Motorcyclepedia Museum

Newburgh, N.Y., May 13—For motorcyclists who live in the Northeast, some of the most beautiful places to ride are the Catskill Mountains and the nearby Hudson Valley Region of New York State. This is where the Motorcyclepedia Museum is located. It is about a 10-minute ride off the New York Thruway via Exit 17, in Newburgh, New York. It is operated by Ted and his dad Gerald “Jerry” Doering and their staff, which includes volunteers. Ted, as some of you may know, is the president of V-Twin Manufacturing, which specializes in the worldwide distribution of parts for V-Twin and antique motorcycles. Both he and his dad are also on the board of the Antique Motorcycle Foundation.

I recently visited the museum, which had its grand opening on April 16, 2011, and during my visit, I had the opportunity to meet Ted and his 83-year-old dad, who still rides. When I first walked into the over 100,000 square foot facility, I was awestruck. Contained in this newly renovated building is one of the most historically complete displays of motorcycles I have ever seen, with over 350 motorcycles exhibited. I hardly knew where to start.

I first drifted over to the Antique Motorcycle Foundation display room, which is currently holding a “Fast from the Past” display. The Foundation’s exhibit, formerly housed in the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, was moved into this space in March. The motorcycle display was broken down into motocross, land-speed and drag racing bikes. If this doesn’t pique your interest, nearby you can step into the world of Big Daddy Roth and some of his motorcycle creations. I counted eight in all, but in a museum this size, I could have missed one. Then there were the West Coast-inspired Harley choppers in Chopper City, which Ted Doering admitted later were his favorites, because that’s what he rode “back in the day.” I also noticed that in each area were posters and memorabilia related to the display.

While checking out a custom sidecar racer, I had the opportunity to meet a group that rode up from Scarsdale, New York, and Connecticut. Stuart and Brant Bloom, a father and son from Connecticut, found the museum “amazing” and Brant further exclaimed, “There is every Indian model; I can’t believe it!” Kevin and Lisa Quinn of Scarsdale also said they were enjoying all the motorcycles and other items on display.

I had to see what Stuart and Brant were talking about, so I headed for the Indian Motorcycle display area. On my way there, I bumped into Ted Doering who is also one of the founders of the Gerald A. Doering Foundation. He told me that the museum has a nonprofit charter from the state, but to maintain it, they must meet certain criteria and one is to get people to come and visit. He said 100 percent of the admission price goes directly to the museum. He also told me that his dad Gerald has been collecting and restoring Indian Motorcycles for over 60 years, “and now we have a place to display them and many others. It is our way of sharing Dad’s passion and our hobby with everyone.” Ted, who grew up with motorcycles, actually opened his own shop, Tedd’s Cycle, in the late ’60s and moved on from there to providing parts and accessories. His dad, who retired in the ’60s, then came to work for him. “Now it was dad working for son, instead of son working for father,” he said. They both found that very amusing. Ted also said that the museum would also be supporting rider safety programs and working with motorcycle groups and the general public.

After my talk with Ted, I noticed a small display that honored motorcycle builder Indian Larry, who had his first shop on Route 9W in Cornwall, New York. I thought it was really great that they had something to always remind us of Indian Larry, and where else but in a New York motorcycle museum should it be?

I finally got to check out the Indian Motorcycle display area that took up a complete room on the first floor, covering three walls with Indian Motorcycles from 1901 to 1953, and then more on the display floor, with some in original, unrestored condition. I noticed a visitor who identified himself as Bob Preven of Rego Park, New York, taking a lot of pictures. Bob said he has a fully-restored Indian police bike that is currently on display in the New York City Police Museum. He said he paid $3,000 for it 1993 and restored it back to original.

I then made my way to the lower level and as I entered the first room, I encountered a fully operational “wall of death” that the Doerings purchased in Germany and shipped here. On opening day they actually gave shows. For those not familiar with the wall of death, a rider or riders ride around on motorcycles inside a wooden barrel-type arena and the patrons stand on top and look down… pretty cool and pretty dangerous. I spoke to volunteer and guide Walt Groh who gave me the background on the wall of death. Walt has been with the museum from the opening and said it is a work in progress. He also said that possibly in November they would be providing shows again.

The lower level also contained a large Harley-Davidson display area that included three big old Harleys that had working turkey taillight displays on the back, like, this was ’50s and ’60s stuff, man. There were also displays for military and police motorcycles, and a display of bikes from 1884 to 1925. I got a kick out of one display that had scooters and included my first motorcycle, a Honda Super Cub 50. There was also a British display and some other surprises that I don’t want to ruin for you.

When I got upstairs again, I was introduced to Gerald “Jerry” Doering, the man that the museum is all about. I got a cup of coffee and had the pleasure of listening to some really great stories. Gerald said that he will be 84 years old this year, and is still riding. Today he rides either his 1931 Indian 4 or his 1933 Indian, both of which have sidecars. He said, “Back in the ’40s and ’50s you used the sidecars, because this way you could ride in the winter when it was snowing.” Gerald was born into a large family on a farm in Mountainville, New York, not far from the museum. He started riding around 1944 and paid $75 for a 1929 Indian 101 Scout. He rode with a motorcycle group called the Miracle Riders in the 1940s. Gerald said, “No motorcycle group today would ever call themselves that,” and laughed. He said he actually raced for two years in the 1940s and he showed me a picture of him racing in 1947. At the end of the 1940s he bought his first collectible motorcycle, which also was an Indian. That was a 1931 Indian Chief, which he still has. Since then he has obtained every Indian from 1901 to 1953, the last year they made the original Indians in Springfield, Massachusetts. Gerald remarked that his son Ted was never really an Indian rider or collector, as he grew up in a different time and leaned toward the Harleys. Gerald said the museum was more Ted’s idea, but he is glad that he can now share his passion and hobby with everyone who visits.

As I was leaving I saw a woman sitting in the lobby watching a video. She introduced herself as Kate Doering, Gerald’s wife. She said they have been married for 62 years and that Gerald has always had a passion for collecting and restoring Indian Motorcycles. She is very proud of both her husband and son and the museum. Kate said, “Ted and his dad are more than father and son. They are good friends.”

Mark Gamma, the public relations director for the museum said that on opening day they had visitors from all over the U.S. and as far away as England. He also said special arrangements have been made for those staying at the Hilton Garden Inn in Newburgh (right at exit 17) for a shuttle to the museum. If you’re interested, when you make your reservations, contact Monica at the hotel at 845.567.9500.

The museum, located at 250 Lake Street, Newburgh, New York, is currently open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and there is a nominal admission charge. They are looking for volunteers so that they can open on Sunday, also. If you’re interested in any further information or are interested in becoming a volunteer, call 845.569.9065. You can also find them at www.motorcyclepediamuseums.com.

Trying to do justice to this museum in words is like trying to describe the beauty of the Grand Canyon. You can’t, just as you can’t possibly see all the exhibits in one visit. For those of us who enjoy the sport or hobby of motorcycling, let us say thanks to Ted and Gerald for sharing their hobby.