When Detroit's Henderson brothers founded their firm in 1911, the goal was a luxurious, reliable machine. With its long 65-inch wheelbase, the bike certainly gave a stately ride, which customer Carl Stearns Clancy soon put to good use as he became the first motorcycle rider to circumnavigate the globe on two wheels. His Henderson covered 18,000 miles in 10 months of hard riding. That was just the start of record setting for Henderson, which soon had the advertising tagline "Foremost among Fours." In 1917 Alan Bedell broke the famous Cannonball Baker's transcontinental record, gunning his Henderson from Los Angeles to New York in seven days, 16 hours. Also in 1917, Roy Artley set a Three Flags Classic record aboard his Henderson, riding from the Canadian border to Tijuana, Mexico in three days, 25 minutes. All of this long-distance glory snagged the attention of Ignaz Schwinn, looking to add a top-shelf four-cylinder model to his growing line of Excelsior V-twin motorcycles. A deal was done and starting in 1918 Hendersons would roll from Schwinn's fancy new factory in Chicago. The Hobday Henderson is believed to be an early recreation by marque specialist Matthew Smith.
When Detroit's Henderson brothers founded their firm in 1911, the goal was a luxurious, reliable machine. With its long 65-inch wheelbase, the bike certainly gave a stately ride, which customer Carl Stearns Clancy soon put to good use as he became the first motorcycle rider to circumnavigate the globe on two wheels. His Henderson covered 18,000 miles in 10 months of hard riding. That was just the start of record setting for Henderson, which soon had the advertising tagline "Foremost among Fours." In 1917 Alan Bedell broke the famous Cannonball Baker's transcontinental record, gunning his Henderson from Los Angeles to New York in seven days, 16 hours. Also in 1917, Roy Artley set a Three Flags Classic record aboard his Henderson, riding from the Canadian border to Tijuana, Mexico in three days, 25 minutes. All of this long-distance glory snagged the attention of Ignaz Schwinn, looking to add a top-shelf four-cylinder model to his growing line of Excelsior V-twin motorcycles. A deal was done and starting in 1918 Hendersons would roll from Schwinn's fancy new factory in Chicago. The Hobday Henderson is believed to be an early recreation by marque specialist Matthew Smith.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
