Bendigo to host massive motorcycle collection in new museum

The heritage-rich city of Bendigo, an easy two-hour ride/drive from Melbourne CBD, is set to open a most impressive motorcycle-themed restaurant and nightspot.

Housed in the former Black Swan Hotel, right in the heart of Bendigo on Pall Mall, the ornate two-storey Victorian premises was built in 1873 at the height of the gold rush and has witnessed many of the city’s great events. 

En route to Melbourne, I contrived to stop over in Bendigo and check out the progress and meet with Dugal James, the avid motorcycle collector who has purchased the premises and installed a couple dozen of his favourite machines along with memorabilia.

Dugal James with a gallery of some of his Indian Motorcycle heroes (RE)

“My obsession with motorcycles began before I left home and went to university,” Dugal told me as we eyed the expansive display in the old hotel’s entranceway. He is now a highly accomplished surgeon living and working in Bendigo. “Indian motorcycles have been my primary focus, but as you can see, I’m quite partial to both Italian and German machines, particularly the rarer and more unusual examples.”

Motorsport image archive sold to AN1 Images

 Please be advised that as of September 2021, Aaron Noonan and AN1 Images now own full commercial and reproduction rights to all my motorsport images covering roughly 1985 - 2002. Read the announcement here

Free Download: Classic Harleys

 

Brought to you by Heavy Duty Magazine, Australia's best V-Twin publication, 14 rare, classic and collectable Harley-Davidson motorcycles are beautifully photographed and profiled in intimate detail. 

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Giddy Up Gippsland

 

Like Rumplestiltskin waking from a Covid Coma, Victorians are ready to rock and roll. And what better place to restart our road riding repertoire than Gippsland in autumn.

Words: Roderick Eime Photos: Roderick Eime, Ces deSouza, Peter Washington

Poor Victoria. It may be the home of AFL and the birthplace of Australia’s coffee culture, but 2020 saw the southern state endure the harshest lockdown restrictions with the crippling 112-day isolation pushing folks to the brink. 

Anzac Day ride into the NSW and Victorian High Country [video]

Inveterate rider and friend of the MotorWeb, Paul 'Digger' Davies, heads into the wilds again in search of fresh air and wide-open spaces. What does he find? Read on.

Work has given me four days off in a row. So I rallied the troops for a weekend of cautious legal speed limit adventure riding. I am not sure if it's David's mystery road navigation techniques or the fact it's getting cold but only a few were keen.