Excelsior-Henderson Set To Rise From Its Grave Thanks To Bajaj Auto

Excelsior-Henderson Bajaj Trademark — The trademark application from Bajaj Auto

Ever heard of a 2-wheeler brand named Excelsior-Henderson? Nope? Well, it is an American brand that has had a troubled past and Bajaj Auto is likely going to revive it.

The Indian auto giant, having purchased the rights to the brand, has applied for trademark rights in several nations to use the Excelsior-Henderson name and logo on motorcycles, parts and clothing.

Before we go any further, a history lesson is a must. Back in the early 20th century when new automobile firms were cropping up like crazy, much like EV brands of today, Excelsior and Henderson started life as separate entities.

While Excelsior began building litre-class V-twins from as early as 1910, Henderson was more interested in making inline 4-cylinder bikes. Both firms were brought by Schwinn, a bicycle firm, and merged to become Excelsior-Henderson.

Both high-end brands continued to make products separately, but operations were shut down in 1931 due to the American Great Depression.

An attempt was made in the 1990s to bring the entity back and sustain it. A Super-X cruiser with a 1386cc V-twin heart was developed by 1998 and even 1950 units of it got sold. But, by 1999, Excelsior-Henderson went bust once again.

The Harley-Davidson rival was thought to have been resigned to the annals of history books and nobody was interested in the brand when rights to its use and patents came up for auction in 2018.

But, it looks like Bajaj was watching and it has silently bought those rights and patents. An official announcement, expected to be made soon, will clear things up.

Why has Bajaj went and bought a long-dormant American cruiser bike manufacturer? Well, we can only think that it is to take on Royal Enfield which seems to be an unstoppable force at the moment.

If we know Bajaj from its keen partnership with KTM, it is evident that the firm has the might to make a firm very successful. We might find a new cruiser motorcycle under the E-H name heading our way in the coming years.