#orleyraycourtney

[suzylwade]

1930 Henderson KJ Streamline With its 1,200-cc, 40-brake horsepower, in-line four-cylinder engine, the ‘1930 Henderson Model KJ Streamline’ could exceed 100 mph. In an era when streamlining was used sparingly in motorcycle design (American) Orley Ray Courtney’s enclosed bodywork was virtually unknown on production two-wheelers (except for a few racing machines) making the ‘KJ’ an unusual and beautiful example of ‘Art Deco’ design. Courtney believed that the motorcycle industry failed to provide weather protection and luxury for its riders. His radically streamlined ‘KJ’ body shell was unlike anything ever done on two wheels. The sleek vehicle had a curved, vertical-bar grille reminiscent of the ‘Chrysler Airflow’ and the rear resembled an ‘Auburn’ boat-tail speedster. The panels were hand-formed of steel with a power hammer. Stunningly beautiful but impractical and hard to ride the ‘Streamline’s’ complex curved body was heavy and was difficult to make. In 1941 Courtney filed for a patent for a second motorcycle design with fully enclosed fenders. Perhaps Courtney was influenced by the fact that the ‘Indian Motocycle Company’ had introduced its partially skirted fenders in 1940 and that motorcyclists were becoming more accepting of this trend. For fact fans - in 1923, ‘Indian Motorcycle Company’ became ‘Indian Motocycle Company’ and retained that name until the company closed in 1953. #neonurchin #neonurchinblog #dedicatedtothethingswelove #suzyurchin #ollyurchin #art #music #photography #fashion #film #design #words #pictures #oldsmobile #generalmotors #indianmotocylecompany #patent #artdeco #motorcycle #metalworker #designer #orleyraycourtney #raycourtney #1930hendersonkjstreamline https://www.instagram.com/p/CfYhUlfI092/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[suzylwade]

1930 Henderson KJ Streamline ‘Art Deco’ was an innovative and distinctive style of design that spanned the boom times of the Roaring Twenties and the bust of Depression-ridden 1930s in the States. ‘Art Deco' was avant-garde. It celebrated the newly mechanised modern world, yet embraced everything from everyday manufactured products to exclusive works of art. From cinemas to skyscrapers, from luxury ocean liners to exotic automobiles - and, yes, motorcycles, too. What is arguably the most resolutely ‘Art Deco’ motorcycle ever built emerged in the United States in 1935 as the one-off creation of a Michigan-based metalsmith employed at the ‘Oldsmobile’ car factory. The bike was based on his 1,300cc 4-cylinder ‘1930 Henderson KJ Streamline’ model. His name was O. Ray Courtney (the O was for Orley, which he preferred to ignore) and though little is known of him he built a handful of completely innovative custom motorcycles during his life. Ray Courtney rode his first motorcycle in 1908 at the age of 13, and acquired his first proper bike - a 1916 3-speed ‘Excelsior V-twin’ - before joining the ‘Army Air Corps’ to fight in the First World War. Upon his return home he found work at ‘Central Manufacturing’ in Connersville, Indiana, making body panels and fenders for luxury cars such as ‘Duesenbergs'. Later he moved to Lansing, Michigan, where he worked for the 'Oldsmobile Division’ of ‘General Motors’. Courtney spent his life shaping metal for the prototypes coming out of these firms’ design departments, in the process acquiring a feel for the forms and styling that he adapted to two wheels. While working with metal was his forte, he also worked the drawing board pencil, making a significant contribution to the body design of the 1933 ‘Oldsmobile F-33’ - today a highly collectible automobile. #neonurchin #neonurchinblog #dedicatedtothethingswelove #suzyurchin #ollyurchin #art #music #photography #fashion #film #design #words #pictures #oldsmobile #generalmotors #indianmotocylecompany #patent #artdeco #motorcycle #metalworker #designer #orleyraycourtney #raycourtney #1930hendersonkjstreamline https://www.instagram.com/p/CfYhPTHI7Og/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[suzylwade]

1930 Henderson KJ Streamline The standard ‘1930 Henderson KJ Streamline’ was anything but a streamlined motorcycle. It was a naked bike akin to other motorcycles of its time. The word "Streamline" was used as a marketing gimmick. Enter one Mr. O. Ray Courtney. He wasn't a motorcycle fabricator by trade. He was a metalsmith for ‘Oldsmobile’ which meant he a thing or two about bodywork. He envisioned a streamlined motorcycle with extravagant art deco styling similar to the revolutionary ‘Chrysler Airflow’. In 1934, Courtney submitted his designs to the ‘US Patent Office’ then began working to transform his ‘Henderson' into a streamlined beauty. In 1935, over a year later, not only did he complete his bike redesign - he also received patent number 2,035,462 for his “streamlined” motorcycle. The end result resembles a car from the 1930s as oppose to a motorcycle. It’s enclosed wheels comparable to car fenders of the time. It even had a car-like dashboard with a variety of gauges. Under the skin the same 1,300 cc four-cylinder engine remained. The bodywork enhancing engine cooling rather than blocking it. The wheels were replaced with 10-inch scooter wheels. Courtney also redesigned the front suspension using components from his employer ‘Oldsmobile’ presumably to better fit inside the enclosed bodywork. The pedals were operated not with your feet, but your knees, allowing smoother control. The end result is a work of art. A very beautiful but hard to ride, work of art. #neonurchin #neonurchinblog #dedicatedtothethingswelove #suzyurchin #ollyurchin #art #music #photography #fashion #film #design #words #pictures #oldsmobile #generalmotors #indianmotocylecompany #patent #artdeco #motorcycle #metalworker #designer #orleyraycourtney #raycourtney #1930hendersonkjstreamline https://www.instagram.com/p/CfYhKzQIY6s/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=