Wheels Through Time: NC Museum houses a century of rare motorcycles, vehicles
RETURNING HEAVIER PAYLOADS TO
THE EARTH. OUR TAR HEEL
TRAVELER IS ENJOYING THE
MOUNTAINS ON 2 WHEELS. TONIGHT
WE FIND SCOTT MASON AT A ONE
OF A KIND MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM.
>> IT'S A MUSEUM IN MAGGIE
VALLEY WITH MOTORCYCLE SPANNING
YEARS OF TIE. WE THREW TIE.
>> THE MUSEUM HOUSES 120 PLUS
YEARS OF HISTORY.
1915, HARLEY DAVIDSON. THIS
PARTICULAR MODEL. THEY ONLY
MADE $100. IT COSTS $285 BACK
THEN NOWADAYS, IT'S PRICELESS.
SO MANY PRICELESS SPIKES.
THIS 1916, TRAUB. THE SPIKE
FANTASTIC STORY. IF YOU GOOGLE
WORLD'S RAREST MOTORCYCLE, THIS
IS ACTUALLY WHAT POPS UP THE
WORLD'S RAREST. NOTHING LIKE
THIS SPIKE ON THE PLANET
PERIOD. HAND BUILT IN 1916, BY
A MAN NAMED FROM THIS SPIKE
WAS FOUNDED IN 1967. BEHIND A
BRICK WALL IN MISTER TRIBES
HOME CREATING THE MONA LISA
AND THEN SHOVING UNDER A
STAIRCASE. THE WHEELS THROUGH
TIME MUSEUM IS
38,000 SQUARE FEET IN MAGGIE
VALLEY, HAYWOOD COUNTY.
THEN IT LEANS HEAVILY ON
HISTORY. THAT'S REALLY WHAT
THIS PLACE IS ALL ABOUT IS IS
RARE, RARE MODELS AND EVERY
BIKE HAS A STORY. EVERY BIKE
HAS THE STORY IN 1957. 3 WHEEL
CHOPPER. SO THIS IS THE BIKE
THEY GOT. THE WHOLE MUSEUM
STARTED. HIS DAD BOUGHT THIS
BIKE FOR $20. THAT WAS WHEN
HE WAS 15 YEARS OLD. DALE WALK
SALIR STARTED HIS FIRST SHOP
WHEN HE WAS 18 JUST OUT OF HIGH
SCHOOL ON NORTH AVENUE IN
CHICAGO. AT 22 HE WAS THE
YOUNGEST HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER
IN THE HISTORY OF THE COMPANY.
AND BY THE TIME HE MAYBE 25 OR
30 YEARS OLD, HE KNEW THAT
OPENING A MUSEUM WAS SOMETHING
THAT HE WANTED TO DO.
>> MAGGIE VALLEY, THEY'LL WALK
SLUR, OPENED HIS MUSEUM IN
2002, HE DIED OF CANCER IN
2021, YOU KNOW, HE'S STILL
ALIVE AND WELL HERE INSIDE THE
MUSEUM. THE MUSEUM ATTRACTS
VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE
WORLD. THIS IS A 1942 HARLEY
DAVIDSON X, A MODEL MOTORCYCLE
BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE
MILITARY DURING WORLD WAR.
2, ONLY A VERY, VERY RARE
MOTORCYCLE, A 1937 CROCKER
CROCKER HAD A GUARANTEE SAID
IF YOU GET BEAT ON ONE OF MY
BIKES BY A HARLEY OR AN INDIAN,
YOU GET YOUR MONEY BACK.
CROCKER NEVER HAD TO GIVE MONEY
BACK. YOU MUST LOVE IT. SO
THERE'S THERE'S NOTHING LIKE
IT. I CAN'T IMAGINE DOING
ANYTHING ELSE AND HE'S DEAD.
COULDN'T IMAGINE IT EITHER.
ALTHOUGH HE DID IMAGINE A
MUSEUM DEDICATED TO THE
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE, THEIR
ORIGINALITY, THEIR PERSONALITY.
AND EACH ONE RUN.
YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO TO
DIG UP SOME REALLY RARE PIECES
OF AMERICAN HISTORY.
>> CONTINUING TO MAKE THIS
PLACE BIGGER AND BETTER EVERY
DAY
>> THAT'S SO COOL. SEE ONE OF
THOSE. MY GRANDPA. THE PICTURE