New exhibition at Haynes Motor Museum celebrates the story of British motorcycling

A major new exhibition telling the story of British motorcycling from its origins to the modern day has been unveiled at Haynes Motor Museum.

Chris Haynes, Museum Chair of Trustees and Ian Walden, Chairman of the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust officially launched the new feature at a special opening event attended by more than 70 guests.

‘Life on Two Wheels: The British Motorcycling Story’ provides a fascinating new perspective on the social history of the motorbike and the impact bikes have on society, technology, and the economy.

Innovative displays allow up-close access to dozens of historically significant bikes, alongside interactive and hands-on STEM activity stations and layered interpretation designed to engage visitors of all ages and interests.

“For the first time this exhibition allows us to tell the entire story of British motorcycling from its beginnings at the very end of the 19th century to the current day,” said Museum Curator, Dr. Luca Hoare.

Spanning more than a century of two-wheeled travel, the exhibition includes everything from a penny farthing and an 1897 Hedges Boneshaker cycle to 21st century sport bikes like the Triumph Daytona 955i.

As well as detailing the evolution of the motorbike from its early origins to the 21st century, the new exhibition incorporates everything from the science of how motorcycles work to the specialised protective clothing.

Displays showcase the role of motorbikes at work and during wartime as well as for pleasure and leisure, examine the changing fortunes of the British motorcycling industry and exploring current trends.

The exhibition is part-funded by the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust, and is the first permanent new display at the award-winning Somerset attraction for three years.

It is also the first to have been undertaken since the Museum gained full Arts Council England Accreditation.

Opened in 1985 by John Haynes OBE, the man behind Haynes Motor Manuals, the Museum is home to the UK's biggest exhibition of cars and motorbikes dating from 1900 to the present day.