The Weekly 3

It doesn’t matter how many wheels it has or how many it lacks; if it’s cool, then it’s cool. My interests are pretty diverse; I never really know what might catch my eye.

Motorcycles have always been on my mind. I’ve enjoyed riding motorcycles since I was a little kid on a yellow Honda Trail 90. Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, in my mind, has never had enough motorcycles on display. 

There is a Honda Trail on display though, and every time I walk by it, I think of mine. That’s part of what a museum does, they make you think.

The first motorcycle on display in Miles Through Time was a crazy Harley I bought off of eBay, specifically to share at the museum and ride back. The bike had dual 26″ wheels and was styled like a board track racer. Super cool, but absolutely brutal to ride. Eventually, I traded that Harley for my first C10 and have been bouncing through vehicles ever since.

The second motorcycle on display at Miles Through Time was my mother-in-law’s Yamaha DT360. This is a bike that sat outside for decades in the Sierra Mountains. 

When I started the restoration, there was no indication in my life that I would be starting a museum in a few years. The old two-stoke looks cool now, but it’s not really something I can ride, so I share it with visitors at the museum.

From there, only a handful of motorcycles were on display. The Honda Trail, a Triumph, an OSSA, which had just left and a friend of the museum switches between his Anniversary Harley and lay-frame bagger. 

My 1985 BMW K100RS café racer is also in the museum at the moment, but I need to get it over to someone to go through it so I can ride it a short distance, of course, because like most bikes, the cooler they are, the less practical they become.

Something has changed within the last year or so.  We’ve had a lot of bike donated. Three vintage Honda’s and an immaculate one-owner CB550e. A Moto Guzzi, 1970 Harley, and two, one-family owned vintage Honda’s on loan. 

The number of riders visiting the museum has also increased. Any excuse for a ride or a drive is a good excuse, and going to a museum is a great reason.

There’s always room for more motorcycles. Even if you’re not a motorcycle rider, there is an art to the design of a motorcycle that you should be able to appreciate.

My wife and my son now both have motorcycle licenses and they both have motorcycles they ride; a Honda Grom and a Yamaha R3. I see motorcycles every day and the urge to get back on one keeps getting stronger. I may just have to do something about it.

Whether you ride or just appreciate motorcycles, there are a lot of museums that specialize in motorcycles. You can see the full list HERE.

The Texas Vintage Motorcycle Museum was created by Gordon Massie, a lifelong restorer and collector. You’ll see over 70 motorcycles, primarily from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Surprisingly, not many brands have museums, but Harley-Davidson does. The Harley-Davidson Museum is situated on a 20 acre park-like campus and incorporates all things Harley.

Bill’s Old Bike Barn was started by Bill Morris in 1998 behind his parts shop. Today, the museum has over 200 motorcycles on display in the 55,000 square-foot building.

I know motorcycles are not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have the opportunity to visit any of these museums, I highly recommend visiting at least once. 

I couldn’t care less about lunch boxes, but the Lunchbox Museum at the Columbus Collective Museums was cool. Remember, each museum is sharing history and art. The medium is just various versions of aspects of the automotive world.

If you want to see more, visit the Weekly 3.

Plan your next trip, discover your new favorite, or find the nearest museum

 Sean Mathis
Creator of Automotive Museum Guide
Founder of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum

P.S. Make sure you follow AMG on Facebook and join the FB Group to see what’s going on at all the museums.