Excelsior Henderson reviews

I selected this bike because of the design and style. When I come out of the store or restaurant I can tell which one is mine. The suspension works well for a cruiser, I did not expect it to handle like my Ducati. The engine smooths out on mine between 2900 and 4000 rpm.-- that puts me at 62 to 74 mph in 4th and 75 to 90 in 5th gear. I had to put plugs in when I got the bike as it ran rough because they were fouled and misgapped. I put the factory optional pipes on and it was nice to have a fuel injection system that self adjusts for such a change. Overall very happy with machine. Show less

I recently spent a weekend riding Excelsior-Henderson's 2000 Super X. A dealer friend let me use one of his road test bikes, as interest in the bike seems to have diminished since the company filed chapter 11. The bike, at a glance was somewhat ungainly looking with the huge springed forks and odd looking front fender. A closer inspection revealed a finely conceived design, quality components, fit and finish. The ride, however, was disappointing. It is a heavey bike that seems to be geared a little too high for the torque its twin cam fuel injected engine is able to handle. Fifth gear is an overdrive gear, no roll back acceleration from this gear. Handling was not what this bike was designed for, it's a cruiser, and it definitely doesn't handle well. Another annoying aspect of the Super X was its constant vibration. I would think that a bike of such recent design would include some sort of vibration dampening. All in all the bike is a disapoointment but I didn't regret spending a weekend exploring Southern Maryland on this unique machine. Show less