Indians, Harleys abound at the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum

March 12, 12:12 PMMotorcycle ExaminerKen Bingenheimer

Previous Next

2 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Motorcycle Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

A 100-point 1915 Harley-Davidson at the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame

Next time you're in Colorado Springs on Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday you've got to stop in at the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame. It's easy, right off I-25 at the Nevada Avenue exit, and it's free.

What you'll find is a wide range of historic motorcycles shoehorned into a tiny space and Jerry Manka. Trust me, Jerry is as much a part of the draw as the bikes are.

It's a very small space and the bikes are lined up tightly in display cases as well as perched up on top of the cases. Other memorabilia covers the walls.

Two of the bikes are certified 100-point bikes, Jerry explains. That's 100 points out of 100 on the scale used by the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. That means top condition truly historic bikes. These two happen to be a 1914 Excelsior that has won two national awards and a 1915 Harley-Davidson that is fresh from restoration.

These bikes rub shoulders with other Harleys, Indians, other Excelsiors, some Hondas, and various other marques. Then there are a few unusual machines such as a Mustang service wagon, a three-wheeler that looks like something you'd be selling ice cream out of on a summer day.

Altogether there are about 50 bikes on display, and they change over time as the museum arranges extended swaps with other motorcycle museums.

All the construction and work on the museum is done by volunteers. "We've got the darnedest bunch of volunteers you ever saw," says Jerry.

And then there's Jerry. Jerry is the Director and Curator of the museum. Jerry has been riding and racing for a long time. How long? Let's just say that his 50-year-old daughter has done a good bit of motorcycle racing herself, starting at the age of 13. He'll tell you that when his son was born his mother-in-law asked Barb, his wife, how she managed to carry the baby for 15 months.

"Why Mom, I wasn't pregnant when I married Jerry," she replied.

"Well if you weren't pregnant why would anyone marry that guy?" she asked.

Barb and Jerry are still together all these years later and Barb now rides a Can-Am Spyder, a concession to the way our bodies double-cross us over the years.

Jerry has a lot more stories, too. Don't just stop in and look at the bikes. Talk to him and let him get rolling. This is a guy who was riding when most of these bikes on display were new.

You'll find the museum at 5865 N. Nevada Ave. in Colorado Springs, right in front of Pikes Peak Harley-Davidson. The telephone is 719-278-2356. Just remember that it's only open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.