Sunday 26 February 2017

Henderson KJ (1929) HD Images, Specification, Owners

Posted By: ygshhd 12:29 Leave a Reply

Henderson KJ

Fast, stylish and sophisticated, the Henderson KJ or ‘Streamline' was one of the world's finest bikes in the late 1920s. Features included drum brakes, three-speed gearbox with hand change, and an illuminated instrument console set into the fuel tank. But despite its high price, the exotic four- cylinder machine could not be built and sold at a profit.

Henderson's sophisticated Fours were among the fastest and most luxurious I bikes on the road for almost 20 years. Brothers Tom and William Henderson built their first bike at Detroit in 1912, combining an in-line four-cylinder engine with a long chassis that placed the pillion seat in front of the rider’s. This was changed to a conventional layout the following year, when the Henderson’s 965cc engine, with inlet-over-exhaust valvegear, produced 7bhp. Although designed more for touring than speed, the Four was good for 60mph (97km/h).

In 1913, Carl Stevens Clancy put Henderson on the map when he became the first motorcyclist to circumnavigate the world. The Hendersons repeatedly refined the Four in subsequent years, while retaining its upmarket image. In 1915 they introduced the Model E, a more manageable machine whose 58.5in (1486mm) wheelbase was fully seven inches (178mm) shorter than that of the previous Model D. By 1917 the longer model had been dropped, and power of the Model G was up to 12bhp, giving a top speed of 75mph (121 km/h).

Good enough for Henry Ford

There was no doubting the Henderson’s performance and quality. That year, Alan Bedell crossed America in a time of 7 days and 16 hours, beating Indian ace Cannonball Baker’s record by almost four days. Another Henderson rider, Ray Artley, took almost nine hours off Baker’s Three- Flags record from Canada to Mexico, making the journey in 72 hours and 25 minutes. Henry Ford was sufficiently impressed to order an electrically equipped Henderson at the full price of $370, having been refused a discount.

But by this time Henderson had already justified a price rise by admitting that ‘it would be impossible to continue production on the present high standard without an actual loss on every machine’. In late 1917 the firm was taken over by Excelsior boss Ignaz Schwinn, and production moved to Excelsior’s plant in Chicago. Both Henderson brothers left in 1919, but development of the Four continued with the addition of features including side-valve cylinders, pressurized lubrication and heavier frames.

Record-breaking riders

Henderson’s record-breaking resumed, notably with star rider Wells Bennett. In 1922 on the boardtrack at Tacoma. Washington, he roared 1562.54 miles (2514.6km) in 24 hours at an average speed of over 65mph (104km/h), setting a record that would last for 15 years. A few months later Bennett regained the transcontinental record for Henderson, and the following year he lowered the Three-Flags record to 42 hours, 24 minutes.

Henderson’s roadsters became ever more sophisticated during the 1920s, and reached new heights with the Model KJ, known as the ‘Streamline’. This had a 1301cc engine with improved cooling and a 40bhp peak output. The Streamline was good for 1 OOmph (161 km/h) and incorporated features including leading-link forks and an illuminated speedometer set into the fuel tank. But the exotic Four was too expensive to be commercially viable during America’s Depression, and Schwinn halted production in 1931.

Faster Four - The Mighty Ace

When Bill Henderson left Excelsior-Henderson in 1919, he moved to Philadelphia and began production of a new four-cylinder machine, the Ace. In 1922 Henderson was killed after colliding with a car while testing his latest model. Following this, engineer Arthur Lemon and test rider Charles 'Red' Wolverton left Excelsior to continue Henderson's work at Ace. Their most famous creation was the XP4: a highly tuned, specially built 1262cc four that produced 45bhp and weighed less than 300lb (136kg). Wolverton rode it to a record 129mph (208km/h) in 1922, after which Ace advertising boasted of the 'Fastest Motorcycle in the World'. But the Ace, like the Henderson, was too costly to produce. The firm went into liquidation in 1924 and its assets were bought by Indian, which restarted production under the Indian name.

Henderson’s 1301cc in-line four-cylinder engine was upgraded for KJ use with a number of modifications including a new Schebler carburettor and inlet manifold, plus a stronger crankshaft with five bearings instead of the previous three.

The Streamline was a handsome machine that earned its nickname through sleek new styling, incorporating big fenders plus a new gas tank that covered the previously exposed upper frame tubes.

Specification Henderson KJ (1929)