The National Motorcycle Museum
The National Motorcycle Museum has been described as 'the world's finest
motorcycle museum' and our aim is to make this description a true one at all
times. It is a place where the motorcycle assumes its rightful position as the
premier exhibit. It is also a tribute to and a living record of this once great
British industry which dominated world markets for some sixty years.
In a society which is quick to lose its appreciation of the inherent skills and
industry of the nation, this museum records for posterity the engineering
achievements of an earlier era, and an older generation can once again view with
nostalgia the machines they rode in days gone by.
There is little doubt that the museum will be recognized as the center for all
groups and organizations with interests in the British motorcycle industry, and,
as a meeting place in pleasant surroundings for all kinds of activities related
to the industry.
FIRE
PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT
The National Motorcycle Museum experienced a severe fire on the afternoon of
16th September.
The buildings were successfully evacuated using established safety procedures
and there have been no casualties.
Over 250 of the exhibits in the Museum have been saved. Sadly, three of the
Museums five exhibit halls have been destroyed along with their exhibits,
totaling around 650 machines.
The main entrance and reception area, and much of the northern section of the
Museum has not been damaged, and the Crows Nest, Balcony and Wardroom suites are
fully operational, although use of these suites will be limited because of the
adjacent building work while the Museum is being rebuilt.
The Museum’s largest suite, The Imperial, which can host 850 delegates, is
undergoing refurbishment after smoke and water damage. We had hoped to be
operational next year, but now expect to reopen for larger events in January
2005.
Many irreplaceable machines have been damaged in the fire, but, where possible,
they will be restored once again to their original showroom condition. To this
end we shall be appealing for many scarce components and parts which will be
needed. Details will be posted to this web site shortly.
The Museum has received countless messages of support and offers of assistance.
We are grateful to everybody, and undertake to do our utmost to restore the
greatest collection of British motorcycles back to its former glory.
National Motorcycle Museum,
Sales Offices,
86 Henwood Lane,
Solihull,
B91 2TH
UK
THE COLLECTION
The sixty years from 1901 to 1961 saw the birth of the British motorcycle
industry and its subsequent development to a position of world domination.
Researchers have shown that in this time something like 500 different makes came
into being but most disappeared without leaving even a single example of their
work. A considerable number did survive however, and became important industrial
enterprises employing a great number of people. In the museum we have tried to
put together a representative selection with one machine for each of the 60
years.
1935+ Ariel Square Four Collection
Manufacturer: ARIEL
Year of Manufacture: 1935+
Bike Name: Ariel Square Four Collection
The Ariel Square Four
This remarkable design, by Edward Turner, was launched in the early 30s and
remained in production for over 30 years. The unique configuration of four
parallel cylinder bores and geared cranks made a very good, compact engine with
good performance. The group illustrates the development of this model over the
years.
Left to right 1949 1000cc 4G, 1935 600 ohc, 1938 1000cc 4G, 1959 1000 cc 4G Mk2
(in front) 1939 600cc 4F.
This famous Birmingham make had a life spanning nearly 70 years, production
ending in 1970 after amalgamation with BSA. Ariels were very popular in the
1930s, the Red Hunter series becoming bestsellers. The post-war Leaders and
Arrows with two-stroke engines were good-looking machines which performed well
but failed to save the marque.
1938+ BSA Gold Star Collection
Manufacturer: BSA
Year of Manufacture: 1938+
Bike Name: BSA Gold Star Collection
BSA Gold Star
The marque commemorates the Gold Star awarded at Brooklands to
any rider who achieved a lap of over 100mph in a race. In 1937 Wal Handley
lapped at 107.57mph on a standard BSA Empire Star 500 (albeit one which had been
adapted to run on pure alcohol). This success inspired the launching of Gold
Stars, the first one coming on to the market in 1938.
Britain’s largest and most successful motorcycle manufacturer was BSA
(Birmingham Small Arms Company). Their factory at Small Heath was a familiar
Birmingham landmark for more than a hundred years and produced a wide range of
machines from the humble Bantam to the formidable Rocket III with its
three-cylinder ohv engine mounted transversely.
1950+ Triumph Twins Collection
Manufacturer: Triumph
Year of Manufacture: 1950+
Bike Name: Triumph Twins Collection
A collection of Edward Turner’s famous Triumph twins
1952 Tiger 100, 1954 Speed Twin, 1955 Tiger 110, 1958 Tiger 110, 1959 Bonneville
and (in front) 1950 Thunderbird.
Like many of the Coventry makes, Triumph had their roots in the bicycle
industry, beginning motorcycle production in 1902. In 1908 they won the
single-cylinder class in the TT races, the machine being powered by a 500cc
engine designed by one of the German founders of the firm, Maurice Schulte.
After the First World War Triumph were also involved with car production, but
once this interest was relinquished when separate companies were established in
1936 the marque became truly successful. This was due to the first of the famous
Speed Twins, launched in 1937 with a vertical ohv engine. This was the ancestor
of many great machines produced after the Second World War, notably the
Thunderbirds and Bonnevilles.
1970's Triumph Racers
Collection
1970's Triumph Racers Collection
(Pre-Fire)
(Post-Fire)
Manufacturer: Triumph
Year of Manufacture: 1970's
Bike Name: Triumph Racers Collection
Three of the celebrated three-cylinder Triumph racers from the
70s. (Left to right) No. 67 ‘Slippery Sam’, winner of five consecutive
Production TT Races 1971/75. No. 6, winner of the 1971 Formula 750 TT ridden by
Ray Pickrell. No. 70, winner of the 1971 Bol d’Or 24-Hour Race at the Circuit
Bugatti. Riders Percy Tait and Ray Pickrell covered 616 laps at 71mph in heavy
rain.
1955 Triumph Streamliner (Pre-Fire) 1955 Triumph
Streamliner (Post-Fire)
Manufacturer: Triumph
Year of Manufacture: 1955
Bike Name: Triumph Streamliner
cc: 650cc
650cc Triumph Streamliner. At Bonneville Salt Flats in September 1955, this
streamliner with a standard Triumph cast-iron 650cc twin cylinder engine
prepared by Jack Wilson of Dallas recorded a speed of 193mph. The rider was
Johnny Allen of Texas. A year later he improved on this, pushing the speed up to
214mph. The streamliner was a new concept in record-breakers at the time.
1973 Triumph Quadrant
Manufacturer: Triumph
Year of Manufacture: 1973
Bike Name: Triumph 4 Cylinder Experimental
cc: 1000cc
1000cc Triumph four-cylinder. The big one! Built experimentally in 1973 from
Trident three-cylinder parts. It was good for more than 125mph but did not
survive, it came just too late. Nicknamed the ‘Quadrant’.
THE NORTON COLLECTION
Manufacturer: Norton
Year of Manufacture: 1949
Bike Name: Eric Oliver Norton-Watsonian Racing Sidecar Outfit
cc: 500cc
Eric Oliver Norton-Watsonian racing sidecar outfit 500cc. Eric Oliver was
Sidecar World Champion three times after the War, always on Norton-Watsonian
outfits. Before that he was a grass-track ace solo and sidecar rider. As a
flight engineer on Lancaster bombers he survived 47 missions. Long retired, he
took up vintage racing, building a retro outfit like this one, and won his last
race at Brands Hatch in 1978.
Manufacturer: Norton
Year of Manufacture: 1965
Bike Name: Norton P10
cc: 800cc
800cc Norton P.10. An experimental prototype designed to replace the Atlas.
The engine was not a success and was abandoned but the frame was forerunner of
the Isolastic frame used in the Commando. The P.10 engine was a double ohc twin,
with a long single chain enclosed in small tubes driving the camshafts.
Manufacturer: Norton
Year of Manufacture: 1991
Bike Name: Norton Rotary
1992 Senior TT Winner w/ Steve Hislop - Rider
Author Dennis Tackett pictured on bike (wake up Dennis, it’s a dream!)
The museum owns all 10 of the Norton Factory Rotary racers.
These bikes easily topped 190 mph and were a serious threat to established race
teams of the major manufacturers in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Unfortunately,
the major manufacturers were successful in obtaining a ban on rotary powered
entries in all international race classes. This ended the last racing effort by
Norton.
The greatest name in British motorcycles dates from 1901, when James Lansdowne
Norton began building machines with French and Swiss engines. In 1907 Norton won
the twin-cylinder class in the first TT race, beginning a sporting tradition
that went on until the 1960s. J.L. Norton died in 1925 aged only 56, but he saw
his machines win the Senior and sidecar TT’s in 1924. Nortons also appealed to
ordinary motorcyclists who enjoyed the reliability and performance offered by
single-cylinder engines with separate gearboxes. The marque withdrew their teams
from racing in 1938 but after the War (when Norton produced more than 100,000
machines for the forces) they returned to the fray with notable success, the
names of Geoff Duke, John Surtees and Derek Minter becoming famous. Sadly Norton
epitomized the failure of the British motor cycle industry through the 1960s and
70s, struggling valiantly but failing to survive.
The National Motorcycle Museum is privately owned. Roy Richards spent 30
years collecting the bikes and building first class display facilities for them.
He is determined to rebuild and restore everything to original condition and
plans to re-open in December 2004.
8 November 2003