Henderson Streamline KJ

The Henderson Streamline, called the KJ, appeared in 1929 as a fresh design by Arthur Constantine, who Ignaz Schwinn had hired from Harley-Davidson as Excelsior chief engineer in 1928. It returned to an inlet-over-exhaust in-line four that produced 40 bhp at 4,000 rpm, with a five main bearing crankshaft, down-draft carburetion and leading-link forks, and advertisements promised 57 new features. The streamlined tanks, a lower seat, semi-sport handlebars and an illuminated speedometer set into the fuel tank gave it a modern look, and it was capable of a genuine 100 mph. It was produced from 1929 to 1931 and sold for 435 dollars. Sales stayed strong after the October 1929 stock market crash, until Schwinn closed motorcycle production in September 1931. It was built in Chicago by the Excelsior Motor Manufacturing & Supply Company, which by then ranked among the big three American motorcycle makers beside Harley-Davidson and Indian.