Thursday, November 15, 2012

Motorcyclepedia Museum II: The Collection, Bottom Floor


At least half of the bottom floor was dedicated to very early motorcycles--pre 1910, and some pre-1900! That's an Indian Standard above. Note the twin-cylinder engine and the bicycle-type handlebars. The           headlight is electric; some models had oil headlamps like the Pope pictured below.




The Aces were particularly beautiful.Note the four-cylinder linkage and complicated linkage on this 1922 model.





The Pierce company also built automobiles. Ever heard of the Pierce Arrow?


There were more than 100 of these early motorcycles. That's a 1913 model Flanders just above.

Everything Else

1964 Triumph 500 Used in John Sturges' 1963 film The Great Escape and Ridden by Steve McQueen
The rest of the exhibits on the bottom floor needed one or maybe two buildings to be displayed properly.

There was a collection of more than 30 British bikes, including this legendary Vincent Black Shadow:


There were more than 100 Harley-Davidsons just waiting for a museum of their own.


I owned this 1961125cc two-stroke Harley for about ten minutes.


I bought it, sans lights and fenders and saddlebags, for $30, took it apart to paint it, and sold it for a profit before I got it back together. The director of the museum said it was a popular model for wall-of-death riding.

Did I mention the museum had walls of death?



Not one wall of death, not two walls of death, but three! Because hey, sometimes two just isn't enough!



Appropriately enough, there was a selection of wall of death  go-carts and bikes.


Note the absence of footpegs, kickstand, and other protruding parts.

Dozens of tiny bikes were stacked on tables and placed in display cases.


Some were mere inches high!


There was even a collection of 50 or so motorcycle-based children's rides.



What an amazing place!

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