ACE Sporting Solo
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Brothers Thomas and William Henderson established Henderson in Detroit in 1911. The two were enterprising founders, and Henderson's Inline-fours were solid and sturdy motorcycles. In 1917, they sold the company to Ignaz Schwinn who owned Excelsior . The Henderson brothers worked for Excelsior for a couple of years, but then decided to follow their dream of building their own motorcycle. Thus, Ace Motor Corporation was established in Philadelphia in 1919 with the goal of building a new motorcycle, a machine that was modern, fast and minimalist. It was a sports machine, which is what the ACE was actually to become. The brand was among the more exclusive motorcycles of its time. ACE took performance and power to new heights, and was chosen by customers who set the bar high in terms of technical sophistication, had thick wallets, and who were not satisfied with everyday machines such as Indian and Harley-Davidson .
William crashes and ACE sets world record
Tragically, William Henderson was killed in an accident in the autumn of 1922 while testing the new ACE Sporting Solo. Arthur Lemon, who had worked for both Henderson and Excelsior was now employed by the company as chief engineer. He became a major contributor to the further development of the ACE, and in 1923 the ACE set a world record with a top speed of 129 km/h. This record raised the ACE to new heights in terms of reputation and fame. However, from 1924 onwards, ACE sales began to slow down. Companies were sold and restructured several times, until, in 1927, it was sold.
A superbike of its time
ACE's advantage, which was essentially the combination of elegance, power and quality, would paradoxically be the brand's downfall. Producing this type of motorcycle was expensive, and customers were few. So it was Indian who saw the point in 1927, and bought ACE. What did this acquisition mean? Well, it would remove a competitor, and take advantage of the engine technology. In 1928, Indian's new inline-four "Four" came out, strongly inspired, and some might say copied, from ACE.
Technical data ACE Sporting Solo, 1923 model:
Engine: 4-cylinder 4-stroke
Displacement: 1280 ccm
Power: 20 hp
No. of gears: 3 gears
Tires: 27 x 3.50
Weight: 150 kg