Hondas from David Silver’s collection. All images still grabs from video below.
David Silver’s love affair with two-wheeled Hondas began in 1977, when the then-16-year old acquired a Honda SS50 moped. In the years since, his passion for the brand has turned into a full-time occupation, as David Silver Spares (with branches in the U.K. and the U.S.) has become one of the premier sources for vintage Honda motorcycle parts. Thanks to the recent acquisition of a Pennsylvania Honda dealership’s inventory, Silver will soon open a Honda motorcycle museum in Leiston, Suffolk, England, already billed as the largest collection outside of Japan.
As Dream magazine (via Autoblog ) reports, Silver’s goal was always to open his own Honda motorcycle museum, and a fortuitous trip to the United States accelerated his plans. While visiting a Pennsylvania Honda dealership with its own modest museum, Silver found out the collection of 120 bikes, dating to the 1970s, was for sale. A deal was struck, and Silver soon found himself scrambling for space in his Leiston warehouse.
Many of the bikes purchased from the Pennsylvania dealership were low-mileage trade-ins, some showing just a few hundred miles on their odometer. All are in original and unrestored condition, and some have become sought-after collectibles. When combined with Silver’s existing collection, the total number of bikes tops the 200 mark, though not all will be displayed to the public.
The oldest artifact in the collection is a 1952 Cub F engine, meant to attach to a bicycle frame as a means of providing low-cost transportation for the masses. Among the earliest motorcycles in the collection are examples of the Honda Benly (sometimes called Honda’s first sport bike) and the Honda Dream, the bike that really put Honda on the map as a manufacturer. A Super Cub step-through, which would go on to become the most popular motorized vehicle in the world, will be displayed, as will a CB92, the 125cc road racer that debuted at the Isle of Man and proved to be the fastest 125 of its day. While the collection includes all types of on and off-road Honda motorcycles, bikes newer than the mid-1990s are largely excluded.
David Silver with a few of his vintage Hondas.
When completed, the museum will span two floors and include Honda memorabilia as well as motorcycles. Silver hopes to have the doors open in late 2015, but for the time being the 200-plus bikes are “stuffed anywhere we can find space for them,” in his words. Regular donations mean the collection is always growing, and there are Hondas that Silver remains ever vigilant in seeking out.
One such bike is a CB750 prototype. Four were built, and three remain accounted for (including the example that recently sold at auction for $148,000), meaning that one prototype, originally painted green, could still be out in the wild. If you know of such a forgotten Honda, long neglected in the back of a garage or a rickety outbuilding, David Silvers would love to hear from you.
from Hemmings Daily - News for the collector car enthusiast http://ift.tt/1v3OCGb
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