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European Motorcycles

Today in Motorcycle History

National Automobile Museum of Tasmania

Impressive collection of cars and motorcycles in Launceston in the north-east of Tasmania

The site includes images of hundreds of cars and motorcycles from past and present exhibitions.

Address: 86 Cimitiere St, Launceston TAS 7250
Website: namt.com.au

    "My 1929 British Excelsior J.A.P. lives in the National Automobile Museum in Launceston and I fly down and obtain a TT permit and ride it round the local Tasmanian roads. The bike lived at Scotsdale in its younger days and raced at places like Greens Beach..."

    The Tasmanian Motorcycle club is the second oldest motorcycle club in the British Commonwealth and has its offices in Launceston Tasmania.A member has researched the early days and a book is to be published. Greens Beach was a favourite race spot. The roads were so poor but the sand was smoothed out every high tide and beach racing was popular with the locals.

    The National Automobile Museum of Tasmania in Launceston is the home of my 1929 Excelsior. ... (see) British Sporting Heritage April 2014 ... My Excelsior is the 4th bike in the series of pics.My cousin and I have a long association with the museum and cousin David has his 1934 Riley Imp et al including Ferrari, etc. The Imp was his Dad's and is in the brochure and Win film and so on. The bikes are all on a mezzanine upstairs. Enough.

    My mate Bill Bagnall was editor of Motorcyclist magazine in the US when Burt Munro was doing Bonneville on the Indian. I sleep in the bed Burt used at the Bagnall home. Lots of stories which would take a book. Bill passed on and I stay with his daughter Tracy in the family home where Burt always stayed. He left presents in gratitude like a carved maori princess signed Bert Munroe at Sleepy Hollow. I raced in NZ so went to Invercargill and lay on the Indian in Hayes hardware shop down there. Took photos to cheer up Tracy after Bill died. I still wear his shirts. All good memories.

    Cheers, Peter"