America's Next Cruiser?

America’s Next Cruiser?

THE SUPER X STRIKES AGAIN

DAVE AND DAN HANLON, CO-founders of the new Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Manufacturing Division are finishing up the styling of their 1997 Super X, a high-tech 1385cc cruiser, and they want your help.

“We’ve gone through several design proposals and have taken elements from the different concepts to come up with this version, which we’re pretty happy with,” says Dave Hanlon. “We think it looks modern, but it still has some design touches from the original Excelsior Super X, like the fork tubes passing through the fender, and the split fuel tank with the instruments mounted on top.

“Hopefully, people will write us and tell us what they think about the bike. We'd like to hear from enthusiasts, because we don't pretend to know everything.”

Although the Hanlons are new to the motorcycle industry, the Excelsior and Henderson names are well established in the history books. Excelsior started producing motorcycles in 1905, with the introduction of its X model. In 1912, one year after Henderson was founded, the X was the first bike clocked at 100 mph. Excelsior purchased Henderson five years later.

In 1929, E-H introduced styling features that were later popularized by other companies, including tear-dropshaped fuel tanks and full fenders. The Great Depression and automobiles’ increasing popularity forced ExcelsiorHenderson, owned by the Schwinn Bicycle Company, to shut its doors on March 31, 1931.

For more than 60 years, the legendary names went unused, until the Hanlons decided to make motorcycles.

“We saw space in the market for another American heavyweight cruiser,” says Dan Hanlon. “We didn’t want to just call it something like a Hanlon, so we researched the trademark ownership of some of the great, old motorcycle companies. Working with lawyers who specialize in intellectual property and that sort of thing, we found it was pretty easy to secure ownership of the Excelsior-Henderson name, and we have it trademarked in the U.S. and several foreign countries where we plan to sell our bikes.”

The Hanlons, who started their company from scratch about two years ago, say they hope to have a running Super X prototype this summer, and will follow industry norms by beginning production 18-24 months after that. No manufacturing site has been selected; Dan Hanlon says the company wi likely choose a location in the Midwest, where components made from outside suppliers will be assembled.

Also not finalized is the bike’s price, although the Hanlons say the SuperX will be price-competitive with Harley-Davidson. A dealer network has yet to be organized, and the Hanlons won’t say how many retail outlets they’d like to have, or how many motorcycles they will make in the first year of production. Some things about sales of the Super X are certain, though. Dealers will not be charged a franchise fee, and there won’t be any shops selling only Excelsior-Hendersons.

“We want to work with the top dealers in this country and abroad,” says Dan Hanlon. “We anticipate that dealers who sell our bikes will have costs related to signage, parts inventory, maybe additional floor space and things like that, but we aren’t charging them to sell our bikes. For now at least, we feel like we’U get more exposure by being in established shops, and the customer will have the added assurance of going to a dealer he knows and trusts.”

Although the cosmetic design is not etched in stone, the Hanlons say the bike’s mechanical features are set, including unusual suspension designs. Up front, a leading link, springer design is based on comparable components from Excelsior’s glory days, but the design is updated to provide performance to contemporary standards.

“It looks similar to what was on the Super X back in the ’30s, but with the engineering and quality of components we have today, we’re confident the front end will work fine,” says Dave Hanlon.

At the rear, the Super X will use an adjustable torsion-bar suspension, which uses a twisting metal rod that is connected to the swingarm, providing the same effect as a spring.

Also firmly established is the design of Excelsior’s 50-degree V-Twin engine. Some 40 of the air-cooled, four-cam, eight-valve motors are being tested, according to the Hanlons, who will not disclose the engine’s designer and builder.

Dave Hanlon says the powerplant, which is designed for easy adaptation to liquid-cooling if pollution and/or noise laws make it necessary, will produce around 80 horsepower in production trim.

A non-unit, five-speed transmission will be bolted to the engine, and power will be applied to the rear wheel via belt-drive.

Although the Hanlons say 99 percent of their work is now focused on the Super X, there are plans to create two more motorcycles in the years ahead. Next will be the Henderson Deluxe, a four-cylinder touring mount, which will be followed by the X, a smaller, less-expensive version of the Super X.

Dan and Dave Hanlon describe themselves as “Midwestern farm boys who enjoy riding motorcycles,” but there’s more to it than that. Both men quickly add that their professional experience has given them the expertise necessary to develop and execute a business plan for Excelsior-Henderson. Dan Hanlon admits the company does not have the money it needs to produce bikes, but he expresses a quiet confidence about the future.

“If you do what you tell the financial people you are going to do, the money w ill be there,” he says. “We’ve done what we said we would do.”

If you want to let the Hanlons know what you think they should do, write to Excelsior-Henderson at 607 West Travelers Trail, Burnsville, MN 55337.

Robert Hough