Page 52 - Laconia Rally News 2020

HTAVE YOU VISITED THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE
MUSEUM IN ANAMOSA, IOWA?
European
he Museum’s collection makers like
includes motorcycles made NSU,
everywhere in the world;
stock, custom and competition machines we have ridden here
in America for nearly 120
years. Overall, American
motorcycles are best represent-
ed; there’s even a 1908 “strap
tank” Harley and a Flying
Merkel racer in original condi-
tion. Iver Johnson, Sears,
Merkel, Thor, Excelsior,
Curtiss, Reading-Standard are
among early American brands on dis- play in the Museum, but many Indians and over 45 Harley-Davidsons, too.
Ducati,
Moto- Guzzi,
Parilla and BMW are here,
The British are largely responsible for
the “cafe racer” class of motorcycle.
Great interest in road racing in Britain
and on the Continent drove riders to
strip their street bikes of unneeded hardware, fit clip-on handlebars, megaphones and rear-set foot controls and blaze the public roads emulating the Manx Norton, BSA Gold Star and Velocette racers. Soon Italian, then later Japanese manufactures brought us factory-made cafe racers like the Ducati 900SS, MV Agusta 750S. Next we saw the Harley-Davidson XLCR and Kawasaki Z1R. To honor this era a new exhibit brings this story together all the way up to the mid-1980s when the super-sport bikes like the Suzuki GSXR750, VF750F Interceptor and Kawasaki GPZ900 arrived on the scene. Coming full circle, riders of these race replica and “homologation specials” no longer had to build their own, the industry was building
the 1960’s, and 1970’s, exhibits include a wide range of Japanese bikes that may remind you and your friends of your beginnings.
plus British marques such as
Velocette, Brough, Vincent, Douglas and of course Triumph, BSA and Norton. But since many of us got our start on smaller Japanese machines from
Thousands of printed documents like advertising posters, manuals, post cards, photos and even original paintings are on display plus riding gear and race tro-
phies. The 600 piece toy collection includes tin and cast iron and some great and rare pedal cars. While the National Motorcycle Museum has, at last count, 520 motorcycles on display, what is really exceptional about this museum is its memorabilia collection. It’s no wonder the National Motorcycle Museum was voted the Iowa Tourism Outstanding Attraction for 2015.
fine “stock” cafe racers.
About a dozen video monitors run a variety of historic programs that help you put motorcycles into their period contexts; Beverly Hills Board Track Racing near the board track display shows what motorcycle racing looked like 100 years ago. Diorama-type exhibitions include a restored 1920’s Shell Motor Oil service station. There’s a large segment of board track with contemporary racers, Indians, Harleys, Thors and even a European bicycle rac- ing pacer. In addition to a large early bicycle display, there’s a bicycle repair shop and a period motorcycle shop recreation, a hillclimb course and an early Harley- Davidson retail setting; a large collection of parts in origi- nal packaging is pretty amazing to look at.
Sure, the National Motorcycle Museum is a long way from Laconia, NH, but there’s lots to see on the way. Anamosa, Iowa is set in the Mississippi River bluffs. Getting there offers great wide open hilly winding roads, light traffic, perfect for heavy weight cruising or sport bike riding. The National Motorcycle Museum and these fine roads are in the heart of America, on the way to about anywhere.
The National Motorcycle Museum is open all year, you can make plans to visit any time. It’s a stimulating experi- ence. If you get hungry during your Museum tour, it’s just a few hundred foot walk from the National Motorcycle Museum to a diner and two fast-food restaurants. Downtown Anamosa has several good restaurants and tav- erns. A few miles out on winding roads you can visit F&B Company, Waubeek, Iowa, or Stone City General Store Pub, Stone City, Iowa, a couple of taverns set in old stone buildings both overlooking the Wapsipinicon River. Feel free to call 319 462 3925 for more information or go
to nationalmcmuseum.org to plan your trip. H
A couple of years ago the Minnesota Air and Space Museum donated the fabulous Steco collection, and to explain this material to visitors, early in 2019 the story
of Early American Transportation INNOVATION was cre- ated and installed. The Steco Cycle Car, and amazing 45 foot wingspan 1911 Aerohydroplane, plus pre-1920 motorcycles and bicycles make up this exhibition. Patent drawings and advertising art from the era explain trans- portation design and engineering advances. Most special exhibits are in place one year so make plans to visit in time to see each one.
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