History of the
National Motorcycle Museum

The National Motorcycle Museum opened its doors in October 1984, with a collection of more than 350 motorcycles on display. The award winning conference and banqueting facilities grew out of interest in the museum and followed on in 1985. The venue soon started to attract many of the countries most famous and important machines.

Since opening, this magnificent centre has become the largest motorcycle museum in the world and attracts around 250,000 visitors a year. One of the biggest attractions for many guests is the comprehensive cross-section of machines, spanning the “60 Glorious Year” of motorcycle manufacturing in this country. The museum’s aim is to preserve these pieces of history for future generations to come, as a reminder of this great nations industry, engineering prowess and work ethic. Within the five exhibition halls will be found some 650 plus machines, fully restored to the manufacturers original specifications.

At some point over the past 20 years every classic bike enthusiast would have spent an afternoon browsing through the museums halls, and many clubs and organisations have held rallies and events in the grounds. The National Motorcycle Museum has developed into a focal point for the British motorcycle movement.