Excelsior V Twin build

[Lurker]

That paint is looking sharp. I am surprised your going with the lime color tho. From what I have read that color was chosen by the guy who replicated these bikes. There are only 2 or 3 original photos of this bike and they are all in black and white. In fact all of these bikes were destroyed after Schwinn's son was killed on one.

It is probably a safe bet that most or all (there were only 3 built) were painted in the traditional Excelsior colors. Gray, red and gold.

 

[silverbear]

That paint is looking sharp. I am surprised your going with the lime color tho. From what I have read that color was chosen by the guy who replicated these bikes. There are only 2 or 3 original photos of this bike and they are all in black and white. In fact all of these bikes were destroyed after Schwinn's son was killed on one.

It is probably a safe bet that most or all (there were only 3 built) were painted in the traditional Excelsior colors. Gray, red and gold.

As I recall from my reading, it was not Schwinn's son who was killed, but a professional rider who was like family to the Schwinns. It grieved the old man and he was then done with making motorcycles. If I'm wrong on this I'd like for someone to correct me. It makes you wonder "what if". What if there had been no horrendous crash and the motorcycles continued production? What if they were still being made today?
SB

 

[silverbear]

http://classicmotorcycles.about.com/od/historicaldevelopment/a/Excelsior-Motorcycles-Usa.htm

The above link gives some history of Excelsior and suggests that the withdrawal from manufacturing was due to the economic downturn of the depression.
SB

 

[truckd]

the History is a little sketchy but very close, what a wonderful part of the industrial history of Amaerica and the world, so so terrible that Schwinn sold out to such cheap ass bicycle Co like Pacifica

 

[cobrafreak]

Yes, Schwinn was as much a bicycle company as Harley or Indian and probably more so. We may have seen some great motorcycles. So it may be time for some revisionist history and make a Schwinn motorcycle.

 

[truckd]

I would very much like to do a Schwinn board tracker, but more so with the Schwinn styling not a henderson or excelsior, we'll see, I grew up on Schwinn Bicycles and only needed 2 in a 16 yr span 1966 Sting Ray and a 1976 Varsity that I rode until I sold it back to my Dad at age 22 what a bike!! and a tough Motorcycle as well

 

[DareDevil]

Hi.. Guys....I have followed the builders color scheme..the builders bike isnt original...it is a reproduction ...and a dam good one at that.....the owner of this particular colored bike couldn't paint it the original drab olive green..he said the bike deserved to at least look happy...from the history I have read they come in two color schemes.....like Lurker said ...grey -red-gold.....and olive green....the olive green looks like "puke"..I wouldn't paint it that color either...Im happy with the color...it grows on yer.....The history I have read is the 5 were built and 5 were destroyed after the death of his designer was killed riding one of these bikes......the paint has dryed over nite and has a great gloss on it......DD

 

[truckd]

EXLNT color choice!!

 

[cobrafreak]

Split Pea Soup. I love Split Pea Soup!

 

[WoodyFlorida]

I have really enjoyed following this build, thank you; great work. I have been building an Excelsior "tribute" slowly and am at the point I must decide between o.d. green and grey. I keep going back and forth, what was more common?

 

[DareDevil]

Hi Truckd......Thank you for approving the color choice

Hi Cobrafreak....It does remind me of "soilen green" biscuits

......DD

 

[DareDevil]

Hi WoodyFlorida....Welcome to the thread......I think the Grey was the most used color scheme....I have posted a photo of the real green they were for you!!!! .....your the only one that can make the choice...it doesn't matter what color it is ..as long as you are comfortable with it......the green Im using is a Wattle paints color .....Manon........DD

 

[truckd]

Well we all know there will be Plenty Bacon in the soupe, but really NICE! color and with the darker green accents,I'm SOOOOOooOO! Jealous!!!

 

[DareDevil]

Hi.... truckd .... I plan to use Brunswick green as the accents-pinstriping...Ive still got my pin brush's but I dont how steady my hand is these days....I will have a practice on an old rim I have down the track....these bikes need the striping to set them appart....Lurkers.... Gold striping looks fantastic....really finishes the the bike off....DD

 

[truckd]

I wanted to do the striping on the 1911 Indian but they just didn't have em on the bikes, even the guy who made the decals offered to do it for free, came to find out we never lived more then 20 miles apart at any given time in our lives over a span of 50 yrs WOW! but gary has been stripping for 40 yrs and I was stunned to hear he'd do it for free,
I don't know if you've ever seen the Excelsior build on You Tube but super cool and if any details come into question you could see what is or isn't missing, I know you could go to E-bay to buy the Shcwinn Decal for the head tube it is the same as the bicycles for the seat post.
Here is the E-mail add for Gary (My Decal Guy) when you get ready for the tank logos
www.leftcoastdesign.com Tele# (805) 496-4600 this guy is top notch and reasonable with prices and ain't gonna cost an arm,leg,ear and nose to mail them to you

 

[DareDevil]

Hi truckd....I have scoured through every thing that I could research on the Excelsiors for about year before I started the build and down loaded nearly every video and photos that I could acquire for my research ...there is more than Utube available if you search throughly...thanks for the heads up on the decal....I have got a really good printer and have top quality decal printing paper..There are a few guys that get around the hot rod and classic car shows the will stripe for nothing....I can do it but my age is catching up with me now and have trouble keeping a steady hand....I like the Excelsior tank decal but I dont know if I should use the word Excelsior in the Super X decal...I am having a think about this as my bike is using a foreign engine...what are your thoughts on this??????.....DD

 

[truckd]

Why not? Excelorator,autocycle for the decal, in small back ground print Say hand made by? in Australia exc,exc,exc, but ya know there are few people who even have a clue as to what you have, built or ride to them it's a cool old motorcycle, you could even do an extacy logo(LOL!)

 

[Lurker]

Just to be clear DD I was not bashing the color, in fact I like it. I was just surprised that you were going to use it. I'm so used to seeing your bike in raw steel, I guess I just assumed you were painting it gray.

 

[DareDevil]

Hi Lurker....I know you wasn't bashing the color....I'm surprised I finished up using it..I had a lot of doubts about it ....but finished up going with it.....If I was to change my mind I would go for a Royal Blue with gold pinstriping...Maybe the next one I build ?......I still have a little way to go before I use any paint on the frame -forks-tanks..got to make sure every thing is done...have painted the rims as I need to lace them up very soon....DD

 

[Mr.B.]

Here’s a nice site that has some 1919 Excelsior OHC history...

http://www.statnekov.com/motorcycles/chapters.html

Chapters 15 & 16, specifically but a good read overall!

-Kirk