‘Two-Wheeled Wonders’ opens Jan. 16 at Cookeville History Museum
COOKEVILLE – Back in 2019, they brought microcars for what turned out to be the Cookeville History Museum’s best-attended exhibit to date.
Now, Nashville’s Lane Motor Museum is returning to share more of its collection – this time, motorcycles and scooters – in a new exhibit, “Two-Wheeled Wonders of the World,” which opens Jan. 16.
“I am so glad the Cookeville History Museum invited us back to help kick off 2021,” Rex Bennett, Lane Motor Museum education director, said. “We are always happy to bring a little of our collection to our neighbors outside of Nashville. What better way to spend a cold winter’s day than to come see this exhibit?”
Bennett, who also serves as a Cookeville History Museum volunteer and Friends of the History Museum board member, selected 11 motorcycles and scooters from around the world, including an American bike, for the exhibit.
“Our oldest is actually a replica 1910 Harley-Davidson Board Track Racer, while the newest is a 2007 Italian sport bike, an MV Augusta,” he said. “So that’s nearly a century of historically significant motorcycles.”
One of the scooters – a 1993 Yamaha Jog – has a Cookeville link.
“Tennessee Tech alum Steve McCarthy acquired this scooter at age 16 but put it away until his junior year at Tech,” Bennett said. “Being a poor college kid, Steve put the scooter back in use for the next two years of school, racking up over 3,000 miles. Years later, while commuting to his job at Nissan, he put an additional 4,000 miles on it, bringing it to its current total of 10,000 miles… quite a lot for a scooter from the 1990s.”
Bennet said museum visitors will get to see scooters and motorcycles they wouldn’t normally see in Cookeville, as well as learn about historically significant motorcycles.
“The motorcycle has been an enduring symbol of independence since the early days of motoring,” he added. “I think it’s interesting to see how different countries around the world take the same basic idea of the motorcycle and put their own spin on it.”
Cookeville museums manager Beth Thompson anticipates another successful partnership between the Cookeville History Museum and Lane Motor Museum.
“Our 2019 exhibit, which featured six microcars, was the most well-attended exhibit we’ve ever had,” she said. “Not only did it bring the Lane Motor Museum to a section of the state and an audience who otherwise may have not seen it, it also helped to educate young and old about microcars and their contribution to World War II and post-war conservation efforts. We cannot wait for our local guests to see ‘Two-Wheeled Wonders of the World.’”
In the interest of public health, an opening reception will not take place. Face coverings are required, and capacity limits will be practiced.
The exhibit continues through March 27 at 40 E. Broad St. Admission is free.
For more information about the Cookeville History Museum, call 931-520-5455. To learn about Lane Motor Museum’s entire collection of unique vehicles, visit www.lanemotormuseum.org.