Flying X: 1912 Excelsior Board Tracker

Crossing The Block: Ultra-Rare Excelsior Board Track Racer…  

On December 30, 1912, a California Class B racer named Lee Irving Humiston became the first motorcyclist to break the 100-mph barrier on a production-based machine, riding a 61 cubic-inch Excelsior Twin on the Playa del Rey board track in Los Angeles.

“Like a lightning bolt of grey and red, Humiston and his Excelsior shot around the massive 1 mile long wooden circle at Playa, the largest wooden track of its time which had a shallow banking of only 20 degrees, and set a new mile record of 36 seconds flat. The occasion was a spectacular moment in American motorcycle history and all who were present knew it, as it marked the first time that a man and a motorcycle had ever reached the 100 mph mark.” –Archive Moto

Though Glenn Curtiss had exceeded “the ton” in 1907, he was riding a one-off special with an eight-cylinder engine, and his speed wasn’t recognized as an official record. Humiston’s Flying X, on the other hand, wasn’t too different from what you could buy straight off the showroom floor. 

George T. Robie had founded Excelsior Supply Co. in 1876 to make sewing machine parts, with bicycle production beginning in 1890 and automobile parts in 1904. Frederick Robie, his son, spearheaded the move into motorcycles, with the first Excelsior Auto-Cycles appearing in 1907. The company wasn’t as big as Indian or Harley-Davidson, but their machines earned a reputation for performance and quality.

“After being acquired by bicycling magnate Ignaz Schwinn in late 1911, Excelsior relocated to a new factory in Chicago, gaining ground in manufacturing and abundant resources for its racing department. It was then that the iconic “X” logo was painted boldly with red across the tank, and America’s motorcycling underdog became counted among the ranks of the best brands globally.” –Mecum

According to our buddy Chris Price of Archive Moto — an expert on this era of racing — Humiston’s 100-mph Excelsior featured a direct-drive 61 ci (1000cc) ported V-twin, a short-coupled racing frame, an extended and braced steering head, and a coil-spring fork. One hundred miles per hour was just one of many records Humistan and his 1912 Excelsior would set at Playa del Rey.

“Not only did Humiston and his Flying X break through the 100 mph barrier for the first time that fateful day at Playa, but he also smashed all existing records from 1 to 12 miles in the process. Humiston’s charge was only halted after his intake manifold snapped on the 12th mile, but as he hobbled into the pit he proclaimed that he would be back soon to take on the mighty DeRosier’s 100 mile record. Within a week Humiston was back at Playa, holding up to his promise to take down DeRosier 100 mile time. On January 7, 1913, again with his powerful X, Humiston shattered the existing record, covering 100 miles at a pace 7 minutes faster than DeRosier, maintaining an average speed of just over 88 mph on the wide boards of Playa. Not only did he blast through DeRosier’s best time made on an Indian, but he also set new records for every single mile from 2 to 100, many of which wouldn’t be broken again until after the Great War.” –Archive Moto

At the time, Excelsior had just entered professional racing in an official capacity. Soon their machines could be seen blazing around the motordromes (aka “murderdromes”) of the board track era. 

“Few machines in history are as evocative as a board track racer, early racing motorcycles that once captivated the country on America’s thrilling and deadly motordromes. This remarkably rare 1912 Excelsior V-twin is one such machine, a tool made for speed alone. Stripped down to the essentials for wide-open speed, it reflects its brutal simplicity, prioritizing raw power over gearboxes, brakes or comfort.” –Mecum

Restored by a marque specialist, this 1912 Excelsior board track racer boasts a 61 cubic-inch F-head V-twin, lightened flywheel, Bosch magneto ignition, Schebler carburetor, copper tank, Mesinger solo seat, leaf-spring fork, correctly nickel-plated components, and more.

This Excelsior twin is set to cross the Mecum auction block today in Monterey, California. If you’ve got an estimated $40,000-50,000 burning a hole in your bank account, we recommend replacing it with V-twin time machine…just keep it under 100 mph! You can learn more about the Monterey 2025 auction and register to bid here: www.mecum.com/auctions/monterey-2025/

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This photo of Lee Humiston and his record breaking “Flying X” is yet another remarkable image pulled from The Van Order Collection, the focus of my next book which I hope to release more details on soon. Make sure to bookmark ArchiveMoto.com for the latest project info as well as my weekly articles.