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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128228
(Right, below right) Not only does the exhibit have a replica of the fabled bicycle shed from which sprang the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle, but the inside has been replicated as well, capturing the ambiance of the working conditions in 1903. (Below) A timeline wall chronicles all the important happenings in Harley's 100-year history. and '50s, its battle with the betterdesigned and better-built Japanese brands in the 1960s, its acquisition by AMF and subsequent decline in the 1970s, its return to private ownership and near-bankruptcy in the early 1980s, and, at last, its Phoenix-like rise to spectacular suc ess and popularity throughout the 1990s. Within these exhibits, the Motor Company's history is personalized through the presentation of photographs, stories, motorcycles and artifacts of hundreds of men and women who designed, rode, built, sold and loved their Harley-Davidson motorcycles. An exhibit entitled "The Decision to Race" tells how Harley-Davidson came late into factory racing in 1914 and achieved national dominance by 1921 with its legendary "wrecking crew," which included Otto Walker, Ray Weishaar, Jim Davis, Shrimp Burns, Red Parkhurst and Maldwyn Jones. The display includes what is undoubtedly the finest and most valuable collection of pre- 1930 HarleyDavidson racing machines ever displayed at a single location. They include two Model 11 K factory racers perched high on the bank of a board track, a rare and exotic 1923 eightvalve twin, and a 1927 single-cylinder Peashooter. In addition, trophies won by the great Otto Walker are on display, including the plaque he received from Harley-Davidson in 1921 for becoming the first man ever to be clocked at 100 mph during a race. A rare Rikuo, a brand built in Japan from 1932 through 1962, tells the curious story of how Alfred Rich Child persuaded the Motor Company to officially license the production of Harley-Davidsons in Japan, plus sell the Japanese the patterns and tooling motorcycles that some of them rode. Included in the exhibit are the last motorcycle ridden by three-time Grand National Champion Joe Leonard, the KR that Mert Lawwill rode to his Grand National Championship in 1969, the XR road racer ridden to international acclaim by Cal Rayborn at the Trans-Atlantic Match Races in 1972, and the Lawwill-tuned XR ridden by Mike Kidd to his Grand National Championship in 1981. In addition, Leonard's satin riding vest, Lawwill's his factory-beating cams that helped make heroes of the likes of Sam Arena, Larry Headrick, Kenny Eggers and Joe Leonard. Harley-Davidson's involvement in off-road motorcycling is explored in an exhibit that focuses on the legendary Jack Pine Enduro. It honors Oscar Lenz, for many years the driving force behind the event; William H. Davidson, who won the event in 1930; Dot Robinson, who twice won the sidecar class; and Leroy Winters, "HEROES OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON" IS BY FAR THE MOST ELABORATE AND COMPREHENSIVE EXHIBIT ROLLED OUT BY THE INSTITUTION IN ITS THIRTEEN-YEAR HISTORY. to make it happen. It was a deal that H-D president Walter Davidson was not happy with, but it brought in revenue that may have helped his company survive the Great Depression when annual sales fell below 4000 units and production was reduced to a two-day work week. The great era of Class C racing, which began in 1934, is described through an exhibit that includes photos and biographies of eight decades of great champions, including the number one leathers seen in the movie On Any Sunday, and Rayborn's Match Races leathers are on display. The men behind these and other great champions are celebrated in an exhibit entitled "Motor Maestros," telling the stories of great tuners like Tom Sifton, Leonard Andres, Dick O'Brien and Bill Werner. This exhibit, displaying WR, KR and XR engines beautifully prepared by Dave Estep, also includes the homemade grinding machine with which Tom Sifton made c who, in 1956, predicted the modern era of off-road motorcycling when he became the first man to win the Jack Pine aboard a lightweight, two-stroke machine. The exhibit features Leroy's restored Harley 165, his Jack Pine trophy and a special award presented to him by the Motor Company for his accomplishment. Several of Dot Robinson's awards are featured in an exhibit about women who have gained fame aboard their Harley-Davidsons. These include