1912

On December 3, 1912, Excelsior gained renown for being the first motorcycle to officially reach 100 MPH. On that day, at the one-mile track in Playa del Ray, California, Excelsior rider Lee Humiston "turned a ton," becoming the first motorcyclist officially timed at 100 MPH by a sanctioning organization. At the same track a few days later, on January 7, 1913, Humiston took every time record for the distances between 2 and 100 miles, breaking the previous 100-mile record of 75 minutes, 22-2/5 seconds with his time of 68 minutes, 1-4/5 seconds.

Also in that year, the Henderson Company began manufacturing its in-line four-cylinder Henderson motorcycle. The Henderson Company made a motorcycle for those who wanted more than a motorized bicycle and developed a premium-quality machine with a distinguished appearance. The 1912 Henderson was a single-speed machine, with a clutch and no gearbox. The engine was a 58.9 c.i. (965 cc) four-cylinder, featuring four individually-cast cylinders of the F-head design. Because the four-cylinder engine delivered relatively constant power strokes, it was designed with a chain drive instead of a belt. The engine was started with a folding crank, eliminating the pedals and the complex procedure required to start most other motorcycles. 

Page 4 of E-H History          Click here for recent history

This history was collected from the 1999 Super X Rider's Handbook, as published by the Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Manufacturing Company.