Side trip

While in Columbus, OH helping my dad at an art show this weekend, I exploited the fluid schedule of the volunteer worker and paid a visit to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame museum...






Honda RC161 250cc racer, violating Honda engineers' model number convention with extreme prejudice.








Quite a stack of rollchart/trip computer/etc crap. I guess now all you'd need is a good GPS.


1956 HD 165cc predecessor to modern 2-stroke dirt bikes...German design.


This is the bike from On Any Sunday. O. M. G.




1957 HD Sportster "Turnip Eater" for its propensity to whip Triumphs on the track. It went on to be the first non-fully streamlined bike to go over 200mph at Bonneville.




This guy doesn't need to harden the fuck up. He rode around the world on a Harley, with no legs.


An XR500 rigged up to look like a police bike for stunts for T2.






This NS750 is crazy factory race engineering. It's a CX500 motor, bored and stroked to 750, turned sideways and changed from shaft to chain drive. The carbs needed to be relocated because they hit the rider's legs. All so Honda could compete on the flat track.


The RS750, next generation of Honda flat trackers, much more elegant.


The first Honda motorcycle to be built in the US. The people of Ohio have a LOT of pride for their Honda plant.







All in all it was a good visit. Definitely Harley and Honda centric, and definitely not a comprehensive history of the motorcycle, but still totally cool. If only they would let you try out the bikes...