London Motorcycle Museum

Infobox Museum
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established = May 1999
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location = Greenford, West London (UK)
type = Motorcycle Museum
visitors = 250,000
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publictransit = Greenford station (London Underground Central Line)
website = [http://www.motorcycle-uk.com/lmm/beginning.html London Motorcycle Museum]

The London Motorcycle Museum opened in May 1999 at Oldfield Lane, Greenford, London. [Cite web | title = London Motorcycle Museum |url=http://www.ealing.gov.uk/services/leisure/museums_and_galleries/london_motorcycle_museum/ | accessdate = 2008-05-29 ] A charitable trust, it displays a range of over 150 classic and British motorcycles. Notable exhibits include the last Triumph T140 out of the Meriden gates in 1983.

History

Bill Crosby, the museum’s founder, started collecting good examples of British motorcycles in 1960. The bikes were displayed at Syon Park until 1979 and then at a number of temporary locations until the site in Greenford was found. Formerly a farm, it had been used as an Ealing Council depot since the 1920s. Now run by volunteers as a charitable trust, the museum actively promotes educational visits. Cite web | title = London Motorcycle Museum |url= http://www.motorcycle-uk.com/lmm/beginning.html
accessdate = 2008-05-29 ]

Future expansion

The museum is raising money for an extension to display another sixty motorcycles. The main building is planned as “The Home of Triumph” with special areas for other makes, military and police motorcycles. Cite web | title = London Motorcycle Museum |url= http://www.london-motorcycle-museum.org/ | accessdate = 2008-05-29 ]

Exhibits

All the motorcycles on display are in excellent condition and represent the best examples of all the well-known makes, such as BSA, Triumph and Norton as well as less well known makers including Coventry-Eagle and Rudge. A full inventory of exhibits is listed on the museum’s official web site and includes a number of unique prototypes, such as the development Triumph Trident and motorcycles that have been featured in the media.

Exhibits range from one of the earliest motorcycles, a 1902 0rmonde 2 1/4 h.p. to a 1993 Royal Enfield Bullet 500cc and include:

* 1907 298cc Brown Precision
* 1921 Rudge TT 3hp
* 1925 596cc Scott Flying Squirrel
* 1925 980cc Coventry Eagle Flying 8
* 1937 499cc Rudge Special
* 1949 998cc Vincent Rapide Series 'C'
* 1959 Norton Dominator
* 1966 BSA Lightning works production racer

Media appearances

Motorcycles from the London museum have featured in "Eastenders", "Dad's Army", "A-Z of Royalty" (USA-produced feature for Satellite TV) and "Men & Motors" ‘Full Throttle Famous’. The museum is also regularly featured in "Classic Bike Guide", "Classic Bike", "Moto Legende" (France’s main classic motorcycle magazine) and "Moto Ciclissmo" (Italy’s main motorcycle magazine). Cite web | title = London Motorcycle Museum |url= http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/museum_gfx_en/AM22291.html | accessdate = 2008-05-29 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.london-motorcycle-museum.org/ London Motorcycle Museum official site]