In History

Editor’s Note: Ujjwal Dey is our Bikernet Emperial Wizard Editor from India. His notions of American history are slanted by a couple of salty oceans and a culture tainted by curry powder, so cut him some slack. We all love our rides. Whatever they may be. A cruiser, a sports model, a stock bike, a […]

In 1993, Dan Hanlon had a dream to design and build brand new American made motorcycles, and secured the names Excelsior and Henderson previously owned by Schwinn. Hanlon set out to raise funds and to design and build cruiser and touring motorcycles. Early on, the company secured nearly $100 million in start-up money, and built

In 1993, Dan Hanlon had a dream to design and build brand new American made motorcycles, and secured the names Excelsior and Henderson previously owned by Schwinn. Hanlon set out to raise funds and to design and build cruiser and touring motorcycles. Early on, the company secured nearly $100 million in start-up money, and built

While there are plenty of great motorcycles to see when you visit the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame, there are also lots of other historic items and memorabilia on exhibit in the museum. Memorabilia includes motorcycle parts, toys, publications, posters, fliers, and lots of terrific motorcycle artwork. Three pieces of art that stand

The year 1938 was a significant year in the history of Sturgis – the year of the first AMA sanctioned race conducted by the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club, which is the event widely recognized as the beginning of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. At that time, nine racers took part in the races in Sturgis, and

Starting in 1908, brothers Joe, Walter and John Michaelson opened a manufacturing operation in Minneapolis and manufactured Minneapolis motorcycles. The brothers later added the Michaelson motorcycle. The brothers originally used a proprietary Aurora single engine. By 1911, though, the company was making its own motor and had engineered significant technological innovations. The company was the

Way back in 1938 when the first race was held at Sturgis, no one could have possibly known what the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally would become. Even so, at least one person was thinking ahead and keeping track of some of the history of the event. Pearl Hoel was the wife of J.C. “Pappy” Hoel, the

A few years ago, Bryan Vander Laan found a 1910 Indian single motor and started thinking about what he might be able to do with it. Bryan builds and restores all kinds of old motorcycles, and he wanted to make sure this great original motor went into something unique. So, he decided on a tri-car. 

  Were you at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally twenty years ago? Do you recall some of the great events of that year, or do you even have any memories of that year? One thing is for sure, about 100,000 people attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that year, and the Rapid City Journal worked hard to

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is pleased to be the new home for an all wooden motorcycle built by wood artist Mike Sohn of Hannibal, Missouri. The bike, which is modeled after a 1909 Harley-Davidson Twin took a year and a half to complete. The artist estimates there are at least nine