| Excelsior Super X | |
| Manufacturer | Excelsior (Chicago) |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Schwinn Bicycle Company |
| Production | 1925-1931 |
| Successor | none |
| Engine | air cooled IOE 746 cc (45. Henderson produced 4 cylinder motorcycles from 1912 until 1931 The Schwinn Bicycle Company was founded by Ignaz Schwinn in Chicago in 1895 and became the dominant manufacturer of American Bicycles through Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A motorcycle engine propels a Motorcycle. The engine typically sits immediately under the fuel tank in between and just forward of the rider's legs 5 cu. in. ) V-twin |
| Transmission | 3-speed, chain |
| Weight | 450 lbs (204 kg) (estimated) |
| Fuel capacity | 3 US Gallons (with a 1. 2 gallon reserve) |
| Similar | Indian Scout Harley-Davidson DL |
The Excelsior Super X was a motorcycle manufactured by the Excelsior Motor Mfg. The Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company George Hendee resigned in 1916 Harley-Davidson Motor Company ( formerly HDI is an American manufacturer of Motorcycles based in Milwaukee Wisconsin. & Supply Co. from 1925 to 1931. [1] It was the most famous Excelsior motorcycle manufactured by that company and was the first American forty-five cubic inch motorcycle. [2].
Contents |
Origin
Arthur "Connie" Constantine, Assistant Chief Engineer at the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, drew up plans for a mid-sized V-Twin to compete against the Indian Scout. Harley-Davidson Motor Company ( formerly HDI is an American manufacturer of Motorcycles based in Milwaukee Wisconsin. The Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company George Hendee resigned in 1916 When he presented the unauthorized project to co-founder Walter Davidson, he was reprimanded for wasting the company's time. [3]
Constantine resigned his position at Harley-Davidson and offered his services and his project to Excelsior. Both were accepted, leading to the introduction of the Excelsior Super X in 1925. The design proved to be competitive in motorsports in its first year despite competing against motorcycles with engines of greater capacity. [3]
The Super X effectively replaced Excelsior's other mainstream model, a sixty-one cubic inch V-Twin, which was discontinued during the first year of Super X production. [1] The smaller motorcycle was believed to be a more suitable companion product for their Henderson four-cylinder motorcycle. Henderson produced 4 cylinder motorcycles from 1912 until 1931 [4]
Construction
The design of the Super X was a considerable departure from its predecessors at Excelsior. Where earlier Excelsiors had an enclosed primary chain transmitting power from the engine to a separate gearbox, the Super X had the engine and transmission together in a single crankcase, using a helical gear to power the transmission directly from the engine. [2][5] The Super X also marked the return of leading-link forks on Excelsior motorcycles, which had earlier switched to trailing-link forks similar to those used by Indian but with coil springs instead of Indian's quarter-elliptic leaf springs. [2][5]
Competition in the market
The Super X had originally been envisioned as a competitor to the Indian Scout which was, at the time, powered by a thirty-seven cubic inch V-twin engine. [3][6] Indian's initial response to the Super X came in 1927, when they enlarged the Scout engine to forty-five cubic inches. This defensive move was followed a year later with a more decisive attack, the introduction of the 101 Scout. The Indian 101 Scout was a motorcycle built by the Indian Motocycle Company from 1928 to 1931 [6] The new Scout proved to be a formidable competitor both on the racetrack and in the marketplace. [4][7]
In 1929, the Excelsior-Henderson concern restyled both its motorcycle offerings, the Excelsior Super X and the Henderson Four, for a more contemporary look. [5] These "Streamline" models had tanks that hid the top tube of the frame and wide front fenders with holes for the forks to pass through. [2].
That year, Harley-Davidson released their forty-five cubic inch motorcycles, the D and the DL. [8]
The Super X competed with the 101 Scout, the D, and the DL until 1931, when the 101 Scout was replaced by a Scout model based on the heavier Chief frame, the D and DL were joined by the sport solo DLD, and the Excelsior-Henderson concern ceased production of motorcycles upon the order of its proprietor, Ignaz Schwinn. The Schwinn Bicycle Company was founded by Ignaz Schwinn in Chicago in 1895 and became the dominant manufacturer of American Bicycles through [6][8][9]
Legacy
The Super X was America's first forty-five cubic inch motorcycle, and the racing class for forty-five cubic inch motorcycles was started in the United States one year after the Super X's introduction. [3] The forty-five cubic inch class became the premier class in dirt-track racing, in which such motorcycles as the Indian Sport Scout and Harley-Davidson WR, KR, and XR would compete.
Although the Super X came to an abrupt end, its competitors from Indian and Harley-Davidson would continue for at least a decade. The Indian Scout continued as a forty-five cubic inch motorcycle until it was discontinued at the end of World War II. The Harley-Davidson D series would evolve into the R series and the W series, including the military WLA and WLC motorcycles. The WLA is a model of Harley-Davidson Motorcycle that was produced to US Army specifications in the years during and around World War II. These were replaced by the K series motorcycle, which used a revised flathead forty-five inch engine until 1953, after which the displacement was increased to fifty-five cubic inches for the '54-'56 KH models. [8] However, the Harley-Davidson Servi-Car, which used the contemporary D, R, and W engines (but not the K engine), would continue to be manufactured by Harley-Davidson until 1973. The Harley-Davidson Servi-Car was a three-wheeled utility motorcycle manufactured by Harley-Davidson from 1932 to 1973. [10]
References
- ^ a b Wilson, H. The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle p. 59 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1995 ISBN 0 7513 0206 6
- ^ a b c d Wilson, H. The Ultimate Motorcycle Book p. 41 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1993 ISBN 0 7513 0043 8
- ^ a b c d Pioneers of American Motorcycle Racing by Daniel K. Statnekov, Chapter 22
- ^ a b Antique Motorcycle Museum 1929 Super X Roadster
- ^ a b c Excelsior-Henderson History part 7: 1925-1929
- ^ a b c Wilson, H. The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle p. 104-105 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1995 ISBN 0 7513 0206 6
- ^ Wilson, H. The Ultimate Motorcycle Book p. 36-37 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1993 ISBN 0 7513 0043 8
- ^ a b c American V Harley-Davidson History Part 1
- ^ Excelsior-Henderson History part 8: 1930-1931
- ^ Mitchel, D. "Harley-Davidson Chronicle - An American Original" p. 68-69 Publications International Limited, 1997 ISBN 0-7853-2514-X
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