Henderson 127mph record motorcycle Freddie Ludlow 1924 motorcycle photo photo

Description

A superb and rare photo of the
1924
Henderson
Four record machine
and
Freddie Ludlow
, photographed just after their
1924
Henderson
speed record setting event where an amazing top speed was reached of
127.1 mph
!
Luxury motorcycle maker Henderson wanted proof about exactly how fast their magnificent inline four cylinder motorcycles were. They commissioned
Henderson
dealer Allen B. Monks from
San Bernardino
,
CA
to prepare an Henderson Four. Monks mildly tuned the engine and fitted aerodynamic body components. On
October 20, 1924
Ludlow
reached a topspeed of no less then
127.1 mph
(204.55 km/hr)!
Freddie Ludlow
was a famous board track racer that turned his attention to top-speed record attempts on the various board tracks and dry lakes in
Southern California
. He became known as one of the best in the field of record speed runs.
Ludlow
topped all riders at the AMA-sanctioned Los Angeles Speed Trials on
Muroc
Dry
Lake
in 1936 when he averaged
128.57 mph
on a 1936 Indian Sport Scout! He was a top board track racer of the 1910s and made the transition to dirt track racing with ease. The Californian's greatest accomplishment came in September of 1921, when he won five national championships at the M&ATA finale on the dirt mile at
Syracuse
,
New York
.
Ludlow
was born on
August 23, 1895
, in
Los Angeles
. He finished two years of high school before being offered a full-time job as a truck driver.
Ludlow
saved his earnings and purchased his first motorcycle, an Indian. When truck driving proved to be too tame for him, he began racing in the Los Angeles-area motordromes at the age of 16. The first large wooden track was the Playa del Rey circuit, a one-mile board track west of
Los Angeles
,
Ludlow
became one of the regular riders to compete there. Besides his obvious riding skills,
Ludlow
also gained a reputation as an excellent mechanic. It was
Ludlow
who turned the wrenches for Charlie "Fearless" Blake during his numerous speed-record runs on the boards during the later part of 1913. Indian gave
Ludlow
support in the form of one of its new eight-valve racing bikes in 1914. He raced frequently around the circuits of
California
. The young
Ludlow
earned his share of wins despite having to go up against established veterans such as Don Johns, Morty Graves and the other top riders of that era. In 1916 and 1917,
Ludlow
turned most of his efforts to endurance runs. The diminutive rider earned a slew of perfect scores in those long-distance contests.
Ludlow
served in the Signal Corps during World War I. He left for
Europe
in April of 1918 and returned from the war in August of 1919. Soon after his discharge,
Ludlow
was hired by Harley-Davidson's competition manager Bill Ottoway to race for the Milwaukee-based team.
Ludlow
's factory debut came in a November race that year at
Ascot
Park
.
Ludlow
's bike broke a chain and he was credited with fourth. The team Harley assembled in 1920, later to be known as the "Wrecking Crew," was chock full of talent.
Ludlow
joined Ralph Hepburn, Otto Walker, Red Parkhurst and later, Jim Davis, Ray Weishaar and Maldwyn Jones, in one of the most powerful factory squads ever put together. In February of 1920, Harley-Davidson sent some of its top riders, including
Ludlow
, to
Daytona Beach
,
Florida
, to test its new machines and to attempt speed records. Winter storms had left the beach in terrible condition with a rippled surface full of driftwood and other debris.
Ludlow
tested mostly on Harley's single-cylinder machines and made a record one-way run of
103 mph
early in the tests. He was also the passenger in a sidecar record run with Red Parkhurst at the controls. To save weight, the sidecar was nothing more than a bare-bones steel shell with no padding.
Ludlow
donned a thick fur coat in a futile effort to gain some protection, but was still battered around in the sidecar on the rough beach at speeds approaching
90 miles
per hour. His entire body was said to be covered with bruises afterwards.
Ludlow
raced in most of great races of the day, such as the
Dodge City
300. He achieved his greatest success, however, on
September 19, 1921
, on the famous
Syracuse
(
New York
) Mile. That day,
Ludlow
earned a clean sweep of all the national titles up for grabs.
Ludlow
was a perfect five wins in five races on his factory Harley-Davidson, besting most of the top stars of the day, including the likes of Jim Davis, Don Marks, and Ralph Hepburn. It was one of the most dominant performances in the history of the sport.
Ludlow
's popularity was such that Harley-Davidson employed him to travel the country in a sidecar to host racing film shows to various clubs and other organizations interested in racing. Surprisingly,
Ludlow
's success at
Syracuse
in 1921 proved to be his swan song on the race tracks of
America
. He was summarily fired by Harley-Davidson in 1922 and went to work as a mechanic for C. Will Risdon's Indian dealership in
Los Angeles
. In 1923, he joined the South Pasadena Police Department as a motorcycle officer. A year later, he transferred to a similar post in the Pasadena Police Department. While he did very little track racing,
Ludlow
turned his attention to top-speed record attempts on the various dry lakes in
Southern California
and became known as one of the best in the field of record speed runs.
Ludlow
topped all riders at the AMA-sanctioned Los Angeles Speed Trials on
Muroc
Dry
Lake
in 1936, before an estimated 3,000 spectators.
Ludlow
averaged
128.57 mph
on a 1936 Indian Sport Scout to top an impressive field of competitors. Indian proudly advertised
Ludlow
's accomplishments in the motorcycle magazines of the day. Muroc was later closed to the public and became part of Edwards Air Force Base, site of the first sound-barrier jet flights and later NASA space shuttle landings. In the fall of
1938, a
group of Indian enthusiasts, headquartered out of Hap Alzina's Indian dealership in
Oakland
,
California
, made an ill-fated attempt on the world motorcycle land speed record at the
Bonneville Salt Flats
in
Utah
.
Ludlow
, then 43, was selected to ride the totally enclosed streamlined machine christened the "Arrow."
To warm up at the salt flats,
Ludlow
first rode an Indian Sport Scout and set a new AMA Class C record of
115.226 mph
. He then wedged himself into the tight confines of the Arrow for the land speed record attempt. On only the second run, the rear tire blew out and the torn tube struck
Ludlow
. He was able to wrestle the machine to a stop. After extensive repairs, the Arrow was ready for a run the next morning. On the first run,
Ludlow
experienced a wobble at
135 mph
. The crew cut off two small stabilizing fins thought to have caused the problem. The next day another attempt was made. This time, at approximately
145 mph
, the Arrow went into gyrations so violent that the handlebars were torn from
Ludlow
's hands. Alzina ordered further Arrow runs scratched. The Arrow was never run again. It was later restored and was part of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum exhibit, A Century of Indian, presented by Progressive Insurance, that marked the 100th anniversary of Indian's founding.
Ludlow
spent the rest of his working days with the Pasadena Police Department. He was a favorite speaker at various motorcycle gatherings and was an authority on early motorcycle competition.
Ludlow
died in 1984 at the age of 89.
In 1911 the American
Henderson
Motorcycle Co.,
268 Jefferson Ave.
,
Detroit
,
Michigan
, was formed by William G. Henderson in partnership with his brother Tom W. Henderson. Bill had the ideas and enthusiasm for motorcycling, and Tom had the better financial acumen. The
Henderson
brothers constructed a single prototype motorcycle during 1911. The prototype had the belt drive typical of the times, but this was changed to chain drive for production models. Henderson Motorcycle promptly announced a new 57 cubic inch (934 cc) IOE four cylinder 7 hp motorcycle, with the engine mounted inline with the frame and chain drive. Production began in 1911, using the in-line four cylinder engine and long wheelbase that would become
Henderson
trademarks, and it was available to the public in January 1912. Advertisements boasted 7 H.P. and a price of 5. It was the third, four cylinder, production motorcycle built in the USA., and featured a folding hand-crank starter handle. Improvements included a better brake (singular), lower seating position, and improved girder forks. It was in this year that Carl Stearns Clancy of
New York
returned from circling the globe on a 1912
Henderson
, armed with many photographs to prove it. The 1914 Model C had a two-speed gearbox incorporated in the rear hub. (The first
Henderson
to have gears.) Shortly after the Model D was announced, it was followed by a Model E, with the wheelbase reduced from
65”
to
58”
, through a change in the footboards, and this improved handling. The 1916 Henderson Model F featured a shorter wheelbase that became the standard, and the engine now incorporated a cam gear driven “mechanical oiler”, and a kick-start. With the 1917
Hendersons
the old splash lubrication was superseded by wet sump lubrication. A three-speed gearbox was now attached to the engine and incorporated a heavy-duty clutch. Sales soared and new dealerships were established. Alan Bedell averaged
48 mph
for
1154 miles
at Ascot Park in California setting a new 24 hour record, and then, on June 13, 1917, broke the transcontinental long distance record of 1915 (set by “Cannonball” Baker on an Indian Twin,) when he rode his 1917 Henderson from Los Angeles to the city of New York (3,296 miles) in seven days, sixteen hours, and fifteen minutes. The roads outside of towns were primitive by today’s standards, and the ride would have been more like an off road ride than the highway tour of today. The Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash was named in Baker's honor. Despite record breaking and racing successes, the effects of WW1 on sales had damaged their financial position. In 1917 the
Hendersons
sold the firm to Ignaz Schwinn, owner of Schwinn, the manufacturer of Schwinn bicycles and Excelsior motorbikes. Production was moved to Schwinn's Excelsior Motor Mfg. & Supply Co.,
3701 Cortland Street
,
Chicago
,
Illinois
.
Hendersons
were marketed extensively overseas as well as in the
United States
during the Schwinn years. Today, there are almost as many extant
Hendersons
in
Europe
and Australia/New Zealand as in the
U.S.
The Excelsior name had already been used in
Germany
and
Britain
, so export models were marketed as the "American-X". When production resumed for the new Model H, the engine serial numbers began with a Z, instead of the older H. The
Henderson
had the following specifications. The engine was an inline four with IOE valve layout. Its displacement: 67 cubic inches (1100 cc), bore x stroke:
2.53
x 3.0 inches (64.3x77.7 mm). The carburetor was a Schebler and ignition was by magneto. A 3-speed transmission was fitted. Only the rear featured a brake, by band. Tire size was 3.00x28 inches (7.62x71 cm) (front and rear). Initially Bill and Tom Henderson worked in management at Excelsior (with Tom receiving twice the pay of Bill), but Tom soon left, early in 1919, to become a
Henderson
exporter. The 1919 Model Z included a GE generator on the Z-2 “electric” model. The 70 cubic inch (1147 cc) 4-cylinder developed 14.2 H.P. This model had a new
Henderson
logo which included the red Excelsior “X”. In 1915 Arthur O. Lemon had joined
Henderson
as a salesman, and was employed in the Excelsior Engineering Department after the sale of
Henderson
. Lemon designed an updated motor for the 1920 Model K. Bill Henderson and Arthur Lemon had worked closely together in the past, but Bill didn’t like Lemon’s changes toward heavier motorcycles. He left in 1920, before the Model K came into production, to form the Ace Motor Corporation, where he would make the lighter, faster motorcycles he had envisioned. Arthur Lemon was then put in charge of engineering for Excelsior and
Henderson
. The Model K weighed more, produced more power, and was more durable and reliable than its predecessors. The 79.4 cubic inch (1301 cc) side valve engine, with 2.6875 inch (68.3 mm) bore, and 3.5 inch (88.9 mm) stroke, was rated at 18 hp (28 bhp) The K had a top speed of
80 mph
(
128 km/h
). The Henderson Model K was the first motorcycle to use full pressure engine lubrication. It was also the first motorcycle to offer, an optional, reverse gear (for use with sidecars). The frame had steel forgings on every joint. Forks and handlebars were the same as the Series 20 Excelsior. Among its several advanced features were electric lighting and a fully-enclosed chain. The K continued on sale to 1922, with sales increasing despite the post WW1 depression. Increasingly,
Henderson
motorcycles were being used by law enforcement agencies, and their reputation continued to improve, with durability and distance records often falling to them. In 1922 the 28 hp (at 3400 rpm) DeLuxe was released. Improvements included a larger, more efficient carburetor, improved intake manifold and rear brakes; redesigned crankshaft, cylinder head cooling, exhaust system and seat. There were also optional Lynite die-cast alloy pistons and a revised reverse gear. The heavier Police Department version was demonstrated first to the Chicago Police, and achieved
98 mph
. When it was demonstrated to the San Diego Police a genuine
100 mph
was achieved. Harley Davidson, decided to challenge
Henderson
to a contest that was held at
Dundee Road
,
Chicago
, in April 1922. The Harley won the first heat, but lost the other eleven, with the
Henderson
exceeding
100 mph
. This was a shining hour for
Henderson
. Between May 30 and 31, 1922 Wells Bennet and his Henderson Deluxe set a new 24 hour endurance record (including all the intermediate records) at the Tacoma Speedway, Washington, clocking up 1562.54 miles averaging 65.1 mph. This record was not beaten until 1933, by a Peugeot with a team of four. The solo record was not bettered until 1937 when Fred Ham’s 61 cubic inch Harley averaged
76 mph
. On
December 11, 1922
William Henderson was killed in a motor accident testing his new Ace. In 1923 Arthur O. Lemon left Excelsior to become chief engineer for Ace. The 1926
Henderson
had its frame redesigned with a downward slope to the rear for a lower centre of gravity. This enabled the fitting of a shorter, wider, 4 US gallon (
15 litre
) fuel tank. Three ring alloy pistons were now standard, the cylinders and camshaft were changed, low and reverse gear ratios were altered and it was fitted with larger
3.85”
tyres. The 1927 Henderson DeLuxe featured machined and polished “Ricardo” cylinder-heads and developed 35 hp at 3,800 rpm. The clutch was strengthened with two extra plates. There was a new tank top instrument cluster, featuring speedometer, ammeter, oil pressure gauge and a headlight switch. There were new valve spring covers and an updated Zenith carburetor. On
January 27, 1927
the Indian Motorcycle Company purchased the Ace Motor Corporation. Arthur Lemon moved to Indian, where the Ace was to become the Indian Four. The 1928 Henderson DeLuxe engine had higher compression, and hardened, polished steel valve guides. The front end was changed to leading link forks and a front brake was added. The wheels were also changed to drop center rims (may have happened mid year). In June 1928, Schwinn poached Arthur Constantine from Harley-Davidson, to become Chief Engineer.
Constantine
looked at the existing model, and embarked on a redesign. The Henderson Streamline model, commonly called the "KJ", appeared in 1929, and featured improved cooling and a return to the IOE (inlet over exhaust) valve configuration, gave 40 bhp at 4000 rpm. It had a five main bearing crankshaft, and down draft carburetion. Advertisements boasted of “57 New Features”. The Streamline was fast - capable of a genuine
100 mph
(
160 km/h
), and advanced for its time, with such features as leading-link forks and an illuminated speedometer built into the fuel tank. The Streamline model was produced from 1929 until 1931, and sold for 5. On Black
Tuesday, October 29, 1929
, the Wall Street stock market crashed, but
Henderson
sales remained strong, and business continued. At this point Excelsior Motor Mfg. & Supply Co. was one of
America
’s “Big Three” of motorcycle production, alongside Harley Davidson and Indian. On
April 29, 1930
, the new
Henderson
“Special” KL solo was demonstrated on a new smooth concrete
Illinois
highway. Joe Petrali achieved 116.12 mph and 109.09 mph on two recorded runs, averaging 112.61. The higher compression two-ring pistons, and an enlarged 1.25 inch (
32 mm
) carburetor, meant the KL engine produced 45 hp at 4,500 rpm. The KL was remarkably flexible in top gear, pulling smoothly from 8 to
110 mph
. They were even more popular with U.S. Police Departments. The "Special" (KL) model was priced more than the regular KJ model, and was available in 1930 and 1931. The summer of 1931 saw Schwinn call his department heads together for a meeting at Excelsior. He bluntly told them, with no prior indication, “Gentlemen, today we stop”. Schwinn felt that the Depression could easily continue for eight years, and even worsen. Despite of the full order book, he had chosen to pare back his business commitments to the core business, bicycle manufacture. By September 1931 it was all over. In 1994, founded by Dan and Dave Hanlon secured the rights to the defunct Excelsior-Henderson trademark and founded the Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Company in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. The company declared bankruptcy in 1999 and folded soon after.
This is a very nice and very rare non period photo that reflects a wonderful era of
Henderson
‘s motorcycle history in a wonderful way. This is your rare chance to own this photo, therefore it is printed in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 10.5" (ca. 20 x
27.5 cm
). It makes it perfectly suitable for framing!
Contact us for more
Henderson
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