EXCELSIOR Brand History
Excelsior Motorcycles started out as bicycle manufacturer in 1874,
being based in Coventry. In 1896, the company decided to install a
Minerva engine on one of its bicycles, resulting the first motorcycle
manufactured by Excelsior. However, the vehicle was produced under the
Bayliss, Thomas & Co Ltd brand, a name which was used until 1910
when the company was renamed to Excelsior Motor Co.Starting 1900, the company got involved into racing competitions, being one of the first British manufacturers which stepped into this side of the market. After the end of World War I, the company was acquired by R.Walker & Son, one of the company's major suppliers, so the entire production line moved to Birmingham. The company started building motorcycles with displacements from 98cc to 1000cc, all of them featuring JAP, Villiers or Blackburne engines.
