Peterson Museum to exhibit rare motorcycles from early 20th century

Beginning March 15, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles will launch a new exhibit showcasing more than 25 rare motorcycles from the early 1900s.

The new exhibit, “The American Motorcycle: pioneering machines from the Bunch Family collection” will feature some of the most extensive and internationally renowned collections in the world. It will be displayed in the Richard Varner family gallery on the museum’s second floor.

The exhibit will highlight some of the rarest and most historically significant motorcycles ever produced and explore the contributions of American motorcycling pioneers.

Some of the featured motorcycles will include:

• The 1898 Cleveland Tricycle, one of America’s oldest motorized cycles from a pioneering manufacturer, features the first front spring fork suspension.
  
• 1904 Thomas Auto-Bi, created by the E.R. Thomas Company, the first motorcycle manufacturer in America to design and build its own bikes.
  
• The 1905 Nelk is one of the few surviving models from this Palo Alto manufacturer. It features advanced technology for its time, including a rubber-mounted engine, water cooling, and an overhead camshaft.
  
• 1908 Indian Single, a purpose-built motorcycle owned by stuntwoman CeDora, famous for her performances in the “Globe of Death,” where motorcyclists defy gravity using centripetal force.
  
• 1911 Marvel, designed by the legendary Glenn Curtiss, a self-taught mechanical engineer who crafted engines for motorcycles, dirigibles and airplanes.
  
• 1936 Crocker Speedway Racer, produced by Crocker, a legendary motorcycle manufacturer in Los Angeles, whose bikes often outperformed Harley-Davidsons and Indians and are now some of the most valuable and rare motorcycles in existence. 

For more information, visit the Peterson Automotive Museum’s website.