Barry, That is great news as it kind of backs up my idea that Excelsior never built an 8 valve motor, I've looked through a lot of racing highlights from back then. and the 8 valve Indians and 8 valve Harleys are allways brought up but never an 8 valve Excelsior. Looking at racing news from back as early as 1911 they talk about ported Excelsiors winning races and beating 8 valve Indians. And in 1915 the big valve X was brought out with 2 1/8 valves and better flowing ports.
, and these motors could still run with and beat the 8 valve Indians and Harleys until about 1918, and it looks like Indian was moving away from the 8 valve motor as they were running the new powerplus more and more on the tracks. I think that John McNeil joined Excelsior in 1915 so the first Excelsior OHV may have been built in late 1915 or early 1916, and I tend to think that since he worked with Andrew Strand on the Cyclone OHV - OHC he would faver large valve and free breathing ports, I just don't think they got it to work with the push rod configuration as the first OHV version was slower than the big valve X. and thats when they went back and redesigned it as a OHV - OHC motor, just think if Bob Perry wouldn't have been killed testing that version where Excelsior would have gone.
, and these motors could still run with and beat the 8 valve Indians and Harleys until about 1918, and it looks like Indian was moving away from the 8 valve motor as they were running the new powerplus more and more on the tracks. I think that John McNeil joined Excelsior in 1915 so the first Excelsior OHV may have been built in late 1915 or early 1916, and I tend to think that since he worked with Andrew Strand on the Cyclone OHV - OHC he would faver large valve and free breathing ports, I just don't think they got it to work with the push rod configuration as the first OHV version was slower than the big valve X. and thats when they went back and redesigned it as a OHV - OHC motor, just think if Bob Perry wouldn't have been killed testing that version where Excelsior would have gone.
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