Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum
By: Wally W Click on images to enlarge 
If you have been reading my articles, you know that I like to stay in the Carolinas because there’s so much here to see. This time, I’m going to tell you about a place that is in Leeds, Alabama (just east of Birmingham) which is a mere five hours from Shelby on interstates I85 and I20. It’s the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and one of the most impressive places to visit in the world with over 1,200 motorcycles on display – and what a display! The first things you see when you visit are the three fantastic sculptures called “The Chase” (by Ted Gall) that are on the front lawn of the museum. Each 3,000 pound figure is comprised of 28 separate cast pieces welded together. They are spectacular. Also you will see how clean the complete facility is. The grass, flowers, bushes and trees are manicured to perfection. It gives you the feeling that if the outside is this good, the inside must be outstanding. You can’t wait to get inside to see if that’s true. George Barber (Mr. Barber to his associates) made his fortune in the dairy business but always loved motorcycles and raced Porsches so his museum is an extension of the man. He has done what all motorcycle lovers wish they could do – collect as many motorcycles as they can and share them with all their friends. In this case, we are all Mr. Barber’s friends and he is sharing his motorcycle collection with us – and we thank him for it (over and over again). When you first walk into the museum, it’s a shock to your senses because there are so many motorcycles on display; you don’t know where to start. There are five floors with motorcycle displays on every floor. The man behind the desk suggests that you use the elevator to go to the top floor and work your way down. It’s a good suggestion and it worked for me. As you are riding up in the elevator, your eyes are darting from side to side catching a glimpse of all the motorcycles as they go by. I was awestruck by the sun reflecting from all the chrome and bright colors. I tried to see as many as I could on the way up in the elevator. Once on the top floor, you’re like a kid in a candy store. There are so many bikes that you don’t know where to start and you don’t want to miss any. I went all the way to my left and worked right looking at every motorcycle on display. I was amazed time and time again at the quality of the restorations. Many of the bikes looked better than when they were new. The craftsmen that Mr. Barber employs to restore his bikes must be very talented. I was also impressed that there were no flat tires or dust accumulated on the motorcycles. With over 1,200 motorcycles that means that there are over 2,400 tires to keep inflated. That shows how much Mr. Barber is committed to having his place one of the best in the world. There’s nothing worse than to visit a museum and see that the displays are not cared for properly. Not at the Barber Museum! I’ll bet that every bike has its own story and a fond place in his heart. I’ve been around motorcycles all my life but some of the bikes on display, I had never heard about like the “Flanders 4” or the Czechoslovakian “CZ”. Some I had heard about but never seen - only imagined – like “The Flying Merkel” or the “Pierce Four”. I looked for my first bike – a 1960 250 BSA but could not find it even though there were many BSA’s on display. I did see the 1970 Honda SL350 I once owned – even the same color. It brought back fond memories of riding that well balanced motorcycle. Some of the early motorcycles had kerosene or gas lamps - not electric lights. The design and workmanship of the early bikes is the best part. Everything is there to see – not hidden by plastic like today’s bikes. When these bikes run, you can see the complete mechanical workings of the bike. It’s amazing!! Just a note on the motorcycles in the museum; I was told by one of the men who restore the bikes that for about 99% of the bikes on display, it would take less than an hour of work to get the bike roadworthy and running. That in itself says volumes about the quality of the exhibits. I highly recommend going to the Barber Museum. The Barber Vintage Festival is held this year on October 9th to 11th; when many of the motorcycles on display will be running on the track. Oh, I didn’t forget to mention that adjacent to the museum is a world-class race track where sports cars and motorcycles run on a regular basis. The whole place just screams “Quality” and “Class”. It has been put together so well, it’s almost mind boggling – a classic motorcycle overdose! More Info:
Published: Mar 1, 2010 Leave Comments |
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