'Black Tuesday', the Stock Market crashes. The employees of Excelsior-Henderson motorcycles are told, "Go home and tell your families that your jobs are safe."
Partly due to financial reasons and shortages in raw materials because of the war, the Henderson Company offered to sell out to Excelsior in 1917. Ignaz Schwinn eventually accepted the offer and transferred production of Henderson from Detroit to the Excelsior factory in Chicago.
Six months before the Stock Market crashed Excelsior-Henderson introduced the Streamline Henderson KJ.
Arthur “Connie” Constantine was one of the most preeminent motorcycle engineers of the 1920's, but his best work would result in one of the finest four-cylinder motorcycles ever to grace the roads. Constantine studied the already successful Henderson model, the 'DeLuxe' and came to the conclusion that a radical redesign was the only course of action that would improve the machine. His masterpiece was unveiled in March of 1929, the Streamline Henderson KJ. The advertisements boasted that the KJ had "57 New Features". The motor design reverted back to the IOE (inlet over exhaust) valve arrangement, but incorporated a five main bearing crankshaft, improved pressurized oiling and a down-draft intake manifold. It now put out 40hp up from 35hp the DeLuxe generated. Other jaw-dropping features were a redesigned frame that positioned the seat lower, new leading-link forks and an illuminated speedometer built into the gas tank. The motorcycle was capable hitting a genuine 100 mph.
Henderson would continue to be a favorite with Police forces in the U.S. with more than 600 different forces choosing the brand over Harley-Davidson and Indian.
On Tuesday, March 31, 1931, the company abruptly closed. Although the company had many orders from Police forces and dealers alike, Ignaz Schwinn decided that The Depression was going to get worse and so he decided to quit while ahead.
At the height of The Depression unemployment in America reached 30 million.
Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk
