In the early 1900s, Excelsior and Henderson were two of America’s best motorcycle manufacturers. Excelsior produced the first motorcycle to official hit 100 miles per hour, while Henderson was producing the favored bikes of America’s police officers. There’s a reason for the similarities – the companies were both bought up by Schwinn in the 1910s, and were shut down in September of 1931 when the Great Depression crippled the economy. Fast forward 60 years to the Hanlon Manufacturing Company, founded in 1993. This Minnesota motorcycle maker secured the rights to both the Excelsior and Henderson names, and tried to capitalize on some American nostalgia with the Excelsior Henderson Super X, named after the 1929 model that is credited for being the first modern-day cruiser.
Production of the Super X started in 1999 – only 1,952 were produced over two years. Unfortunately, and in a similar twist of fate as the companies that gave their names to this firm, the economy faltered due to the .com bubble and Excelsior Henderson couldn’t secure the next round of funding they were expecting. The remains of the company were sold off, and production never resumed.
This specific Excelsior Henderson Super X (VIN: 204) still comes with the factory crate and comes with a tremendous amount of extras. It has just 9 miles, so I suspect it’s going to serve museum duty for the rest of its life. It comes some nearly impossible to find NOS EH accessories, including the factory saddle bag set, windshield with mounting hardware, light bar, and highway bar.
Find this Excelsior Henderson Super X for sale in Mesa, Arizona with an opening bid of $11,500