The National Motorcycle Museum

Birmingham is the home to The National Motorcycle Museum and as this is only an hour's drive from Duston we decided to take a trip up to have a look. It was very easy to find - straight up the M6 and there it is right at Junction 4.

Tie website advertises it with the following:

It is a place where ‘Legends Live On’ and it is a tribute to and a living record of this once great British industry that dominated world markets for some sixty years.

It is a place where an older generation can once again view with nostalgia the machines they rode in days gone by, and younger generations can study the development of the motorcycle from its earlier days to the golden years of the 1930s-60s, when British motorcycles ‘ruled the world’.

 

 

The museum is home to over 800 British motorbikes so there is certainly plenty to see,even for the non motorbike enthusiast like m user! This link is to all the exhibits that can be viewed though bikes are often loaned from enthusiasts for varying periods of time so it is constantly changing. http://www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk/museum/exhibits/

 

The first hall had an example of a bike from every year from 1898 to 1970s. It was interesting to see the development over the years with the early bikes being little more than bicycles with a small engine. Some had as little as 1/2 horse power.

 

There are five halls stacked with bikes, many with an information display as well. Stephen was particularly enarmoured with the BSA Bantam as he has one in the garage in Otatara that needs restoring.

There was a huge range of Norton,Triumph, and BSA and in fact the museum sits on the site of the Triumph factory. There was even a display of a AA motor bike and an officer dressed in khaki. There was even a McKenzie bike.

All in all it was an interesting place to visit and well worth the trip.

 

Posted with Blogsy