Motorcycles and news

Aprilia Honored By Place In Barber Museum April 18, 2006

It may seem an unlikely place to house the most complete motorcycle collection in the world representing two wheels from the very beginning to the most modern machines, but no motorcyclist can count themselves amongst the card carrying “true enthusiast” without a trip to The Barber Museum. Located at The Barber Motorsports Park just outside Birmingham in Leeds, Alabama, the 740 acre facility includes a world class road course designed specifically for motorcycles that winds its way through beautifully manicured surroundings that remind one more of a golf course than a racetrack. The track is the site of the April 21, 2006 AMA Superbike round and is the year round home to the Porsche Driving Experience.

The Barber Museum is the life work of Mr. George Barber, former owner of Barber Dairy and third generation Birmingham native. Mr. Barber’s collection is in excess of 1000 motorcyclesall in working order. On any given day, there are approximately 550 on display in the museum and new specimens are constantly rotated into the gallery.

Aprilia is honored by occupying four places amongst motorcycling’s finest. In the “historical” portion of the collection is a perfect example of the highly sought after RS 250 Chesterfield. This Euro only model even has the sales tag still hanging from the grip. In addition, normally located at the top of the stairs on the top floor, is one of only a handful of Philippe Starck designed, Aprilia Moto 6.5’s in the US.

Of particular note, in a four story, over scaled matchbox like rack, a 2004 RSV-R Factory sits regally in the top center spot. Brian Slark, technical consultant of the museum casually refers to the structure as the museum’s “Aging Rack, as in fine wine.”

“When the museum moved from its original location in the southside of Birmingham to its current location in September of 2003 we literally discovered some still new in-the-crate bikes that we had stored away due to not having enough space to display them at the old location,” explains Slark. ”You can imaginewe were pretty happy to have these pieces in such perfect condition. Not long after that we began more proactively purchasing bikes that we thought would be significant to motorcycle history. A visitor in the years ahead will be able to see perfect original examples of what was state of the art at the time.

In a relatively new “Aging Rack” affixed to the center of the museum by the car sized elevator, an Aprilia Tuono Racing is perched high above the ground floor and seems to be anxiously awaiting lift-off from the museum and out onto the road course.

In closing Thank you Mr. Barber! Thank you for creating the most indescribable and stunningly magnificent archive of motorcycle history. Our helmets are off to you!

Aprilia will be exhibiting at the AMA Superbike event at Barber Motorsports Park, April 21-23.