Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know! UPDATE!!!

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chaddilac

chaddilac

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I picked up a Schwinn Henderson bike frame today nothing but the frame, it looks cool but I know nothing about it and have never heard of Henderson. I googled it and found nearly nothing???

It looks like a 24" bike, but I'm not sure haven't measured it and it has the straight second tube with the top tube arched.

Help a brutha out!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


PICS ADDED!!!!

And it isn't a 24" but a 26"!!


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Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

I believe Henderson was a motorcycle company that Schwinn owned, and they used the name on bicycles also.
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

Seen a Henderson bike at an auction last fall. I was very rough rustholes in the frame, bears were rust, but it had the head badge and was told it sold for $60 or $70 dollars, I didn't stay for the auction. Later learned just the badge alone would probably bring almost that much. It was cool.

Henderson made motorcycle in the early to mid 1900s.
Story my grandpa told me, was that he had a 1921 Harley Davidson, and a friend of his, a Wichita motorcycle cop, had a city of Wichita owned Henderson inline four, the Henderson was a very fast motorcycle in its day. He and his friend raced from Wichita, to Newton, about 25 miles down old hiway 81. At the start the Henderson would just run away from the Harley..... for awhile. Little over halfway there grandpa passed the Henderson setting by the side of the road, the inline 4 was fast but they would over heat. Grandpa, was setting at the cafe drinking a cup of coffee when his friend on the Henderson got there, and had to pay for the coffee.
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

89 views and I got 2 comments?? Is there really only 2 ratrodbikers on this site???
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

Show us a picture. Helps with dating as does the serial number. Schwinn had lots of other badged bikes.
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

If you can find a copy of "Schwinn Bicycles by Jay Pridmore & Jim Hurd" look on pages 40-41, theres a nice lay out of pictures and some info. looks like a bike from the 1920's, Henderson built Diamond, motorbike, camel and arch frames.
I'd say if your bike is a Henderson you've got a nice collector. Show us some pictures!
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

i got a '36 ladies henderson. it's a really awesome bike but all i know is that schwinn bought out the motorcycle company henderson in the late '20's or early '30's. But i do love that bike. It's got a tank a springer fork and it's skiptooth. I do know that the tank on the matching men's bike to mine is worth $400 alone! post some pics!
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

chaddilac said:
89 views and I got 2 comments?? Is there really only 2 ratrodbikers on this site???
Click to expand...
I am not schwinn expert by any means but this is what I have picked up over the years...Schwinn used a lot of badges, Henderson, Excelsior, Lasalle, Ace, Planes and Trains etc...some are more common than others. Pre and early post war, Schwinn sold through many outlets and if an outlet (typically hardware store chains or tire stores i.e. BF Goodrich) was big enough, they could order bikes with their own badge and even special lettering (Henderson and Lasalle bikes typically featuer lettering and badges). Eventually, after WWII, Schwinn developed an authorized dealer network and eliminated the specialty badges sometime in the 50s I believe.
Someone compiled a list of outlets and their respective badges on the snobbish schwinn site but for the most part, I think that is it.
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

chaddilac said:
89 views and I got 2 comments?? Is there really only 2 ratrodbikers on this site???
Click to expand...
Ratrodbiker and bike historian are not equal terms. :| What kind of .... and bull Google-cut-and-paste story would you like? :p
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

Uhm if you're on this site you're a ratrodbiker!! If you don't have anything to contribute... look at a different thread!! :mrgreen:
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

henderson was the schwinn son who was into motorcycles. so they used that name i beleve for the motor cycles "excelsior henderson and also did a line of bikes playing off the motor cycle name. come on if you were a kid back in the day would you want just a schwinn or a bike that had a motor cycle name? and deorman rock on for the comment we are more than willing to help but be patent in waiting for a reply rather than blasting us :mrgreen:
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

Sorry fellas... didn't mean to be a jerk.... I just want to know about this bike, I've never heard of one!! :)
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

Chad, if you will post some pictures of your bike maybe someone on here will be able to find out something more about your bike.
Go to Borders books and find a book titled "Schwinn Bicycles" it's the only book I got info from, this book has the story of Arnold, Schwinn in it.
This tells about the purchase of Henderson Motorcycle Company of Detroit in 1917. Henderson Bicycles was born when Ignaz Schwinn wanted to sell Hendersons to the youth that was not yet ready for a motorcycle, so if you find the book you can read it for yourself.

Good Luck
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

Chad's been hanging out on the H.A.M.B. too much.
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:lol: :lol:
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

Rat Rod said:
Chad's been hanging out on the H.A.M.B. too much.
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:lol: :lol:
Click to expand...

that explains everything steve i am a regular over there too :D
 
Re: Scwhinn "Henderson" Bikes... Tell me all you know!

..."Tell me all you know", O.K. you win, just get that bright light out of my face. I have no idea what frame you have (pic would be nice) so here are a couple pics of the motorcycle end of things.

WC309Excelsior-HendersonDealersbull.jpg


WC_1918_Henderson_Deluxe_Model_Sale.jpg


One bike shot...

WC_341.jpg
 

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