
Brinnnnnng! Like a nattering nabob dropping wolf bait, the phone clanged its irritating morning staccato.
Brinnnnnng! Now coming on like a moon calf, but more insistently, the possessed device demanded attention.
Brinnnnnnnng! Like Pavlov’s dog, I grabbed the phone instinctively, drooling.
“Yeah, who the hell is it?” I muttered, slack-jawed, into the receiver.
“It’s your editor, you lazy bastard. Get up, it’s nearly noon.”
“Okay, okay. ‘Sup?” A shay resin-stained hand fumbled across the nightstand to recover the odd remnant beer. I shook the can. Luck. There was still something sloshing around. I sucked the dregs of the stagnant beer and was lucky enough to catch most of some asshole’s discarded burnt something he so cleverly concealed the night before. Hey, wait a minute! That asshole was me!
“Here’s the deal,” The editor continued, ignoring like usual, everything I say, “HOT BIKE magazine wants an article about the history of the American four-cylinder motorcycle.” His orders were barked out like a WWII gunnery sergeant; no bullshit, cut to the chase, give me 20.
Momentarily distracted by the sensual play of flat lukewarm suds and ashes on my tongue, I didn’t question the task. I needed something to divert my absorption with my usual overwhelming anxiety attacks and focus my declining attention span on something, anything. And quite frankly, I could use the coin. I was getting tired of drinking Trader Moe’s sit-on-a- pallet-in-the-hold-of-a-ship-for-six-months, heat-cured, special discount lager. I dragged ass up the 605 to the sleepy little town of Sierra Madre, California, to meet with Don Whalen, the authority of all things antique, unique, greased and motorcycled. Don is a paid consultant for anyone who is serious about collecting bikes, as well as all you wankers out there who would like to try.
It was obvious from the start that Don is bat-shit nuts about four-cylinder motorcycles. He hauled out a dozen books on the subject, and as he pointed out the examples of each bike innovation or failing, I could tell this was a passion rather than a weekend pastime for poot butts. As he’d flick a page and comment, I desperately squeezed my gray meat sponge to figure out what made them so important. I suppose it was partly their scarceness, maybe their oddity, or perhaps it was the stubborn cursedness of the main players. Often these guys puttered away in their garage just seeking a new way of doing something. Occasionally their work brought needed innovation to the business. But, more often than not, changes were subtle, lake a chain drive rather than a leather belt drive. The four-cylinder made the pull on the chain more constant.
According to Don, the history of early motorcycle development significantly involved the development of four- cylinder engines. From early on, motorcycling was a pastime for the affluent or experimentally minded. The guys who got into the early motorcycle business were more monkey-spanking dreamers than businessmen. They mainly got their nuts off by making any kind of innovation, no matter how trivial, like the 3 ½ inch tubular upper frame, becoming a Pierce Arrow gas tank. [photo- “Completely restored ’18 Excelsior-Henderson.]
From the start four-cylinder engines were a pricey proposition. In the mid ‘20’s, a bike’s cost was only slightly less than a car and slightly more than getting five across your lip, courtesy of some misunderstanding with some cretin at the local watering hole. As we jabbered, Don began talking coherently about the virtues of four-cylinder motorcycles. Don Whalen’s favorite is a ’39 Indian four-cylinder with open fenders.
The motorcycle was an obvious next step from the obnoxiously tiring pedaled bike. There were a number of inventors and engineers working on the idea of a powered bike. The story of these early efforts is fascinating on a couple of levels. In another way, the story is about the men who made the motorcycle come about, often against incredible odds and pissed of girlfriends/wives. Frequently the story is one of a dreamer/builder, as opposed to the practical aspects of making a buck. Some of the stories can be downright heartbreaking in the face of the cold calculations and buzz-kill of corporate bean counters. Occasionally the story is heroic against seemingly overwhelming odds.
The knuckle-busters who were tinkering away in a thousand workshops and garages, day and night, all hours, were modifying existing technology, occasionally developing new and nifty ideas. This differs considerably from today’s business criteria. Today, business is measured on cost-effectiveness, or how low can they push per-unit production costs. At the early part of the 20th century, entrepreneurs abounded like ticks on a bird dog. And certainly, immigrants brought quite a bit to the table. The early 20th century was a unique proving ground in the development of the market place. Today, we accept the marketplace as given. But back then, the working class was just starting to grow into a significant force. Expectations of fair wages and working conditions evolved into, what is now, the dominance of a middle class…while it lasts, anyway.

The first manufactured four-cylinder motorcycle was the ’08 FN (Fabrique Nationale) Four, built in Belgium, which up until then, was known for overpriced, second-rate chocolates and lousy beer with fruit-flavored crap in it. What the FN Four addressed was the vibration or shaking factor, similar to what I was experiencing that morning. Early motorcycles were modifications of pedaled bikes. The inherent shaking of one and two cylinder engines tended to crack their thin, fragile bicycle frames. FN designer, Paul Kelecom, decided to use a four-cylinder design to self-cancel the shaking effect. As the inner two pistons rise, the outer two pistons fall. Additionally, Kelecom developed the drive shaft, rather than a belt drive, to transfer power to the wheel (it’s the same system used on BMW motorcycles today.) Most motorcycles at the time were driven by leather belts, as most of my college associates tended to be.
Kelecom designed the engine first, then adapted the frame to conform to the engine. He located the engine between the split-bottom frameralils “while the bevel- driven, ball- bearing-supported driveshaft was integrated into a rear-frame stay.” The engine had atmospheric intake valves, meaning that the suction of the piston pulled the valves open. Without a multi-speed gearbox, the motorcycle’s speed was limited. Another innovation was a magneto rather than a limited-range battery. FN Manufactured a larger 498cc engine for the American market. From the start, four-cylinder engines, like early hard-core punk bands, were seen as a novelty and unprofitable. In 1926, Kelecom lft FN and signaled the end of four-cylinder engines produced by FN. In a curious way, this would become an omen of future economic and social forces.
After the FN Four, the next development in four- cylinder motorcycle production was the ’09 Pierce Four. Advertised as the “Vibrationless Motorcycle,” the Pierce Cycle company manufactured “ the first four-cylinder motorcycle in the United States.” “…inspired by the successful design of the four-cylinder FN…” Pierce company engineers “…built their own version of an in-line four cylinder motor.” The Pierce Company was known by its high standards of excellence in machining and engineering motor cars, i.e., the Pierce Arrow. “Priced at $350, the 1910 Pierce Four was the most expensive motorcycle of its time.” Percy Pierce was never one to skimp on the machines he built. Unfortunately, this standard of excellence and state of the art, as applied to the motorcycle market, cost more to produce than the company returned in profit. The result being: in 1910 the Pierce Cycle company went bankrupt.
According to Don Whalen, the history of the Henderson Motorcycle Company, “…is the key to the history of the four-cylinder motorcycle. Henderson had the greatest impact on the four-cylinder concept.” Young William Henderson always wanted to build motorcycles, according to his father, Thomas Henderson. Henderson Sr. was the vice-president of Winton Motors Company, and William had been involved in his father’s business since William was a boy. His father had tried to discourage his son because he saw no future in the effort. William prevailed in spite of his father’s cautions and practical skepticism. Henderson’s father regularly tossed cookies of reality to the eager young William.
Eventually William’s dogged ambitions convinced his father to support his youthful brain capers. By late 1911, William created detailed drawings and calculations necessary to start a new motorcycle manufacturing company.
On November 25, 1911. an announcement proclaimed “DETROIT”S NEW FOUR CYLINDER, the Henderson 4-cylinder, 7-8 h.p. motorcycle is to be actively pushed by the Henderson Mortorcycle Co. 268 Jefferson Avenue East.”

“It will list at $325 and is believed to be amply backed by Detroit capital, one of the backers W. E. Metsger, Detroit agent for Indian and will known in the motorcycle field,” as stated in the historic document. “He invested with others in the Henderson 4-cylinder after most careful tests had been made. The company is capitalized for $175,00 and Mr. Henderson said today that $110,000 has been actually subscribed and that p- arts for 1,000 machines had been contracted for.”
“The Henderson 4-cylinder has no two-speed gear,” the article proclaimed, “but its power on hills and high speed on the road are claimed to have been amply demonstrated. Mr. Henderson showed the ease with which his long-wheel-base but low saddle position machine could be handled at low speed, in a very narrow space, by using the clutch, and he also gave a demonstration of its extreme quietness, even with a small, open muffler, and it’s impervious to overheating.”
“The engine, which in the model is quite a looker, is started by cranking. There is a foot platform in lieu of pedals, and foot levers control a Musselman rearhub brake.”
“The machine is designed for two riders, the passenger to sit in front. There is practically no engine vibration and the frame springing is luxuriant.”
“Mr. Henderson, who is 28 years old, started with the Winton (motor) Company when a boy; was with it six years and during the twelve years since has been connected with the motorcar business, as designer, draftsman, etc. He has been studying the motorcycle problem about nine years.”
“As a skilled designer and draftsman Mr. Henderson is preparing working drawings of all parts, and these are to be made on contract in Michigan shops with large equipment for such work, thus avoiding the initial investment of equipping a factory. The first machines are to be assembled in the present neat, well-lighted quarters in the Power building, and a site has already been obtained for the likely operation of the future. The model has a belt, but it is intended to use chain drive.”

Like a festering boil, the Henderson four-cylinder motorcycle arose in this atmosphere. Some of the new products opened up new applications. In 1913, Carl Stearns Clancy became the first person to circle the earth on a ’12 Henderson motorcycle, though he had a bit of a logistics problem with the oceans. In 1917, Alan T. Bedell rode from Los Angeles to New York, 3,296 miles in seven days, 16 hours and 16 minutes, thus setting a service high-water mark that took the US Postal Service 80 years to best. Also in 1917, Roy Artley broke the 24-hour sidecar record on a Henderson with 706 miles traversed and 1,438 flying insects consumed. According Whalen, the Henderson motorcycle was popular with police (who ironically have never been very popular); it idled smoothly, didn’t overheat, and was comfortable to ride (like me!- a note to you ladies out there.) From the beginning, Henderson made many significant changes to his original design. In 1917, he introduced the kick start cradle frame and new transmission. Each new model had major changes. The innovations were dramatic.

1911 was the same year Ignaz Schwinn (love that name) bought Excelsior Motorcycle Company; eventually he bought Henderson Motorcycle Company. Part of the deal was that the Henderson brothers would work for Schwinn. At that time, Excelsior/Henderson was the only four-cylinder motorcycle made in the U. S. Four-cylinder motorcycles were not cost-effective to produce. Money and management problems continued with Schwinn’s manufacturing of the four- cylinder Henderson motorcycle. The relationship between Henderson and Schwinn eventually soured, but all-in-all, Schwinn was quite fair in his dealings with Henderson. In 1919, Henderson quit Schwinn which continued manufacturing Henderson motorcycles until 1931 when Schwinn returned to manufacturing bikes. In 1920, Henderson formed Ace Motor Corporation.
This tragic event did not signal the end of four- cylinder motorcycles, but without the passionate energy of these engineers and innovators, the unfortunate practical issue of cost-effectiveness came to dominate. With 20 years of William Henderson’s death, American manufacturing of four-cylinder motorcycles would end.
Another startling revelation involved Everett Delong who was a Henderson engineer. He left and built high-quality reliable fours for the Cleveland Motorcycle Company from 1926 to 1930 when the company crashed along with the stock market. Its final model included a brass plaque stating that each model had been tested to 100 mph.
In 1927, the Ace Company was sold to Indian Motorcycles. Ace languished without William Henderson’s vision. Until 1942, Indian continued to make four-cylinder motorcycles successfully. In 1931, Excelsior dropped out of business. In 1936, Indian started making an upside-down four- cylinder with carburetors on the bottom, and dual exhaust on the top. That whacky idea should have killed the business, but it struggled on until 1942 when Indian ceased production for the civilian market and turned to making, not a four-cylinder, but a two-cylinder motorcycle for the U. S. government. After 1942, they were no longer in business. No American companies made four-cylinders again.

These garage inventors were operation somewhere between screwball doodling and practical innovation. Most of these ideas died before they left the drawing board or at least until the first prototype blew up in their faces. During the Depression of the ‘30s, a great deal of innovation occurred. In 1930, structural innovation created the skyscraper (the Empire State Building) and the Maiden Form brassiere, something we can all appreciate. It was a time of economic desperation and seat-of-your-pants opportunity.
Cheaping down products was another effort at innovation. Henry Ford created the assembly-line (thanks) and produced an affordable car, cheap enough for his employees to buy. At the same time, object of luxury pushed the idea of cost as a measure of worth, as with the Pierce Arrow automobile.
There is an un-attributed section of Schultz’s Henderson history in which a 1917 phone dialogue from Ford to Henderson is a candid description of the thinking of some of these early tinkerers and innovators.
T. W. Henderson: Hello
Voice over the phone: That you Tom?
T. W. H.: Yes.
Voice: This is Henry Ford.
T. W. H.: ‘Sup Hank.
H. F.: Say, Tome, I want to buy a motorcycle.
T. W. H.: Dogg! I’ve always said you were a sensible man. What are you going to use it for? Trolling for sweet ham?
H. F.: I read in this morning’s paper about some pinhead who rode across the continent in seven days. That’s the kind of machine I want for one of my morons to ride between my tractor pant and my weed farm. What’s the damage?
T. W. H.: Three hundred and seventy beans for an electrically-equipped model.
H. F.: Get the fuck out of here! That’s a lot of coin.
T. W. H: Three hundred and seventy bones. Take the price or take it deep, makes no diff to me!
H. F.: Y’ don’t mean to tell me you charge $370 for a friggin’ motorcycle.
T. W. H.: Yes, but Henry, you can’t compare it- ah, well, I don’t want to be personal and comparisons are for assholes. You know how it is, Henry, you’ve always got to cough up for a first-class article.
H. F.: How about a discount?
T. W. H.: What do you mean discount? I got your discount right here! What do you think this is, Woolworth’s?
H. F.: You’ll sell me one at dealer’s price won’t you, Timmy?
T. W. H.: Nothing doing, Pendejo. Three seventy. And I told you not to call me Timmy!
H. F.: All right. I think you’re boning be big time, but go ahead and shoot one out to the tractor plant right away.
T. W. H.: All right, Hank. Much obliged.
So an electrically equipped 1917 Henderson motorcycle was delivered to Henry Ford’s tractor plant that afternoon and paid for at full list price. Done deal.