Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Road Trip, Part 2 Saturday

After a very casual morning start, we took full advantage of the Harley Davidson Museum's 10:00 AM open by stopping for breakfast, then visiting another nearby dealer where we expected to see those Yamaha's we'd not managed to find on Friday.  There were new Yamaha's, Kawasaki's and Suzuki's but surprisingly, there were a huge and curious number of almost new Harley Davidsons, most of them so new that we were unable to tell if they'd been ridden at all.  An oddity to be sure.

After last night's very enjoyable concert, we were prepared for Day 2.


South on Hwy 45, we arrived downtown and made the turn on to Canal Street at the Museum's parking lot just a few minutes after 10.



Serial Number 1........





































































The Archive Rooms........





The Shop......








See that "1955" sign in the center of the photo??  It was a good year.



 The AMF years.....



Prototype "Four".....






 The bike that 'floated' to British Columbia from Japan after the tsunami.....





 Elvis the 'cyclist.........





 Enthusiasts.......




We spent 3 hours there and I'd easily go visit again, the 681 miles in the automobile all easy.  There were many people around us but spaces are huge and it never felt crowded.  Groups/clubs, Boy Scout troops, both J.P. and I noted various foreign tongues while reading through the placards.  A marked out 10' x 12' space on the floor denoting the original building near the beginning, through to the robotic frame welder at the end.....motorcycle fan or with an interest in the history of manufacturing and design, a very worthwhile destination and I'd say go.