There are more than 20 museums in the United Kingdom that specialize in motorcycles. Plus, there are dozens of other transport museums which have motorcycles on exhibit as well as other vehicles. The museums are mainly located in England, but there are a few each in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
National Motorcycle Museum
The biggest motorcycle museum in the UK – and the world – is the National Motorcycle Museum on Coventry Road in Solihull near Birmingham in the West Midlands. It is the largest motorcycle museum in the world, with more than 650 bikes restored to manufacturer’s specifications. The museum suffered a devastating fire in 2003, but reopened to the public 15 months later. It is now open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sammy Miller Museum
British racing and trials champ Sammy Miller has his own museum in rural New Milton, a few miles away from Southampton on the English coast. The museum exhibits the legend’s racing memorabilia as well as some of the bikes he road and/or designed for motorcycle manufacturers. All of the rare, vintage and prototype motorcycles on display are in running condition; some are still entered in races today. The Sammy Miller Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Bashley Cross Road in New Milton.
London Motorcycle Museum
Tucked away in a London suburb, the London Motorcycle Museum is smaller than National Motorcycle or Sammy Miller museums, but jams quality into a small space. Eighty vintage, rare and modern motorcycles are packed in like sardines at Ravenor Farm at 29 Oldfield Lane in Greenford. The museum is open weekends and bank holidays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Other Motorcycle Museums
Here are some other museums in the UK which feature motorcycles:
- The Craven Collection of Classic Bikeshas more than 270 classic motorcycles from the 1920s to 2006 and associated memorabilia on display. Founder Dick Craven has both British and Japanese bikes on exhibit as well as some cars. Many of the private museum’s motorcycle collection have been used for television shows. The museum is located at Brockfield Villa at York.
- The Norfolk Motorcycle Museum has more than 80 motorcycles manufactured from the 1920s to the 1960s. Located at Station Yard in Norfolk, the museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. It is closed Sundays from October to Easter.
- Park Hall Farms is a good place for bikers with non-riding family members to go. While Mom or Dad are touring the motorcycle collection, the other family members can play with farm animals, walk the nature trails, attend a Victorian school or even learn how to ride or drive themselves. Park Hall is open daily from mid-March to mid-September, and weekends the rest of the year. The museum is located on A495 three miles from Oswestry in Shropshire.
A lengthy list of road transport museums in the UK can be found at Classic Motor Monthly.
Cheryl Probst - Cheryl Probst is an award-winning photojournalist who specializes in writing about motorcycles, China and the Pacific Northwest.
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