18th Annual Antique Motorcycle exhibit at the National Packard Museum

18th Annual Antique Motorcycle Exhibit runs January 6 through May 20, 2018

(Warren, Ohio) -- The National Packard Museum's 18th Annual Antique Motorcycle Exhibit presents “The Motor” opens Saturday, January 6, 2018, and runs through May 20, 2018. This year’s exhibit features twenty five vintage American, European and Japanese motorcycles along with nine different motorcycle motors. Exhibit highlights include the only known existing 1902 Sylvester & Jones, a highly sought after 1947 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead, and a unique 1957 Ariel “Square 4” with two crankshafts.

Widely recognized as one of the nation's finest motorcycle exhibits, the National Packard Museum's Annual Antique Motorcycle Exhibit has historically received a number of awards and recognitions. Among these are the Antique Motorcycle Foundation's highest honor, the "Award for Excellence," as well as three consecutive first place awards in the Interpretive Exhibits Category from the National Association of Automobile Museums. The Annual Antique Motorcycle Exhibit regularly attracts visitors from around the world. Previous exhibits have welcomed guests from over 30 states and nine foreign countries.

"The purpose of the National Packard Museum's Annual Antique Motorcycle Exhibit is to educate our visitors about the important and unique role motorcycles have played within the broader story of transportation history," said Mary Ann Porinchak, the museum's Executive Director. "Our annual exhibit also promotes the preservation, restoration and collection of antique motorcycles, so that audiences young and old may have the opportunity to learn about and appreciate motorcycle history's unique story.”

This year's exhibit traces the evolution of the motorcycle engine, which dates back to 1885 Germany, when Gottlieb Daimler mounted a single-cylinder Otto-cycle engine onto a bicycle frame. The first successful production motorcycle, introduced by Hildebrand & Wolfmueller in Munich, Germany in 1894, was powered by a water cooled parallel-twin engine.

Motorcycle production was revolutionized in 1895, when the French manufacturer DeDion-Buton introduced a lightweight four cycle internal combustion engine suitable for motorcycles. The DeDion-Buton engine design was licensed to more than 150 manufacturers and was copied by many other makers including Indian and Harley-Davidson.

While their basic designs remain unchanged, motorcycles evolved throughout the 20th Century with advances in engine technology and manufacturing methods. The exhibit will compare and contrast various motorcycle motor configurations from the simple single cylinder, the popular V-Twin, to the high performance four cylinder motors used on sport bikes.

The museum’s popular Saturday “Coffee & Donuts” Lecture series will resume during the exhibit’s run. These hour long educational programs begin at noon and are open to the public and free with paid admission to the museum.

This year’s Lecture Series includes:

January 27, 2018
Panel Discussion: “The Evolution of the Motorcycle Engine”
Presenters: National Packard Museum’s Antique Motorcycle Exhibit Committee

February 17, 2018
“Colonel Jesse Vincent: Packard’s Master Motor Builder”
Presenter: Charles Ohlin, Director of Educational Services, National Packard Museum

The National Packard Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday12:00pm to 5:00pm, and Sunday1:00pm to 5:00pm. Admission is $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors (65 and older), $5.00 for children (aged 7-12), and children under 7 are free. Cameras and flash photography are welcome. For group rates or more information, please visit our website at http://www.packardmuseum.org, visit them on Facebook, or call 330-394-1899.