Offered from The Forshaw Speedway Collection, c.1939 Excelsior JAP 500cc Mk I Speedway Racing Motorcycle

Frame no. L 187 Engine no. JOS/C 3418

• Max Grosskreutz designed frame
• Well-presented example of a popular pre-war Mk I model

Starting under the name of Bayliss Thomas & Company as Coventry manufacturers of bicycles and ordinaries from 1874, the name changed to the Excelsior Motor Company in 1910. Excelsior had close links with Prestwich at Tottenham from as early as 1914. Later taken over by R. Walker & Sons after the first world war and moving to Tysley Birmingham, Excelsior built their image through racing, winning the Lightweight TT in 1929. They later commissioned Blackburn to design a four-valve engine, this 'Mechanical Marvel' resulting in another TT win in 1933. This engine inspired Excelsior to produce their own similar engine, the Manxman in 1935 which established itself in the racing world including a win in the German Grand Prix in 1936. A little earlier in 1932 Excelsior had joined rivals in the speedway world when Prestwich asked them to produce a suitable frame. His was a one off and nothing more happened for some years. Around 1935/6 Max Grosskreutz started to make frames to his own design which became very popular and successful. Max was persevering to meet the demand with ever more interest when Bluey Wilkinson won the world Final in 1938 with a Grosskreutz frame increasing the demand even further. By April 1939 Max had placed a £1,000 order with Excelsior to produce frames in volume. This became the Mk 1 Excelsior. These were unusual, although lugged as so many others of the time this frame had two extra tubes running below the fuel tank from the steering head to the seat down tube. Inevitably this became known as the Five Tuber.

It is not known for certain when this Excelsior joined the Forshaw collection but in a letter dated 1989 from Richard to Mr Hunt he asks if he can arrange to see the Excelsior speedway machine "that we spoke about some eighteen months ago". It is reasonable to assume that a deal was concluded. It is not known how much work had to be carried out when this machine was purchased but this Mk1 Excelsior is now a very well presented example of a very popular design from the later 1930s. Accompanied with many photographs, Excelsior adverts and literature as well as a sketch of a knee hook assembly. The mechanical condition is not known and therefore we recommend recommissioning and/or restoration to a greater or lesser extent.
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