{"id":6608,"date":"2024-04-01T22:52:30","date_gmt":"2024-04-02T04:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/?p=6608"},"modified":"2024-04-01T22:52:32","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T04:52:32","slug":"barber-trip-5-motorcycles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/2024\/04\/barber-trip-5-motorcycles\/","title":{"rendered":"Barber Trip 5: Motorcycles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Two days of hanging around the race track wasn’t enough for me. The Chin event was over, but I still needed to go to the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The museum is best known for its motorcycles. They have over 1600 bikes in their collection, with over 900 on display. But that’s not why I wanted to wander through the place. You see, it also happens to have the world’s largest collection of Lotus race cars. Throw in die-cast cars, wooden toy cars and trucks, outboard boat motors, and a lawn mower and you have a pretty interesting way to spend a few hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whereas the Presidential museums I visited on this trip both opened at 9:00 am, Barber doesn’t let you in until 10. Or so says the sign on the door and their website. I didn’t have anything better to do, so I got there a little early. I was hoping they’d let me drive around part of the perimeter road so I could look for more treasures. There wasn’t anybody at the gate to ask, and they had the road coned off. So I parked at the museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the right of the main entrance, they have a very striking trio of sculptures that make up one piece. Is there a sculpture-oriented word equivalent to triptych? It’s called “The Chase”, and the plaque says it indicates “the super-human power and sense of achievement that one experiences on the track.” They have a smaller version of at least one of the figures on display inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After taking a few photos, I started walking back to my car. A guy came out the museum doors and called to me, “Come on in! We’re open!” It was 9:38. This was good news. After the museum, I’m driving to Atlanta. I had been going back and forth about whether I’d have enough time to take the back roads or I’d have to violate Rule #1. Extra time in hand is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I paid for admission, the cashier told me that I was in luck – Indycar was here at the track doing some testing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They tell everybody to start touring the museum from the top down. Take the elevator up to the fifth floor, then walk down the spiral ramp to each lower floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of motorcycles there is ridiculous. I’m not particularly interested in motorcycles, so I was a bit overwhelmed. Bikes from World War II, Italian Vespas, a bike with a wooden sidecar. I wandered randomly, perhaps working down to the cars a bit quicker than I should have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n