There are many people who feel that the Henderson motorcycles (1912-1931) were the finest motorcycles in the world. The four-cylinder Hendersons were the largest and fastest motorcycles of the time and were favored by both police departments and sports riders because of their speed. The Henderson Motorcycle Co. was formed in Detroit, Michigan by brothers William G. and Tom W. Henderson.
Tom Henderson, the oldest of ten children, was born in Glasgow, Scotland and emigrated to the United States in 1879. His father became the vice-president of the Winton Motor Car Company in Cleveland. Tom was apprenticed in the mechanical trade, attended business college, and then went to Europe to complete his education. He studied singing and considered pursuing a career in opera. Throughout his life, he downplayed his academic background and when asked about his education, he once replied:
"I speak French, Italian, German, English and profanity with equal fluency."
When he returned to the United States, Tom Henderson became the sales manager of the Winton Motor Car Co. Like all of the Henderson boys, William Henderson served an apprenticeship in mechanics, but his interest in motorcycles led him to create the prototype of a new kind of motorcycle. Tom was impressed with the prototype, so he quit his job at Winton Motor Car Co. and in 1912 Tom and William established the Henderson Motorcycle Co.
With his background in sales and marketing, Tom Henderson set up a dealership for the new company. The new motorcycle, designed by William Henderson featured a four-cylinder, 7 horsepower engine which sold for $325. While there were other four-cylinder motorcycles being manufactured in the U.S. at this time, one of the innovative features of the Henderson was a folding hand crank for easy starting. The brothers felt that they could produce 1,000 machines in the first year.
A 1912 Henderson is shown above.
In 1913, Carl Glancy rode a Henderson around the world which enhanced the Henderson reputation. In 1913, Henderson also brought out the Model B which included a better brake (just one), a lower seating position, improved forks, and a rectangular fuel tank.
A 1913 Henderson is shown above.
In 1914, Henderson brought out the Model C which had a two-speed gearbox incorporated in the rear hub. This was the first Henderson to have gears.
A 1915 Henderson is shown above.
A 1916 Henderson Model F is shown above. The Model F had a shorter wheelbase and a kick-starter. The standard model sold for $295 and the two-speed sold for $325.
By 1916, the Henderson was so popular that Henderson could not produce enough motorcycles to keep up with orders.
A 1917 Henderson is shown above.
While Henderson did well in the racing circuit, setting a transcontinental long distance record and a 24 hour record at Ascot Park, World War I created increased material and labor costs as well as difficulties in obtaining supplies regularly. In 1917, Ignaz Schwinn purchased the company. Schwinn manufactured bicycles and Excelsior motorbikes. At this time, the three largest motorcycle producers in the U.S. were Excelsior, Indian, and Harley-Davidson. Production of the Henderson motorcycles moved to Schwinn’s Excelsior plant in Chicago.
With the sale of their company to Schwinn, both Bill and Tom Henderson worked for Excelsior. Tom left the company in 1919 to become a Henderson exporter and Bill left in 1920 to form the Ace Motor Corporation.
A 1918 Henderson is shown above.
In 1920, the Henderson Model K was introduced which had a top speed of 80 miles per hour. It also offered an optional reverse gear for use with sidecars. The Model K was produced until 1922 and was popular with law enforcement.
A 1922 Henderson is shown above. The 1922 DeLuxe included a larger, more efficient carburetor, improved intake manifold, and rear brakes. A heavier Police Department version was demonstrated to the Chicago Police where it achieved 98 miles per hour and to the San Diego Police where it reached 100 miles per hour.
Shown above is a 1923 Henderson Model K Deluxe which is on display at the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon.
A 1927 Henderson is shown above.
A 1927 Henderson DeLuxe is shown above. The 1927 DeLuxe featured a number of innovations, including a new tank top instrument cluster with a speedometer, ammeter, oil pressure gauge and headlight switch.
In 1928, Schwinn hired Arthur Constantine as its new chief engineer. Constantine, who had previously worked for Harley-Davidson, began working on a redesign of the Henderson. The result was the Streamline model which was introduced in 1929. Produced from 1929 until 1931, the Streamline sold for $435 and was capable of reaching 100 miles per hour.
Shown above is a 1930 Henderson.
A Henderson police motorcycle is shown above.
Schwinn, feeling that the Great Depression would last for at least eight years, pared his business back to its core—bicycles. In spite of strong sales, motorcycle production stopped.