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National Motorcycle Museum (UK)
Encyclopedia
The National Motorcycle Museum occupies an 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) site in Bickenhill
, Solihull
, England and holds the world's largest collection of British motorcycle
s. In addition to over 850 motorcycles which cover a century of motorcycle manufacture the site has conference facilities. The main entrance is from the roundabout at the junction of the A45
and the M42
.
The founder of the museum, construction entrepreneur and self-made millionaire Roy Richards, started collecting good examples of British motorcycles in the 1970s. The museum opened in 1984 with an initial collection of 350 machines.
The museum was developed to include conference facilities in 1985. The museum has become the largest collection of British motorcycles in the world, with over 250,000 visitors a year.
Roy Richards died of respiratory failure on March 29, 2008, aged 77. The National Motorcycle Museum is a fitting memorial to his passion for preserving British motorcycling history.
The Museum was severely damaged by fire on 16 September 2003 with the loss of 380 motorcycles. West Midlands Fire Service
investigators concluded that a cigarette thrown away in a designated smoking area was responsible for igniting a pile of cardboard boxes. The fire spread inside the museum's dropped ceiling
s, which did not contain a detector system. It reached a large part of the building before one of the ceilings failed and the fire was discovered. Staff and people attending a conference helped to save more than 300 historic motorcycles but three of the five exhibition halls were completely burnt out. 120 firefighters were needed to put out the inferno which was visible for 15 miles (24.1 km). Many of the museum's rarest and irreplaceable exhibits were destroyed. The cost of the fire was estimated at over £14 million.
After fifteen months and a £20m rebuild which included installation of a £1.2 million sprinkler system, the museum was reopened on 1 December 2004. 150 of the motorcycles that had been destroyed in the fire were fully restored for the re-opening.
Many of the fire damaged motorcycles were restored to showroom condition.
and the motorcycles on display are in excellent condition and represent examples of all the well known makes, such as BSA
, Triumph and Norton as well as less well known makers including Coventry-Eagle
, Montgomery and New Imperial
. All are of historic interest but a few are World class and stand out from the rest:
One of the most valuable motorcycles in the world the Brough Superior Golden Dream
which is the only example of George Brough's show model for the 1938 Olympia
show. Handbuilt by Brough and Freddie Dixon the Golden Dream has two pairs of horizontally opposed cylinders, one above the other, with two longitudinal crankshafts to give vibration free running. The two crankshafts shafts are geared together, with one driving the rear wheel and the other driving the oil pump and magdyno. Two Brough Dream Fours were built but World War II
stopped development. The second Brough Dream has a black and chrome finish and is in private ownership.
On 27 April 2008 at the Stafford
Motorcycle show UK the auctioneers Bonhams
sold an 'ordinary' 1934 Brough Superior SS100 for £166,500 – a world record and the highest price ever paid for a British motorcycle at auction. so visitors can only speculate on the value of the 'one-off' gold-painted model.
Built by the Wilkinson Sword
company before the First World War
the first 'Wilkinsons' were aimed at military use. Optional accessories included a sidecar complete with Maxim machine gun, and a steering wheel instead of handlebars. The model displayed in the museum was built in 1912 and is the top-of-the-range four-cylinder water-cooled shaft drive version. Originally air-cooled, the Wilkinson TMC
engine was water-cooled from 1911 and described as a ‘Luxury Touring Motor Cycle’.
The newest motorcycle in the collection is a 2,300 cc Triumph Rocket III
, which at 2294 cc has the world's largest production motorcycle engine. Road tests proved that the Rocket III's 0-60 mph (0–97 km/h) time was quicker than most sports bikes, and the weight distribution, low centre of gravity and geometry made handling easy, with acceleration up to 135 mph (217.3 km/h). In 2004 the Rocket III set the world land speed record for a production motorcycle over 2000 cc, reaching its electronically set limiter of 140.3 mi/h.
Bickenhill
Bickenhill is a village, civil parish and ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, West Midlands, England, on the fringes of the West Midlands conurbation.-History:...
, Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
, England and holds the world's largest collection of British motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s. In addition to over 850 motorcycles which cover a century of motorcycle manufacture the site has conference facilities. The main entrance is from the roundabout at the junction of the A45
A45 road
The A45 is a major road in England. It runs east from Birmingham past the National Exhibition Centre and the M42, then bypasses Coventry and Rugby, where it briefly merges with the M45 until it continues to Daventry...
and the M42
M42 motorway
The M42 motorway is a major road in England. The motorway runs north east from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to just south west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, passing Redditch, Solihull, the National Exhibition Centre and Tamworth on the way. The section between the M40 and M6 road forms...
.
History
The museum was developed to include conference facilities in 1985. The museum has become the largest collection of British motorcycles in the world, with over 250,000 visitors a year.
Roy Richards died of respiratory failure on March 29, 2008, aged 77. The National Motorcycle Museum is a fitting memorial to his passion for preserving British motorcycling history.
2003 Fire
West Midlands Fire Service
West Midlands Fire Service is the statutory fire and rescue service responsible for fire protection, prevention, intervention and emergency rescue in the county of the West Midlands in England....
investigators concluded that a cigarette thrown away in a designated smoking area was responsible for igniting a pile of cardboard boxes. The fire spread inside the museum's dropped ceiling
Dropped ceiling
A dropped ceiling is a secondary ceiling, hung below the main ceiling. They may also be referred to as a drop ceiling, false ceiling, or suspended ceiling, and are a staple of modern construction and architecture. The area above the dropped ceiling is called the plenum space, as it is sometimes...
s, which did not contain a detector system. It reached a large part of the building before one of the ceilings failed and the fire was discovered. Staff and people attending a conference helped to save more than 300 historic motorcycles but three of the five exhibition halls were completely burnt out. 120 firefighters were needed to put out the inferno which was visible for 15 miles (24.1 km). Many of the museum's rarest and irreplaceable exhibits were destroyed. The cost of the fire was estimated at over £14 million.
After fifteen months and a £20m rebuild which included installation of a £1.2 million sprinkler system, the museum was reopened on 1 December 2004. 150 of the motorcycles that had been destroyed in the fire were fully restored for the re-opening.
Many of the fire damaged motorcycles were restored to showroom condition.
Exhibits
The museum is affiliated to the British Motorcycle Charitable TrustBritish Motorcycle Charitable Trust
The British Motorcycle Charitable Trust is a Charitable Trust dedicated to promoting and supporting the preservation and restoration of British motorcycles...
and the motorcycles on display are in excellent condition and represent examples of all the well known makes, such as BSA
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
, Triumph and Norton as well as less well known makers including Coventry-Eagle
Coventry-Eagle
Coventry-Eagle was a British motorcycle manufacturer. Established as a Victorian bicycle maker, the company began under the name of Hotchkiss, Mayo & Meek. The company name was changed to Coventry Eagle in 1897 when John Meek left the company .. By 1898 they had begun to experiment with motorised...
, Montgomery and New Imperial
New Imperial Motors Ltd
New Imperial was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded by Norman Downes in Birmingham, between 1887 and 1901, and became New Imperial Motors Ltd in 1912, when serious production commenced. New Imperial made innovative motorcycles that employed unit construction and sprung heel frames long...
. All are of historic interest but a few are World class and stand out from the rest:
Golden Dream Brough
Brough Superior Golden Dream
The Brough Superior Golden Dream was designed and built by George Brough in Nottingham, England, in 1938. With its distinctive gold finish, this was to be the ultimate Brough Superior but production was stopped by the outbreak of War in 1939.-Development:...
which is the only example of George Brough's show model for the 1938 Olympia
Olympia, London
Olympia is an exhibition centre and conference centre in West Kensington, on the boundary between The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham, London, W14 8UX, England. It opened in the 19th century and was originally known as the National Agricultural Hall.Opened in 1886,...
show. Handbuilt by Brough and Freddie Dixon the Golden Dream has two pairs of horizontally opposed cylinders, one above the other, with two longitudinal crankshafts to give vibration free running. The two crankshafts shafts are geared together, with one driving the rear wheel and the other driving the oil pump and magdyno. Two Brough Dream Fours were built but World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
stopped development. The second Brough Dream has a black and chrome finish and is in private ownership.
On 27 April 2008 at the Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
Motorcycle show UK the auctioneers Bonhams
Bonhams
Bonhams is a privately owned British auction house founded in 1793. It is the third largest auctioneer after Sotheby's and Christie's, and conducts around 700 auctions per year. It has 700 employees....
sold an 'ordinary' 1934 Brough Superior SS100 for £166,500 – a world record and the highest price ever paid for a British motorcycle at auction. so visitors can only speculate on the value of the 'one-off' gold-painted model.
Wilkinson Luxury Tourer
Wilkinson Sword
Wilkinson Sword is a brand name for companies that make gardening tools and razors. Wilkinson Sword's origins are in the manufacture of swords. The company was founded in London in 1772. The brand is currently owned by Energizer Holdings. Past product lines have included guns, bayonets, and other...
company before the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the first 'Wilkinsons' were aimed at military use. Optional accessories included a sidecar complete with Maxim machine gun, and a steering wheel instead of handlebars. The model displayed in the museum was built in 1912 and is the top-of-the-range four-cylinder water-cooled shaft drive version. Originally air-cooled, the Wilkinson TMC
Wilkinson TMC
The Wilkinson TMC iss a British luxury touring motorcycle manufactured by the Wilkinson Sword company in Acton, London between 1911 and 1916, when production was stopped by the first World War.-Development:...
engine was water-cooled from 1911 and described as a ‘Luxury Touring Motor Cycle’.
Triumph Rocket III
Triumph Rocket III
The Triumph Rocket III is a British three cylinder motorcycle made by the Hinckley Triumph factory and has the largest displacement engine of any mass production motorcycle , at ....
, which at 2294 cc has the world's largest production motorcycle engine. Road tests proved that the Rocket III's 0-60 mph (0–97 km/h) time was quicker than most sports bikes, and the weight distribution, low centre of gravity and geometry made handling easy, with acceleration up to 135 mph (217.3 km/h). In 2004 the Rocket III set the world land speed record for a production motorcycle over 2000 cc, reaching its electronically set limiter of 140.3 mi/h.