I need help about this Excelsior Super X

[RichO]

Louie, nice starter. I've started with less. You can make the front fender valances, The holes are where they were spot welded. Using a piece of pipe cut length wise of two different sizes (inside dia.) will give you the dimples. When you install your intake valve pockets do they clear the bottom of the tank? If they don't then it's a low frame model but you can dimple the tank if they don't. I had to do that with one of my low frames because I only had a standard tank. You can make the big dimple in the kicker cover with a piece of pipe and the right size trailer hitch ball. Just like a die. Basket case Super's are a long pull but so worth it. My friends has a bob job Super built by an L.A. cop in the 40's or fifties and it's so cool. I built one but later restored it when I found or made the pieces. Good luck!

[bobbyt]

A good summary of Super X changes.

There is an additional reason for the factory moving the battery box. The box on the 1925-26 Supers was rigidly mounted to a frame bracket. It was positioned low and back, behind the unit motor-transmission. This location transmitted every bounce and jolt from the twenties roads to the box — not conducive to long battery life. The box was relocated higher and somewhat forward, closer to the center of mass of the machine. Further it was suspended from a more flexible bracket. These changes also affected the location of the generator. In the new model announcement, the factory commented that the new location made the battery more accessible and helped protect it from vibration and bumps. The new location was introduced on the early model Super X for 1927; these models continued to use the previous years exhaust system.

[Steve Slocombe]

In Europe they must have sold quite a few Super-X bikes to Scandinavia and Germany, and we are seeing them turn up at our Raalte NL Meet, I think a '30 and a '31 were there last year. The Scandinavians considered the small twin a sports bike and the big twin a sidecar hauler, so the younger guys would take the 750 cc machine. Harley and Indian had nothing to compare with the Super-X in 1925, and the secret seems to be big inlet valves like the later KJ. The Berlin-built Mabeco ('an Indian but built properly') seem to have taken their bike from 600 cc to 750 cc a little before Indian, and this with the Super-X rushed Harley into putting a 750 cc engine into 350 cc cycle parts as the 1929 D model.

[26fhead]

Louie,

I am by no means an expert but anyway I can help you out with your project let me know. I had a lot of contacts I made on the way to get my bike running and I may have some small parts left over. Steve Thielicke may have some stuff for sale he is in Washington State and bought out Dean Salsmans pile and Tom Fickau has a complete gasket set. I had to make a lot of parts or have them made and the parts I use to see at the swap meets are gone. I see you already know about Carl Sorenson, as he had the shafts made for the lower end.

Steve

[RichO]

Don't forget Matt Smith in Oregon. His dad mike had a couple of Supers and I know he made parts and has some used parts too.

[26fhead]

Rich,

Yes Matt does still have some parts left as I bought spokes off of him not too long ago.

Steve

[brettxlch]

You know i often wonder if riders back then tried different setups on thier own, like early hot rodders...just too see what worked and what didnt.

[Steve Swan]

although it is entirely unlikely i will never own an Excelsior, i am loving this thread!

[Raposo]

Hello Louie and thanks for your help.

This is a list of what I need for now:

Chain cover
Battery box
Dynamo
Control panel (ammeter)
Speedometer (complete)
Rings
Front wheel hub + brake system
Handlebar (complete with controls)
Compression release lever (activated by the kick starter)

The spare parts that I can not find can make them, but in that case I would need photos and measurements.

Thank you very much to all of you for your help!

[26fhead]

Dave Molnar has the battery/tool box I have on my bike Impax manufacturing (dave@impax.on.ca) and Matt Smith has the compression release lever. Egge has pistons and rings, the rest I do not know of maybe Tom Faber at Fabercycle.com for the bars and he may have some parts as he has a 28 Super X.

Steve

[26fhead]

I almost forgot about Sverre Gerber in Norway he has a 1925 and his Website is American Motorcycles Norway.

Steve

[RichO]

I forgot to add that I used late 40's/early 50's Studebaker pistons in three motors I did. Wrist pin size, compression height, bore, etc, worked.

[bbinns]

Wow, Ive been away from this forum for some time but its fantastic to see all this Excelsior talk at the moment!

Fortunately in Australia Super Xs and Series 20 (20-24) Big Xs arent as hard to find as what it would seem in the USA. I have a coverage of most years from 1915 to 1930, but of interest in this conversation is what Ive learnt researching for my low frame 1926, flat tank 1929 (1928 built), and Streamline 1930. Also got a 1928 Bits and pieces machine that is a future hotrod project, inspired by Richards Morris's and yours Dr Sprocket!

There is a laundry list of changes from 1925 to the last models in 1931. Ill start with what I know on the early 1929 (flattank model). Thank you to BobbyT for all his hard work on research that formed the basis for further investigation.

1929 Flat tank Super X (Made from late 1928 until introduction of Streamline model in spring 1929)
• 19” Drop Center (double bump) rims and new 27x4” straight side Firestone or Goodyear tyres
• Front brake with duplex brake shoes (more on that later)
• Streamline style forks with forged top spring mount brazed to fork legs. Lighter gauge fork springs than those used on the Streamline
• Triangular front fork rockers as per Streamline
• Front Fender stays mounting point curved to clear the triangular fork rockers
• Unique front fender with slight variations (fender stays and fork leg clearance) to the earlier 1928 models
• Handlebar center (between fork tubes) is narrower on account of the Streamline style forks. Same center distance as Series 20 Big X and Deluxe. Profile of
bars remain the same as the regular 1928 model with cross braces. Stem goes through the center of the bars and is threaded internally to take a bolt, three
bolt fixing like Big X/Deluxe.
• Small fin cylinders, large fin cylinders where not introduced until the 1930 Streamline
• Wider intake rockers, these seem to have been introduced during 1927 most likely late in that year. Small changes to the machining of the rocker post area on the intake pocket occurred in early 1929.
• Left side crankcase breather, timing side crankcase no longer has a breather near the decompressor.
• Frame neck reinforced with additional ribbing, a 1928 change I believe
• Toolbox remained under the seat as per previous model
• DVAR mag/gen offered for first time. It seems that most European and Australian/NZ models were fitted with this. It is unclear if it was standard, catalog shows S2 magneto and Splitdorf generator, but the few surviving examples seem to have DVAR. Review of crankcases in the serial range that would indicate late 1928/early 1929 seem to all have the generator drive hole blanked with a brass plug, thus indicating DVAR was fitted.
• Horn is front fender mounted Klaxon 8C
• Seat is short nose Mesinger, Mesinger 2. These were available earlier on with “Mesinger” script embossed into the seat (as per 1925 Super X), but by 1930
they were block print. Color on my original paint 1930 Super X seat is black pan and black leather.
• Alloy pistons in all models
• Factory fitted 100mph maximum hand Corbin Speedometer
• Half dog bone dash panel with lights and dim switch, speedo light and amp meter. I have seen both Weston 354 panel mount and white face US Gauge panel
mount amp meters in original bikes. Both are 15-0-15 graduations, US Gauge is the one Ive seen most.
• Headlight mounts are bolted to the handlebar hold down bolts (going into fork legs). Each handlebar holdown bolt has a threaded hole in its center.
• Headlight has downward facing wiring entry, through a grommet.
• Catalog shows the cylindrical across frame muffler, but it seems the production models used a Streamline style system.
• Dual rear brake was no longer used as the front brake met UK/European requirement for two separately operated brakes.
• Standard color is Sage Green, no extra cost option for Maroon or Grass Green

Thats the big items on the early 1929, next up is the 1928 brake model

[bbinns]

1929 Flat tank Catalog (Thanks to Steve Thielicke)
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[bbinns]

My 1929, actually a 1928 built machine. Found as a complete frame, fork, bars, fenders but with no tank or running gear. This is an old photo and Ive got down to needing only the dash (and switches), chainguard, rims and a few rear brake parts now. Not a matching pair of cases but they are correct feature wise. Id love to find a set of matching crankcases in the correct serial range, plenty of parts to trade if someone has a set. Super Sport top end on the bike in these photos, Ive since replaced with a standard top end and set aside the super sport stuff for my early 1928 hotrod.

For those just learning Excelsior's or Super Xs, every frame from 1917 onward has both a serial number and a year of manufacture. In the case of the Super X, the serial number is stamped onto the frame forging that connects the top tank tube, bottom tank tube, and rear stays. This serial number does not match the engine number. Beside the serial number and usual stamped on its side compared to the serial number is a single digit. This single digit is the year of manufacture. On my original 1930 Super X its an "0", on the 1929 model its an "8" as it was made in late 1928, and on my 1926 is a "6". Photo below shows an example of the serial number and year digit on another 26 frame I once had.

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