# The $52,300.00 Dollar Schwinn!



## cyclingday (May 25, 2012)

The auction for the 1929 Schwinn built Streamline Henderson model KJ just ended at $52,300.00!

 Wow!

 It had 32 bids.

 I would expect that kind of interest at the Mid America Auction in Las Vegas, but I am pretty surprised that it sold for that much from an e-bay listing.


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## snickle (May 25, 2012)

Yeah, let's just hope the guy actually pays. You'd be surprised at how many idiots win stuff then fall off the face of the earth.


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## cyclingday (May 25, 2012)

I did notice that the feedback ratings were pretty low for most of the bidders.
 But, I have also noticed that the serious antique motorcycle guys don't buy a lot on e-bay, but when they do, it is usually for big bucks.


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## vintage2wheel (May 25, 2012)

*bid*

marty do you have the link for the auction i did not see it i would like to see what a 53k bike looks like  LOL


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## snickle (May 25, 2012)

HERE it is..


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## cyclingday (May 25, 2012)

jaylenosgarage.com  has some videos of the bikes he owns.

 Do a search in the video section under Henderson KJ and watch Jay fire them up and go for a ride. 

 His bikes are really nice examples of what these magnificent machines were all about. Although at one point, Jay states that Schwinn was owned by Col. Albert Pope.

Sorry, Jay! Pope never owned a piece of Schwinn.

But, just to be fair, I'm sure that when you own as many phenominal machines as Jay owns, it would be easy to get a little confused from time to time.


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## vintage2wheel (May 25, 2012)

*wow*

that thing is bad ass


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## MagicRat (May 25, 2012)

52 Large...

I'd rather have the cash.

The more money than brains club playing the game.


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## chitown (May 25, 2012)

What's up with the Schwinn Quality sticker on there??? Does that belong there or is it just a little tribute sticker done by the _restorationist_ to show the Schwinn ownership of Henderson/Excelsior Motor MFG connection?

Nice ride for somebody this summer!


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## scrubbinrims (May 25, 2012)

I don't know what I am looking at, but it's cool.
Just don't know about the 52K part...that's a lot of hookers.
Chris


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## Greg M. (May 25, 2012)

MagicRat said:


> 52 Large...
> 
> I'd rather have the cash.
> 
> The more money than brains club playing the game.




This is chump change for the folks bidding on this.
It's the old " if you have to ask how much it is, you can't afford it".
I saw a lot of these types of motorbikes at the Hartung auction, speaking of Jay Leno.

Greg M.


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## abe lugo (May 25, 2012)

*a bit high but about right*

Inline fours are always demanding high prices, you should see the prices on parts.


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## cyclingday (May 25, 2012)

The Schwinn quality decal absolutely belongs on the damper housing.  
 This bike was the last machine built under Ignaz tutelage. It was designed by Arthur Constantine who had come over to the Schwinn factory from Harley Davidson.
 It has been said, that the KJ Henderson was the best prewar motorcycle ever built.


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## Larmo63 (May 25, 2012)

I never saw the link for this machine....?


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## MagicRat (May 25, 2012)

Let me retract what I posted before.

Now that I see it.

An Inline 4...Oh Hell Yeah!


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## slick (May 25, 2012)

Here is the link. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HEND...1?pt=US_motorcycles&hash=item2a1da2f14d#v4-47
I'd say it was pretty well bought for a colector. Only problem is it can't do over 60 mph right? Either way a really great bike to sit in your living room and drool over........


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## silvercreek (May 26, 2012)

Here are 3 more in that price range. http://www.caimag.com/wordpress/2011/02/17/classic-american-motorcycles-auction/


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## cyclingday (May 26, 2012)

Chris, aka Slick.

 Not only can that bad boy do 60mph with ease, it could do 110 mph!
 In fact, when it was built, it was the fastest American made vehicle of any kind.
That's why every Police dept. in the country had standing orders for them when they shut down the production.
Schwinn could have easily weathered the depression on this motorcycle alone, but Ignaz wanted to retire and Frank wasn't interested in building motorcycles anymore.

I really think that the Aerocycle was Franks tribute to his dad and this motorcycle. It's no coincidence that the name of both vehicles, was the Streamline Henderson and the Streamline Aerocycle.
Both vehicles were the first of their kind to use the wrap around tanks, external of the frame rather than being slung in between.


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## charnleybob (May 26, 2012)

I am a little suspicious of the sticker too.


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## cyclingday (May 26, 2012)

I saw an original paint 1925 Super X, and it had the Schwinn Quality decal on it, so they were using that logo at least as far back as then.


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## tony d. (Jun 7, 2012)

*52,000 dollar schwinn*

funny thing about the engine for thios bike the  Hendersen (schwinn owned name) Ace (hendersen owned name till schwinn baught it in 1932) and Indian prototyps used the same engine with differant stampings  (same parts numbers)


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## cyclingday (Jun 8, 2012)

When Ignaz Schwinn bought the rights to the Henderson motorcycle company, he hired the Henderson brothers, with a no compete clause.

 Well, that didn't last long, and in 1919 William Henderson left the company to start up the Ace motorcycle company.

 In 1920 Schwinn developed the model K. It was designed by Arthur Lemon who had worked for Henderson back in Detroit.

In 1922 William Hendeson was killed in a test riding accident, so Arthur Lemon left the Schwinn factory to head up the design work at Ace.

Ace lasted until 1924 and was evenually aquired by the Indian motorcycle company.

That is why there are so many similarities between the early Schwinn model K, the Ace, and the Indian four. They were all designed by Arthur O. Lemon.

A genius in four cylinder motorcycle design.


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## vintage2wheel (Jun 8, 2012)

*thanks*

wow you learn something every day i knew they hired the henderson bros but did not know he left to start ace
thanks for sharing marty


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## cyclingday (Jun 8, 2012)

My pleasure, Shaun.

After Arthur O. Lemon left Schwinn to head up Ace, and then eventually design Fours for Indian, Schwinn hired another Arthur to design its latest fours.

This time it was Arthur Constantine who came over from Harley Davidson, which is strange, because I don't think that they ever had any plans to build fours.

That may be why he left.

His design was the groundbreaking model KJ which was far different than any motorcycle yet produced. It's easy to look back and say, "Oh, that looks just like every other motorcycle."

But, when the Streamline Henderson, model KJ came out, it was so forward thinking, that it literally changed the way every other motorcycle was ever built after that.

The same holds true for its bicycle first cousin, the Streamline Aerocycle.


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## vintage2wheel (Jun 8, 2012)

*wow*

sounds alot like my industry people get bought for there ideas and customer base.   I guess the same for most companies out there a trading game.


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## cyclingday (Jun 8, 2012)

My brother started out working for the Douglas Aircraft company, which became the McDonnel Douglas aircraft company, which became the Boeing Aircraft company, then they merged with Lockheed and now it is known as the United Launch Alliance.

The value in all of that posturing was for its ideas and manufacturing capability.

Unfortunately, for this Country, those days are gone, and from now on, all of the big moves will be made in China.


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