Coast
to Coast 2026
Part
4 Birmingham 2
Just me and Joon go to the museum this morning. Gita stays at the hotel. I have a mission to complete all the floors today. I am walking around each level ensuring I see everything and taking a photo of each bike and the information sheet. Some of the bikes I have never heard of as I have gone through Tragatsch’s Encyclopaedia it was not many. What was interesting were the number of prototypes on display particularly from Triumph many I knew about and those from individuals who had done overhead cam modifications for racing I didn’t.
Odd things adorned the walls like a whole selection
of outboard motors. There was a Britten from New Zealand, a Valiant, but no LE. There
was a whole area dedicated to motocross on a motocross course.
There was an
area devoted to Buells, drag bikes and
other forms of competition. There were
motorcycles from floor to ceiling. I met lots of people
and talking to one of the volunteers got me access to the lower ground floor
with a proviso not to take photos in
part of that area. It was to prevent new bikes not being posted on social media
before they are unveiled by the museum.
The lower ground floor was their workshop accompanying me were the
volunteer, Riccardo and his family. Riccardo was from Brazil and worked for a motorcycle
dealer in Orlando. We exchanged contact details. I learned allot about George
Barber and the continuing projects the museum pursues. Joon missed this. He was
nowhere in sight. I could not agree to the supervised visit to a restricted
area then walk away to find Joon. I waived the white flag when I got to the
cinema on the fifth level. It is an amazing place and needs more time than I had to devote to visiting.
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