Jayhawkin' Part I

Just got back from the Flint Hills of Kansas. The Missus and I headed out west to see my older brother and a few other sights along the way. In spite of the crazy weather they were experiencing, we had a great trip.

The first stop, other than the requisite coffee, pee or gas stop, was in Anamosa, Iowa at the National Motorcycle Museum. If you're at all interested in motorcycles, this place is a definite must see. They have about 400 motorcycles on display.

I can't imagine having a motorcycle museum without having one of these. Lots of other BSA and Triumph models, both street and race. Several Brough Superiors and Vincents but surprisingly enough, not much of the smaller Villiers' engined brands like James or Frances Barnett. In fact I own a couple of bikes that I didn't see on display there.

This is a two seater Curtiss. Glenn Curtiss is one of my personal heroes. At one time Curtiss held the record as the fastest man on earth and in the air. His engine designs were very sophisticated for the time. 

All the classic Japanese bikes were represented, like this Kaw 900. That's what mine would look like if the engine hadn't have come off a go-kart and the frame hadn't have come off a wrecked bike and the front end hadn't have come off a 1000 Suzuki. Nice to see a bone stock model.

Lots and lots of HD stuff, as you would imagine. The little Harleys were well represented, like the Rapido in the top photo as well as oodles of Sprint/Aermacchi models. Plenty of Sportster and big inch stuff also. The middle photo is the XR750 that was campaigned by George Roeder. That's also him in the bottom photo on the right side. I screwed up when I was young by not getting over to Santa Fe Speedway and seeing these guys. I did see the Outlaw Sprint cars run there several times but missed the bikes - "You ain't seen nothing 'til you been to Santa Fe" as the old radio commercial used to say.

Race bikes of all kinds, stock bikes, primo restorations, ephemera, this place has got it all for only an eight dollar charge for admission. Well worth the price. It's located northeast of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. We came in on the Grant Wood Scenic Byway, by the way. One of several named trails, highways or byways we were on during the trip.