Henderson bikes are almost completely forgotten when it comes to fighting over the biggest and the best bikes of yore. For all those of you who have heard only about Harley and Indian motorcycles, here's notorious bike collector Jay Leno, showing his original, unaltered 1931 Henderson KJ machine.
The KJ was one of the biggest and the fastest motorcycles of its time, and was preferred by both cops and speed freaks. The Henderson KJs usually came with reverse, but this specific one does not.
It's quite impressive to see this 1931 motorcycle in an almost original, unrestored state, with its huge 4-cylinder engine and straight exhaust, and starting at the first kick. The 80ci (1311cc) engine was so smooth and powerful (40 hp) that one could slow down to 8 mph (less than 13 km/h) in top gear and then accelerate up to 110 mph (177 km/h), and that's a thing few bikes can easily do these days.
The clutch is probably a bit weird for the younger riders: a left foot-actuated pedal, with the left hand needed for both advance/retard and manual gear shifter, all making stopping and pulling away a small adventure, until you figure out the right sequence. Enjoy this piece of motorcycle history, presented by Jay Leno!
It's quite impressive to see this 1931 motorcycle in an almost original, unrestored state, with its huge 4-cylinder engine and straight exhaust, and starting at the first kick. The 80ci (1311cc) engine was so smooth and powerful (40 hp) that one could slow down to 8 mph (less than 13 km/h) in top gear and then accelerate up to 110 mph (177 km/h), and that's a thing few bikes can easily do these days.
The clutch is probably a bit weird for the younger riders: a left foot-actuated pedal, with the left hand needed for both advance/retard and manual gear shifter, all making stopping and pulling away a small adventure, until you figure out the right sequence. Enjoy this piece of motorcycle history, presented by Jay Leno!
Google News