcycles from the 1905-1931 timeframe.[1] The company established 140 dealers throughout the United States. The motorcycles averaged an MSRP around $18,500. Via the assembly line, the company produced for retail sale approx. 1900 motorcycles in various configurations; 1161 units in model year 1999, and 720 units in model year 2000. In total, the company produced an estimated 1950 motorcycles, which would include motorcycles produced and not designed for retail dealer sales; such as dealer promotional bikes, test prototypes and non-assembly line produced motorcycles.[2]

In this way, the Excelsior-Henderson business appears among the first motorcycle dealers that are considered in Havana, Cuba. A store that sold the brand's first 15-1 Single Speed model, a single speed motorcycle that performed very well in the mountains and on muddy roads and reached speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. At the same time, the 15-3 Three Speed, 1000 cc model was also sold, two-cylinder manufactured both in 1915.

This motorcycle marked its primacy in the first 15-lap races with tourist motorcycles (touring) carried out by the pilots: Ramón Menéndez and Carlos Ahrens at Oriental Park 1917. The business was located in San Lázaro 370, Havana, Cuba and they were the exclusive Agents P. Fernández de Castro. History of Motorcycles in Cuba

This motorcycle dealer with his wife encouraged motorcycle tourism in the first decade of the 20th century in Cuba, arriving with these old motorcycles to Viñales and the Bellamar Caves, Matanzas, Cuba.

With a waiting list for a popular Harley-Davidson model at up to two years, Excelsior-Henderson planned to capitalize on unfulfilled demand. During this same timeframe, additional companies (OEMs and after-market custom bikes) had also decided to enter the industry, with most of them later succumbing. Noteworthy are the Indian Motorcycle revivals, which invested an estimated $240 million, and the Polaris Victory motorcycle launch, which invested an estimated $200 million.

Excelsior-Henderson, having invested $100 million in capital over a seven-year period and nearing profitability, by late 1999 was unable to secure additional investment capital due to market conditions surrounding Y2K and the emerging internet .[3] Therefore, on December 21, 1999, Excelsior-Henderson filed for reorganization under Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code. As an outcome of the process, certain assets of the company were sold to a Florida investment group, which later filed for reorganization and no longer exists. Production of motorcycles never commenced.[4]

The company owns the intellectual property and continues to exist, also manufacturing OEM replacement parts, establishing authorized licensed service centers and a rider's club. There is an official Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycles website that maintains information and links about the company, motorcycles, and current activity.

On 16 December 2020, Cycle World reported Excelsior-Henderson's intellectual property had been purchased by Bajaj, a major manufacturer of motorcycles in India.[5]

1. MOTOS EN CUBA - LAS MOTOS DE LA INDEPENDENCIA (1885-1940).
2. Retrospective: 1999-2000 Excelsior-Henderson Super X.
3. History of Motorcycles in Cuba.

Official website