Motorcyclepedia

Last week, I made my second visit to what might be one of the few motorcycle museums on the East Coast, “Motorcyclepedia” in Newburgh, NY. Unlike my first visit in 2021, which was more of a quick walk-through, this time I had the pleasure of an informal tour guide in the form of my good friend Terry, who has done some volunteer work at this museum and is more familiar with its content.

First, the building is huge, with displays which are well-lit, well-maintained, and well-organized. Perhaps the museum’s biggest claim to fame is its collection of Indian motorcycles. Arranged in chronological order, there is one Indian bike of each model year from 1901, the first year of production, through 1953, the final year. Whether you are a bike buff or not, the history as represented here is also a history of the U.S. and its growth as a nation which was putting its citizens into motorized transport.

The Indians are on the main floor, along with a somewhat bizarre collection of motorcycles built for television, movies, and shows. A name familiar to me was Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. If you are at all aware of some of his four-wheeled creations, you can imagine what he might have been able to do with motorcycles. Another interesting element of the collection is the number of original, unrestored bikes.

On the lower level were Harley-Davidsons, and an eclectic collection of import bikes. A surprise to me was the Velorex, a cloth-covered vehicle from Czechoslovakia, which I last saw in the year 2000 at a microcar event. Other treats included bikes by Vespa, Husqvarna, and Opel. There is memorabilia as well, such as posters and vinyl albums with bikes on the covers.

This entire collection was amassed over many years by a father and son team, and the level of preservation is beyond reproach. If you are into motorcycles, this museum is a must-see. Even if you are not, it is an impressive display which thoroughly captures a significant slice of the history of 20^th century America.

INDIAN DISPLAY

Not only was there one bike from each model year arranged in order, each bike included a descriptive placard. It was fascinating to read how the bikes changed and sales grew year over year.

UNRESTORED BIKES

A number of bikes were displayed in “as found” condition, including one where a tree grew into and around the motorcycle.

OTHER BIKES

MEMORABILIA

After attending exactly one car show during the entirety of 2020, I vowed to myself that 2021 would be different, and would include greater participation in driving events. My vow got off to a grand start when I participated in my first NJ Region AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) tour on Friday, May 21, 2021.

The Region has traditionally hosted a multi-day “Spring Fling” just prior to Memorial Day weekend. While previous years’ tours included overnight travel, this year’s Spring Fling, capably hosted by club member Bill Pritchett, saw the event broken into three separate one-day drives. Those who wished to join in the fun could drive one, two, or all three days. My schedule allowed me to participate only in the first day’s drive on Friday.

We convened at the Hampton Diner in Newton NJ, with breakfast an option for those who wished to partake. There appeared to be about 10 tour cars in the parking lot, ranging from a 1930 Model A Ford to a ’67 Camaro, an ‘80s Mustang, a 1978 Ford Granada, several Mercedes-Benz SL models, and my 1993 Miata. A brief driver’s meeting revealed that the day’s destination was the “MotorcyclePedia” motorcycle museum in Newburgh NY. Bill handed out turn-buy-turn directions and said that the drive, plotted to be scenic, would take about two hours. Most vehicles had two occupants, so those cars each had a driver and a navigator.

M cars at the diner: Mustang, Model A, Miata

We departed as planned at 10 a.m. and I, riding solo, was the last car out of the parking lot. It only took a few red traffic lights for me to become separated from the rest of the conga line, and I missed a turn or three. Before I knew it, I was well off the intended path. I pulled over, pulled out the phone, hit up Google maps, and ended up finding an equally scenic route which landed me at the museum about two minutes after the rest of the group pulled in. Everyone else stated that the directions were ‘easy’ so I’ll chalk up my misadventures to operator error.

Miata, Granada, and Camaro liven up MotorcyclePedia parking lot

Motorcycles are not my thing; however, the inside of this museum was gorgeous! The lighting was superb, the displays were creatively arranged, the bikes were spotless, and there was the perfect mix of mechanical intricacy and historical perspective throughout. Of special note: one entire room, about half the museum, was devoted to the history of Indian motorcycles (that’s a brand for those not in the know). Gazing at machinery from the first decade of the 20^th century brought home the reminder that the first “motorcycles” were nothing more that “motorized bicycles”, with many of them still wearing a pedal-operated crank set and a human-powered chain powering the rear wheel.

This “A”, with modified engine, has no trouble cruising at highway speeds

Owner also has ’68 Mustang keeping company with this ’86

Several of us broke for lunch, and it was beyond wonderful to spend time in the company of fellow NJ AACA members again. The camaraderie returned almost instantly; it certainly did not feel like over a year since we had last spent time together in person. I headed home after lunch, while most of the rest of the group returned to the museum. If motorcycles or motorcycle history interests you, then “MotorcyclePedia” in Newburgh NY deserves to be on your itinerary. For me, I’m already signed up for the Region’s multi-day summer tour to be held in late July.

The MotorcyclePedia Museum

Since I didn’t document each motorcycle I photographed, and since I also know I have some blog readers who deeply enjoy motorcycles, I will post these photos without captions.