Headlining the Vintage Rally is a big vintage motorcycle and bicycle show for all machines through 1988 with a special class for any form of dirt bike or two-wheel off-road machine. As before, any customs, choppers and bobbers through 2017 have a special class. Did I mention a motorcycle swap meet takes place as well? It’s all there, but you need to get to the National Motorcycle Museum that Saturday, June 10 for all these special activities.
The new DIRT RIDING USA exhibit presented by J&P Cycles will hold about 35 select motocross, trials, enduro and cross country motorcycles, a desert sled or two. In the case of bikes with a rider history, visitors get the story on the bikes and the people, the places and times, and there is apparel and off-road poster art to round out the show. This new exhibit, not open to visitors until late May, will bring total motorcycles on display in the Museum to around 475!
BARN FIND is a new permanent display at the Museum also opening in late May. Staff located salvaged barn lumber, will construct the corner of a barn in the Museum. They brought in the rusty, dusty and crusty motorcycles and parts you might find if you got lucky in your explorations about anywhere in rural America.
Attend the Vintage Rally Motorcycle Collecting panel discussion in which six experts who collect, buy and sell old bikes share their wisdom, even past mistakes and help you make smart decisions for what you surround yourself with and keep into the future. Motorcycle collecting, restoring and stewardship is bigger than ever. But as with many pursuits, there are potential pitfalls. Attend this session and you’ll get pointers on how to avoid them.
Polish up a couple of your best 1988 and older motorcycles or bicycles and bring them to the Vintage Rally Bike Show; you make the show. Arranged on the concrete show range by country of origin, judges will carefully review all entries and make their choices; about 40 trophies, sponsored by Motorcycle Classics magazine, will be awarded. Preserved/unrestored motorcycles will be judged for the Hagerty Motorcycle Insurance Preservation Award. For 2017 we are celebrating the opening of the DIRT RIDING USA exhibit presented by J&P Cycles, so all dirt bikes through 1988 are welcome. Here’s all you need to know to enter your bike.
A correctly restored first year Honda CR250M Elsinore will be among bikes loaned for the DIRT RIDING USA exhibit coming in late May, 2017.
This 1971 Bultaco El Montadero will be among enduro competition bikes in the DIRT RIDING USA exhibit.
BARN FIND, a new exhibit opening in late May 2017 reminds us of all the cool motorcycle stuff that may be lurking in barns all across America.
With the entire Changing Exhibitions gallery set aside for the DIRT RIDING USA exhibit, these and a couple of dozen other Enduro, Trials and Motocross bikes will have a proper display area.
