Excelsior Motor Manufacturing & Supply Company
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This article is about the early 20th Century motorcycle manufacturer in Chicago. For the late 1990s motorcycle manufacturer in Belle Plaine, Minnesota, see Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle. For the English motorcycle manufacturer, see Excelsior Motor Company. For other motorcycle manufacturers named Excelsior, see Excelsior (disambiguation).
See also: Henderson Motorcycle
Excelsior Motor Manufacturing & Supply Company was an American motorcycle manufacturer operating in Chicago from 1907 to 1931.[1] It was purchased by Ignaz Schwinn, proprietor of bicycle manufacturer Arnold, Schwinn & Co. in 1912.[2] In 1912, an Excelsior was the first motorcycle to be officially timed at a speed of 100 mph.[3] The Henderson Motorcycle Company became a division of Excelsior when Schwinn purchased Henderson in 1917.[1][4] By 1928, Excelsior was in third place in the U.S. motorcycle market behind Indian and Harley-Davidson. The Great Depression convinced Schwinn to order Excelsior's operations to cease in September 1931.
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