Few other collections in the world are so vertical, i.e., dedicated to a specific theme, and so complete while at the same time being so huge. The National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham is one of these, and it is remarkable that it does not belong to a motorcycle manufacturer or institution but was born out of the passion of a private individual and has been kept alive by his heirs.

There are 900 British motorcycles on display, with another 300 in storage, ready to be restored to showroom condition and, above all, to be ridden: basically everything that has been produced in Britain since the early 1900s, including milestones in production, rarities, priceless sporting gems, a real journey that fascinates and captivates those who love this world and want to know more about specific models or the history of motorcycles.

For decades, British motorcycles represented the absolute pinnacle of motorcycling (think of BSA: at the height of its success, one in four motorcycles in the world was a BSA! And even today, British motorcycling is distinctive, refined but passionate, and it is not surprising that certain expressions such as the Tourist Trophy or the Ace Cafe are animated by a “British” spirit that, if absent, would make everything less real and less authentic. 

For this reason, a visit to the NMM is, in our opinion, one of those things you have to do at least once in your life if you love motorcycle history and enjoy seeing—and touching—the bikes you've read so much about in magazines and books. But that's not all. The uniqueness of the NMM lies in the fact that it is more likely a collection, or an enlarged garage, than a museum. The motorcycles are taken on the road, even entrusted to enthusiasts, and events and activities are organized that take them off their stands and put them in the hands of enthusiasts: a veritable laboratory of motorcycle culture where it is easy to lose your head, start dreaming, and resign yourself to the fact that a single visit is far from enough to see 20% of what the museum has to offer and discover 10% of the gems hidden among the nearly 1,000 motorcycles. Did you know that the first disc brake was invented in 1906? Well, here is the motorcycle that was equipped with it. Or have you ever seen a Brough Superior 4-cylinder boxer 1000cc, one of only three in the world? Or, if you love road racing, would you like to touch the Norton with which Steve Hislop won perhaps one of the most exciting Senior TTs ever, in 1992 against Fogarty? All this and more at the NMM. This video owes a debt of gratitude to the museum management and our encyclopedic guide Andrew Walsh, for dedicating a day to us and also giving us an exciting surprise. What was it? You'll find out in the video!