Excelsior Series 20

The Series 20 was the Excelsior V-twin of 1920, the Big X as it stood in the early 1920s. It used a 61 cubic inch (1,000 cc) air-cooled four-stroke F-head engine, with the inlet valve over the exhaust, in a 50-degree V-twin layout. The drive ran through a three-speed countershaft transmission and a toe clutch to a chain, and ignition was by magneto. The frame was the full-loop cradle used since 1915, with a top tube arcing from the steering head to the saddle lug. For 1920 the forks were changed to match those of the four-cylinder Excelsior-Henderson, replacing the leaf-sprung forks used since 1912, although one auction description calls the new design trailing-link and another calls it leading-link. The Series 20 also had a sprung seat, came in dark blue with gold trim, and could be ordered with acetylene lighting, electric lighting from a generator slung in front of the frame downtube, or no lighting. It was built in Chicago by the Excelsior Motor Manufacturing & Supply Company.