Steve McQueen and Bud Ekins – you’ll struggle to name a more iconic motorcycling duo. The motorcycle racer-come-actor and his stunt double Ekins were known for not only their daring stunts, but also their success in arduous desert races and flat tracking. Away from the worlds of movies and racing, Ekins and McQueen were good friends. Proof of that is this exquisite 1926 Excelsior Super X factory-built flat tracker, gifted to McQueen by Ekins at some point in the 1970s.
An incredibly special bike in its own right, the Excelsior Super X was the first mass-produced American 740cc (45ci) V-twin, launching in 1925 and kickstarting a big V-twin trend among the likes of Indian and Harley-Davidson. Interestingly, the Super X was actually developed by Harley-Davidson’s Assistant Chief Engineer, Arthur Constantine, who took the design to Excelsior after Walter Davidson turned it down. Due to its factory-built flat track nature, this model features a racing frame, an oversized rear fender, no front fender, short exhaust headers, and an alcohol-fueled, race tuned engine. There’s no lighting or electrics, nor a front brake, with just a single drum on the rear.
McQueen kept this bike until his death in 1980, riding it on his Santa Paula ranch and the surrounding lanes. Sold in 1984 as part of the McQueen estate auction.
It remains unrestored since his ownership, and still runs. Sold with all the accompanying documentation, and a certificate of authenticity. A ‘king of cool’ fan can have themselves a very lovely two-wheeled rare and coveted companion.
An original and rare 1926 Excelsior Super X Flat Tracker motorcycle personally owned and ridden by Steve McQueen, accompanied by original documentation from when it sold in the Steve McQueen Estate Auction through the Imperial Palace in 1984. The motorcycle has been additionally featured in the books McQueen’s Machines and McQueen’s Motorcycles by Matt Stone.
This motorcycle is equipped with a Super-X air-cooled 746cc (45.5 cubic inch) V-twin engine mated to a 3-speed chain-driven transmission, which runs on alcohol and is believed to be in operating condition. The Super X was the first 45 cubic inch motorcycle in the United States in 1925, and by 1926 a racing class was formed around this size engine. The Super-X was the design of Arthur “Connie” Constantine, a Assistant Chief Engineer at Harley-Davidson who, due to a dispute at the company, left and came to Excelsior in 1925. The Super X was unique in that its engine and transmission were housed in a single crankcase, unlike its predecessors, and it marked a return to leading-link forks.
This motorcycle was originally purchased by Bud Ekins for his friend and fellow IDST member Steve McQueen in the 1970s. This bike was kept at his Santa Paula ranch and was used by McQueen on local country roads and around his property. After his passing, this motorcycle would become available at the Steve McQueen Estate Auction in 1984 and retains all of its original documentation from that sale.
This highly collectible and well-preserved piece has been kept in the same general condition from the time of Steve McQueen’s ownership. The tires are vintage and the leather seat is original. A leather conditioner is occasionally applied to the seat for longevity.
This motorcycle is accompanied by the original Certificate of Authenticity from the auction signed by Terry McQueen and Chad McQueen, the bidder paddle, the Bill of Sale, the original lot tags, related newspaper articles, a letter from the Imperial Palace regarding registering the motorcycle, the auction catalog, and a copy of Matt Stone’s books McQueen’s Machines and McQueen’s Motorcycles.
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