Fire at the National Motorcycle Museum



The National Motorcycle Museum in Bickenhill, Solihull, has been in the news recently due to a devastating fire which resulted in the loss of three quarters of the building and exhibits, estimated as costing £25 million, £9 million for the bikes alone.


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Originally the idea of an avid collector of British manufactured motorcycles since 1948, Roy Richards, the centre was built in the early 1980's, in the Midlands where the great majority of motorcycle manufacturers once had their factories.  Registered as a charity, the museum was a Heritage centre, a non-profit making organisation belonging to the country, set up to present the entire rich history of the British motorcycling industry, and it's triumphs.  Amongst it's exhibits were Isle of Man TT winning bikes and trophies, record holders, prototypes, racers, and included the oldest and rarest surviving British motorcycles up to more modern machines.   Everything British motorcycling related was included.



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Opened by Geoff Duke, former world motorcycling champion, in 1984, all the machines had been lovingly restored to showroom condition using original spare parts, attracting 200,000 visitors per year from all over the world, to view past glories and the predecessors of today's production machines.

The centre included five exhibition halls, each with it's own themed exhibits, a restaurant, souvenirs, and conference rooms, located close to the National Exhibition Centre, it was a popular tourist attraction in the Midlands.

Most of the motorcycles were in running order, many being loaned for displays around Britain.  Slippery Sam, a Triumph production bike which won five successive Isle of Man TT races, had recently returned from the Isle of Man where it had been used in a riding display.

On 16th September, at 4.50pm, a fire started and spread quickly through three of the five halls, requiring 120 firefighters to tackle the blaze.  The smoke and flames were visible for 15 miles, hampering fire appliances battling to attend through rush hour traffic.  When the fire alarm sounded, around 100 visitors and staff evacuated the building, only to re-enter again with willing passers-by to help move as many motorcycles as they could, while safety allowed.  Of the 900 machines on display, around 250 were wheeled to the relative safety of the carpark, to be guarded by security staff overnight while the flames engulfed the remaining bikes in the three main halls containing the largest and most expensive collections.   Many of the machines were heavy and on display stands, making the removal very difficult.  The world land-speed record holder proved too heavy and awkward to move and was reluctantly abandoned to the flames.



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The following day the papers were full of depressing scenes of fire ravaged motorcycles, rubble and twisted metal of what remained of the centre.  It had taken the fire fighting crews all night to conquer the blaze, and they were still checking the building the following day to ensure the remaining buildings were safe.  Fire investigators believe the cause of the fire was a discarded cigarette end dropped by a member of staff, which was blown into a pile of cardboard boxes outside that caught fire, spreading to the building.  Most of the fire was confined to the roof area, although the heat was intense inside the building.  During the remainder of the day, the rescued bikes were transferred into the security of the two remaining halls, and the centre remained closed to the public, while Roy examined the wreckage.

Also intact were Geoff Duke's last remaining trophies from display cases in the entrance of the main building.  The glass fronts were smashed to release the trophies to be carried outside to safety.   Geoff was extremely relieved at the news when it reached his Isle of Man home, as he had lost all his other trophies in another fire some years earlier.

Later Roy lamented the loss of the collection and vowed to rebuild the centre and to restore as many damaged vehicles as possible.  Many of the motorcycles were totally unique and irreplaceable and were a devastating loss, but he hoped others would eventually fill the space, appealing to enthusiasts and collectors for assistance, also for replacement parts and vehicle donations.

Although the rebuild of complex could only take a few months, rebuilding the collection could take many years, but it is hopeful that it will again become as large and comprehensive as before.

Many messages of sympathy and condolences have arrived from around the world from other museums and individuals alike.  Staff from the nearby Coventry Transport Museum were on hand for the clearing up process, expressing their support and sympathy.



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To bring events up to date, work began immediately it was declared safe to do so, in sifting through the wreckage, identifying lost bikes and those which could be salvaged.  Encouragingly, more were found to be redeemable, than lost.  Remember 250 bikes were saved by staff and volunteers while the fire raged around them.  Add to those the repairable machines, and the figures begin to mount.  Now they are confident the number of bikes lost due to extreme heat is less than 100, which is just short of a miracle.  For those who are concerned, Slippery Sam is among the possibly salvagable machines, as the frame looks okay!

They will require many man hours to restore, and much searching for required parts, but staff and the owner are confident this will be achieved.  Not quickly, obviously, but the repair of the building has already begun, to enable reopening of the conference rooms, from which the income is essential.  It will be some time before insurance payouts are received, but lessons have been learned, and the rebuild will include heavy duty sprinkler systems, not previously incorporated into the design, which could have reduced the loss of bikes.

From the ashes, a pheonix will rise - a phenomenon Coventry and the surrounding area is quite familiar with.



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Appeals for spares will be posted on their website when they are required.  Sufficient staff are available for restoration of the machines;  lacking is the cash, at present, and time.  The restoration of the bikes alone is estimated at £9 million, with the building requiring £25 million.

Updates will appear as work progresses, on their website - www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk - although nothing has been posted recently - obviously they are very busy!



Liz & Baz

Acknowledgements to The National Motorcycle Museum for use of their pictures for this article.


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