Cycle News

VOL. 55 ISSUE 44 NOVEMBER 6, 2018 P123 And some of the racing ma- chines were factory rarities like the Jim McMurren Harley-Davidson Sprint featuring one of only three sand-cast engines ever built by the factory. Or the 1972 BSA A70 Twin, a prototype of which only two were made. Or the Norton Rotary, one of only three known to have made it to America. You get the picture. And it wasn't just the jaw- dropping motorcycles on display, but the racing leathers worn by the stars of the sport over the years, the hundreds of historic photographs, posters and other assorted memorabilia that hung on the walls. How about Carroll Resweber's trophy collection, or Jimmy Weinert's racing gear, a signed and worn in competition Ricky Carmichael jersey, or the leathers worn by Freddie Spencer as a novice! A sculpture of Neil Keen made with welding torch and coat hangers. A door of fame signed by hundreds of national- ranked racers over the years. This place is the real deal. A serious motorcycle buff could literally spend hours in the place taking it all in. And that's not even counting the next room over, which fea- tures historic restored and original non-racing machines, including the very first motorcycle sold by Donelson Cycles when it first opened in 1962. Or the last BSA Donelson ever received from the factory before the manufacturer closed its doors. You can tell it was a sentimental motorcycle to Carl. "We just kept it," Donelson says of the BSA. "It's never even been started." Carl is 82—looks years young- er—and still runs his dealership, and continues his hobby of restor- ing old motorcycles. His wife, Kathy, was also working the day I was in the shop. It's always been a family affair at Donelson's place. Daughter, Kim, wife of the late great Neil Keen, runs the place when mom and dad are gone, and a third generation, grandson Ste- phen Maddox, works at the parts counter. All in the family, including the girls, were accomplished rac- ers, as well. Carl said it's hard to remember how the museum portion of the dealership started. "It just hap- pened," Kim says with a grin. "It's was probably in the mid- 1990s," Carl thinks. "It started with just a bike or two that I restored and just took off from there. A lot of these race bikes are on loan from people from all over the country." The museum in the dealership has become a major attraction. "People come from all over the world to see it," Carl says. "A lot of these bikes are just as they came off the racetrack. Some of them were never even cleaned up and still have the race dirt on them." I was lucky enough to also be given a tour of the basement, which features perhaps the largest collection of new old-stock BSA, Triumph and Norton parts in the country. Every winter the shop and museum hosts an annual "Racers' Reunion." The reunion began as a birthday party for Neil Keen and has continued as a huge gather- ing of past motorcycle racers from all across the country. Last year there were 24 previous or current AMA national number riders at the event, including eight Motorcycle Hall of Fame members. This year, the gathering is scheduled to take place February 2, 2019. It's one of those bucket- list events that every motorcycle- racing fan should put on their calendar. Not only will you get to see one of the most stunning museums in the country, but you get to rub elbows with some of the greats who raced these ma- chines. CN Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.comArchives

• Cover