West Coast Road Trip 6

A Road Trip

West Coast 6

A short trip on a Saturday afternoon to Joshua Tree. We stayed at 29 Palms which is almost at the north entrance to the park then early Sunday morning we were on the next leg of our travels to Phoenix where we had another one night stop in an Air BnB. At the end of the road is Rosie MaCaffreys Irish pub for a nice beer and a meal. Phoenix was my request as there is a motorcycle museum in the Buddy Stubbs Harley shop. 

I met a nice guy called Phil and was really one of the mechanics doing a stint looking after customers visiting the museum. I didn’t know much about Buddy Stubbs but his father owned a Harley shop and as such Buddy was brought up in a motorcycling environment. He was a successful flat track rider and road racer and his experience was put to good use as a stunt rider for the movies.

I did see Buddy but did not get a chance to talk with him. I felt it was a missed opportunity. His Harley dealership is the only one that you can hire a Harley from. Everyone else uses Eagle Riders that is a country wide set up.

The museum has a very interesting mix of Harleys and European motorcycles many of which have been acquired in New Zealand. What was a surprise was a Velocette Valiant in the collection. That makes a least two I know of in the USA. Always looking for bits of information there is a 1913 Indian at the back of the display and that has leaf spring front and rear suspension. 

I thought it was only after the first world war that they had used this, but not so. They have an 1930’s Ariel Square four and a 1950’s one too. I still prefer the earlier ones. 

Being a Harley Dealer there are some special Harleys, like the 1929 board track racer, the military flat twin and one of the first singles.

Oldest motorcycle there is a Frera Leonardo from 1906.

Of the British bikes is an Excelsior Manxman, a whole load of Triumphs including a TRW, Ricardo and GP racer. I took so many photos but I can only use so many. This is a tribute to Martin who has seen Evil Knevil and the Triumph and Harley he rode.

Following on here are a selection of photos to wet your appetite for a visit to this very special museum. I spent quite a few hours there and there are a few scooters and mini-bikes too even the very boxy Harley Topper. 

I had run out of energy and needed some lunch before making the next stage of the trip to Flagstaff. It had turned colder and started rain when we arrived. It would turn out to be an interesting next few days.