history of the motorcycle. The next time I saw
the collection was in the new building in Nelson,
which closed to the public in April 2016. Compared
with the first viewing, the bikes were more
attractively displayed, and placed on different
levels. When I saw it I wrote in KR, “NZ Classic
Motorcycles, Nelson, New Zealand could well
become a Mecca for enthusiasts, not only in
but not exclusively. There are examples from
Germany, Italy, France, and just about all other
nations that have produced motorcycles.
In all, over 60 manufacturers are represented.
The level of restoration is outstanding,
and most of the models are in showroom
condition. Tom Sturgess must be thanked
this country but from overseas as well”. So, it
is now called Motorcycle Mecca, funny that.
The entire collection, which moved to 25 Tay
Street, Invercargill, is open daily, and guided tours
can be arranged. British road racer, Isle of Man
specialist, and television presenter Guy Martin
said of the Invercargill display “It’s as good a
collection as you’ll ever see in England. Yeah, it’s
amazing… brilliant”. As well as the actual bikes
the museum has an extensive collection of
motorcycle art. Sourced from all over the world
it is a mixture of art work and period posters.
The bikes are predominantly American and British,
and congratulated for giving the nation such
a valuable collection. Let’s hope there is a
positive outcome for his health problems.
If you are visiting Invercargill, apart from the
superb motorcycle display, there is a café in
the same building, Meccaspresso, which serves
excellent food and coffee, has free wi-fi, and has
become part of the city’s café scene. There’s more
information on transportworld.nz. The Collection
Manager, Dave Roberts, is on 03 217 0199, or
dave.roberts@transportworld.nz. 24-hours
notice is required to arrange guided tours.
There could be no better place for Motorcycle
Mecca than the home of the world’s fastest
Indian, and incidentally there are some very
rare classic Indians in the collection.
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