Another Unique Motorcycle Creation by Orley Ray Courtney in the 1950s

Streamlined Vision - Some stories deserve a proper handoff, so let’s start where our last chapter left off: with Orley Ray Courtney’s audacious streamliner built around the 1930 Excelsior KJ Henderson. That earlier machine—crafted by Courtney in 1936—wasn’t just a one-off curiosity; it was the seed of a long idea. He proved a motorcycle could be sculpture without giving up function. Fast-forward to the 1950s, and that same spirit resurfaced in a new form, refined by time, patience, and a backyard obsession that turned into a road-ready rocket.

The 1952 Enterprise streamline sport custom motorcycle was built by Orley Ray Courtney and engineered around the 1940 Indian Scout. (Picture from: Pinterest)

In 1950, inside a suburban garage on Harper Street in Pontiac, Michigan—just a few blocks from where the Pontiac Silverdome would later stand—Orley Ray Courtney set out to shape another vision of the future. With help from his son, Ray William Courtney, he hand-formed the sweeping fenders, extended side skirts, sculpted saddlebags, and even the quirky “surfboard” touches. After two years of late-hour dedication, the result emerged with a fitting name: the Enterprise, unveiled to the public in 1952.

The 1952 Enterprise streamline sport custom motorcycle features a frame made of 1⅛-inch chrome-steel tubing with handlebars set 10½ inches forward on an extension tube, mounted on a second head and linked to the fork through drag links. (Picture from: FinkBuilt)

Underneath the sleek bodywork sat a frame of 1⅛-inch chromed steel tubing, laid out to accept an Indian Scout V-twin of 45 cu in (750 cc). Courtney built in flexibility, too; with modest tweaks, a Harley-Davidson K engine could be fitted to the same chassis. Starting options were friendly to both tradition and convenience—kick or electric. With the Indian powerplant, output was about 40 hp at 5,000 rpm, routed through a three-speed transmission, a practical pairing for a bike meant to be ridden, not just stared at.

The 1952 Enterprise streamline sport custom motorcycle was originally based on a 1940 Indian Scout, but Orley Ray Courtney also built a variant that could be fitted with a Harley-Davidson K engine through modest modifications as seen in the foreground of the picture. (Picture from: Coachbuilt)

Steering was an elegant bit of engineering theater. Courtney mounted the handlebars to a second, forward steering head positioned ten inches ahead of the original and linked it to the front fork with a pull-link system. The front end used a single coil spring with Indian-style “snubber” damping; spark advance lived on the left bar, throttle on the right. He hid a three-gallon fuel tank inside the front fender, which freed space to slide the two-up seat ten inches farther forward than was typical for the era. That one move transformed the way the motorcycle handled.

The 1952 Enterprise streamline sport custom motorcycle, displayed at the Northeast Classic Car Museum in 2016, is based on a Harley-Davidson K engine. (Picture from: Pinterest)

Out back, a coil-over shock ran from the frame to the rear fender. Ground clearance was a healthy 7⅛ inches, yet the seating position let the Enterprise sit roughly three inches lower than contemporary production bikes, dropping the center of gravity and making tight turns feel calm and predictable. It was streamlining with real substance behind the style.

The 1952 Enterprise streamline sport custom motorcycle is 112 inches long, weighs 580 pounds, and features extended footboards that enhance comfort while preventing splashing. (Picture from: DPReview)

Numbers tell the rest of the story. The Enterprise stretched to about 112 inches overall with a 58-inch wheelbase and weighed roughly 580 pounds. Overall height hovered around 28 inches. Up front, the fenders spanned 26 inches, while the passenger area narrowed to a purposeful 14 inches. Hand-crafted saddlebags blended into the rear fender skirt to widen the tail to about 24 inches, giving the profile a convincing ride-the-rocket vibe. Stopping came from conventional drum brakes, and highway fuel economy was quoted at an easygoing 50 mpg.

The 1952 Enterprise streamline sport custom motorcycle carries its streamlining to the tail, measuring 26 inches wide with metal-covered saddlebags forming bulges on either side of the rear wheel. (Picture from: Tugster)

Courtney didn’t tuck his creation away. The Enterprise arrived at the Detroit Motorama in 1952 wearing the Courtney Enterprise name on its brochure, and the design caught the eye of editors and engineers alike. It earned ink in Cycle Magazine (September 1952) and Popular Science (March 1953). Production, however, stayed mysterious; accounts suggest only around three examples were completed, keeping the Enterprise more legend than line item.

The 1952 Enterprise streamline sport custom motorcycle was first displayed at the Detroit Motorama Show in 1952 shortly after it was completed. (Picture from: Tugster)

At least one survives today in the hands of Frank Westfall—the same caretaker who also owns Courtney’s earlier Henderson streamliner—linking those two milestones across nearly nine decades. Courtney’s experiments even stretched to 1956, when another Enterprise appeared with a 650 cc BSA engine and transmission for his son. Only one of that variant is known to have been built, and its whereabouts have sadly faded from view.😢

Seen from 2025, the through-line is crystal clear. The Excelsior KJ Henderson streamliner was the opening move, proving Courtney could bend metal into motion. The 1952 Enterprise shows what happened when that ambition met patience, family help, and a garage that doubled as a dream factory. Big factories chased trends in the fifties; Courtney chased ideas. That’s why his work still feels fresh today—because it wasn’t just designed to look fast, it was built to move the story forward.

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Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Another Unique Motorcycle Creation by Orley Ray Courtney in the 1950s