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Very cool pics, thanks for posting!
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The museum is a bit hard to find as it is off the beaten path. If you are ever in Solvang or even Santa Barbara, CA it is worth the trip.Be sure to visit;
http://www.vintageamericanmotorcycles.com/main.php
Be sure to register at the site so you can see large images.
Also be sure to visit http://www.caimag.com/forum/Comment
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thank you so much for taking the time to post these pics. I enjoyed them a whole bunch.Comment
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Next time I'm in LA I'd like to try to see it, thanks for posting the photos, great shots by the way!AMCA # 3233Comment
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Jim D, the barber museum is on my list of places that I need to go to. This Britten is owned by Virgil Elings and this is the one that was missing from both Barber and a similar gathering of 9 of the 10 in New Zealand. From the conversations I had whilst I was in there it seems that Virgil is paranoid about the bike going missing in transit so has declined various invites to Britten events.
Thanks to everyone else for the comments. I was in Solvang for other reasons (not to visit Solvang by the way, the place is like a like a weird acid trip) and I was very pleasantly surprised by the bikes that I found in the museum.
JohnComment
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Excellent pics! I would not have expected to find that variety and rarity of bikes in Solvang. Thanks for postingJason Zerbini
#21594
Near Pittsburgh PA (Farm Country)
Allegheny Mountain Chapter http://amcaamc.com/Comment
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As a bit of background, Virgil was a professor of physics at the Univ. of Calif., Santa Barbara. He left there in the late 1980s to start Digital Instruments that made atomic force microscopes and other scanning probe microscopes that resolved individual atoms. He sold the company 15-20 years ago. Because of the success of Digital Instruments he was a popular speaker at physics conferences speaking on the subject of starting and running high tech companies.Originally posted by TechNoir View Post
But, aside from science and technology, Vigial has been a life-long motorcyclist. He and his son were active AHRMA racers starting in the '80s. People I know in Santa Barbara remembering him from years earlier bombing around the area on noisy motorcycles. A great guy.Comment
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Hello BoschZEV, whilst I was there I had a good conversation with the lady who came to open up the Museum. She has Known Virgil for 23 years and explained all about his background, how he got into bikes, how he became a Physics Professor and how he founded Digital Instruments and subsequently sold it and got serious about collecting bikes. A cool story. My old physics teacher was into bikes and I have heard a rumour that there is a physics professor on this site who is into bikes too. Maybe the 2 go hand in hand?
She also explained that all of the bikes were runners and he sometimes puts some fluid in them and runs them around the parking lot out back (he owns both the museum building and the adjacent properties). This is evidenced by the odd oil spot here and there on the wood floor. She also said that Virgil and his son took the Britten to a track day at Leguna Seca and everyone cleared the track so that they could watch it. That would be cool.
While I was talking to her I observed something that made me realise why there is a $10 entrance fee. The bikes are not barriered off, you can get as close to them as you wish without actually getting onto them. Remember the Britten alone must be worth millions (if you could get someone to sell one which is unlikely), the others are rare and expensive too. A family came through the door, mum, dad and 2 small kids. The smallest boy, a toddler, immediately ran over to a display and grabbed it and started swinging on it. The parents were very polity asked to look but not touch so the mum picked the kid up and he immediately had a huge tantrum and refused to stop so mum took him outside. Dad then started casually looking at the bikes with the other kid and the lady from the museum politely informed him of the $10 entrance fee. He then just said "Oh, in that case I will go" and he left. Virgil obviously doesn’t need the cash, the fee is to make sure that visitors are people who really want to see the bikes.
I also noted something else. I was there nearly 2 1/2 hours and while I was there a few people came and went. I would say that most stayed 10 minutes and just had a walk around having a quick look at a few bikes then left. An aussie car guy that i spoke to stayed the longest,, about half an hour. This made me ponder something, I stayed 2 1/2 hours and in hindsight should have stayed a bit longer. Most stayed 10 minutes so i am wondering why they were happy to shell out ten bucks but not even scratch the surface of what is in there. I am pretty sure that a lot of people who are not into bikes would have not had a clue about the DKW's, CZ's, Mondials etc before they went there but surely they could see the quality and surely you might be curious about these marques.
Or maybe its me who stayed too long. I am not looking for answers but just thought it was an interesting observation.
JohnComment
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It is over 100 miles from LA. But the area is well worth the trip. Solvang is a great place with lots of food opportunities. http://www.solvangusa.com/. Did I mention that this is in the middle of the Santa Barbara Wine Country. http://winefolly.com/review/an-intro...-wine-country/ . Did I mention the casino? http://www.chumashcasino.com/. As a motorcyclist who enjoys food and grog I never pass The Cold Spring Tavern. http://www.coldspringtavern.com/index.htmlOriginally posted by Green Indian View PostLast edited by Chris Haynes; 08-16-2017, 04:03 PM.Be sure to visit;
http://www.vintageamericanmotorcycles.com/main.php
Be sure to register at the site so you can see large images.
Also be sure to visit http://www.caimag.com/forum/Comment
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That was my understanding as well, but could it possibly be true...?Originally posted by TechNoir View PostComment
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