Henderson, 1925, 1300 De Luxe

Henderson "1300 De Luxe", 1925, USA

Henderson was not the first 4-cylinder motorcycle built in the US, but it's probably the best known.

Bill and Tom Henderson started making motorcycles in 1912 in Detroit. The first bikes had odd peculiarities, such as the passenger seat on the tank, in front of the driver, that soon was moved to its classic position.

In 1917 the Henderson brothers had to sell their company to Ignatz Schwinn, the owner of Excelsior. The Excelsior-Henderson in the mid 1920s is the third motorcycle producer after Indian and Harley-Davidson. The company closed in September 1931, worn out by the Great Depression. In the 90s the brand was bought by Daniel Hanlon and founded the Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Company, headquartered in Burnsville, Minnesota.