The Art of the Motorcycle

The Art of the Motorcycle

The Art of the Motorcycle was an exhibition that presented 114 motorcycles chosen for their historic importance or design excellence in a display designed by Frank Gehry in the curved rotunda of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, running for three months...

was an exhibition held at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...

 in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 from June 26 to September 20, 1998. The exhibition's official catalog listed 95 motorcycles, plus some pre-20th century exhibits were included, bringing the total to 114.
The exhibition was subsequently displayed at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The...

 in Bilbao

Bilbao

Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...

, Spain from November 24, 1999 to September 3, 2000.
It was also the inaugural exhibition at the Guggenheim Las Vegas, located in The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...

, which opened on October 7, 2001.

In the 1998 New York exhibition, there were pre-20th Century models listed separately from the main catalog. There are four examples which date earlier than the first exhibit in the catalog proper, the 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller; even though it, too, is pre-20th Century, it was chosen to lead the exhibit because it is the first series production motorcycle.

Make and model	Engine displacement	Year	Country	New York	Las Vegas
Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede The Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede was a steam powered velocipede made in France sometime from 1867 to 1871, when a small Louis-Guillaume Perreaux commercial steam engine was attached to a Pierre Michaux manufactured iron framed pedal bicycle...	N/A	1868-71	France
Copeland steam bicycle	N/A	1884	United States
Daimler Einspur (aka Reitwagen)	264 cc	1885 (replica)	Germany
Roper steam velocipede Roper steam velocipede The Roper steam velocipede was a steam-powered velocipede built by inventor Sylvester H. Roper of Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts, United States sometime from 1867–1869. It is one of three machines which have been called the first motorcycle, along with the Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede,...	N/A	1894	United States
Hildebrand & Wolfmüller Hildebrand & Wolfmüller The Hildebrand & Wolfmüller was the world's first production motorcycle. Heinrich and Wilhelm Hidebrand were steam-engine engineers before Alois Wolfmüller agreed to finance them to produce their internal combustion Motorrad in Munich in 1894....	1489 cc	1894	Germany
Geneva steam bicycle	n/a	1896	United States
De Dion-Bouton tricycle	240 cc	1899	France
De Dion Bouton tricycle	240 cc	1900	France
Orient tricycle	20 cc	1900	United States
Thomas steam bicycle	n/a	1900	United States
Motosachoche A1	214 cc	1901	Switzerland
Indian Single	16 cu in (0.0002624 m³)	1901–02	United States
Werner motorcycle	333 cc	1903–04	France
Curtiss Twin	61 cu in (0.0010004 m³)	1906	United States
Curtiss V-8	265 cubic inch	1907	United States
FN Four	498 cc	1908	Belgium
Pierce Four	43 cubic inch	1910	United States
Flying Merkel Model V	54 cubic inch	1911	United States
Harley-Davidson Model 7D Harley-Davidson Model 7D The Model 7D of 1911 was the first successful v-twin from Harley-Davidson, inaugurating a motorcycle engine configuration that has continued unbroken from the Milwaukee motor company ever since. In 1909, Harley had made a few examples of another v-twin, but the design was flawed and they did not...	49 cubic inch	1911	United States
Motosacoche 2C6TT	343 cc	Switzerland	1913
Peugeot Paris-Nice 500	498 cc	1913	France
Cyclone (motorcycle) Cyclone (motorcycle) Cyclone was a brand name of motorcycle were manufactured by Joerns Motor Manufacturing Company located in St. Paul, Minnesota from 1912 through 1917.-History:...	61 cubic inch	1914	United States
Peugeot Paris-Nice	345 cc	1914	France
Indian 8-valve board track racer	61 cubic inch	1915	United States
Iver Johnson Model 15-7	62 cubic inch	1915	United States
Harley-Davidson Model W Sport Twin	36 cubic inch	1919	United States
Indian Model O	16 cu in (0.0002624 m³)	1918	United States
Mars Weiss A20	948 cc	1921	Germany
Megola Sport	640 cc	1922	Germany
Monet & Goyon Moto Légére	117 cc	1922	France
Ner-a-Car	14 cubic inch	1922	United States
BMW R32 BMW R32 The BMW R32 was the first motorcycle produced by BMW under the BMW name. An aircraft engine manufacturer during World War I, BMW was forced to diversify after the Treaty of Versailles banned the German air force and German aircraft manufacture...	494 cc	1923	Germany
Harley-Davidson 8-valve board track racer	61 cubic inch	1923	United States
Moto Guzzi C4V	498 cc	1924	Italy
Böhmerland	598 cc	1925	Czechoslovakia
Neracar Model B	17 cu in (0.0002788 m³)	1925	United States/United Kingdom
Brough Superior SS100 Alpine Grand Sport	988 cc	1926	United Kingdom
Bianchi B2N Sport	350 cc	1927	Italy
Moto Guzzi 4VSS	498 cc	1928	Italy
Scott Squirrel Sprint Special Scott Flying Squirrel The Scott Flying Squirrel was a motorcycle made by The Scott Motorcycle Company between 1926 and the outbreak of World War II.-Development:The Squirrel name was used for Scott motorcycles since 1921 but with the death of the founder Alfred Angas Scott in 1923 the unorthodox Scott two-stroke...	620 cc	1929	United Kingdom
Opel Motoclub SS500	495 cc	1929	Germany
Borough Superior SS100	988 cc	1930	United Kingdom
Schwinn Excelsior Super X	45 cu in (0.000738 m³)	1930	United States
Majestic 350	349 cc	1930	France
Ariel Square Four Ariel Square Four The Square Four was an Ariel motorcycle designed by Edward Turner, who devised the Square Four engine in 1928. At this time he was looking for work, showing drawings of his engine design to motorcycle manufacturers. The engine was essentially a pair of 'across frame' OHC parallel twins joined by...	497 cc	1931	United Kingdom
MGC N3BR	245 cc	1932	France
Dollar V4	748 cc	1933	France
Gnome et Rhône M1	306 cc	1934	France
Harley-Davidson Model E	61 cu in (0.0010004 m³)	1936	United States
BMW world land-speed record	493 cc	1937	Germany
Crocker Crocker Motorcycles The Crocker Motorcycle Company was an American manufacturer of single-cylinder speedway racing motorcycles from 1932, powerful V-twin road motorcycles from 1936, and the "Scootabout," one of the first modern styled motor scooters, in the late 1930s. Production ceased in 1942...	61 cu in (0.0010004 m³)	1938	United States
Gnome et Rhône 750X	723 cc	1938	France
Triumph Speed Twin Triumph Speed Twin The Speed Twin 5T is a motorcycle that was made by Triumph at their Coventry factory. Edward Turner, Triumph’s Chief Designer and Managing Director, launched the Triumph Speed Twin at the 1937 National Motorcycle Show. It was a 500 cc OHV vertical twin in a lightweight frame and the first...	498 cc	1938	United Kingdom
Triumph Speed Twin Triumph Speed Twin The Speed Twin 5T is a motorcycle that was made by Triumph at their Coventry factory. Edward Turner, Triumph’s Chief Designer and Managing Director, launched the Triumph Speed Twin at the 1937 National Motorcycle Show. It was a 500 cc OHV vertical twin in a lightweight frame and the first...	498 cc	1937	United Kingdom
Crocker	61 cubic inch	1940	United States
Indian Sport Scout "bob-job"	57 cubic inch	1940	United States
DKW RT 125 W	122 cc	1941	Germany
Zündapp KS600	597 cc	1941	Germany
Harley-Davidson U.S Military Navy Model U	74 cubic inch	1943	United States
Harley-Davidson U.S Military Model U	74 cubic inch	1944	United States
Gilera Satumo	499 cc	1947	Italy
Sunbeam S7	487 cc	1947	United Kingdom
Indian Chief	1206 cc	1948	United States
Solex Vélosolex	45 cc	1948	France
Imme R100	99 cc	1949	West Germany
Jackson-Rotrax JAP Speedway	490 cc	1949	United Kingdom
Sunbeam S7 Deluxe	500 cc	1950	United Kingdom
Adler MB 200	195 cc	1952	Germany
DKW RT 125 W	122 cc	1952	West Germany
Gilera Saterno Sport	499 cc	1952	Italy
Jackson-Rotrax JAP Speedway	497 cc	1952	United Kingdom
Solex Vélosolex	45 cc	1952	France
AJS E-95	499 cc	1953	United Kingdom
Vincent Black Shadow Series C Vincent Black Shadow The Vincent Black Shadow was a hand-built motorcycle produced by Vincent HRD from 1948. The series "C" which was introduced in 1949 had a 50 degree OHV V-twin engine running a 7.3:1 compression ratio.-Model history:...	998 cc	1953	United Kingdom
Vincent Black Shadow Series C Vincent Black Shadow The Vincent Black Shadow was a hand-built motorcycle produced by Vincent HRD from 1948. The series "C" which was introduced in 1949 had a 50 degree OHV V-twin engine running a 7.3:1 compression ratio.-Model history:...	998 cc	1954	United Kingdom
MV Agusta 500 Grand Prix	497 cc	1956	Italy
Aermacci Chimera	175 cc	1957	Italy
Demy Taon	124 cc	1957	France
Harley-Davidson KR	750 cc	1957	United States
Harley-Davidson Sportster XL	883 cc	1957	United States
Norton Manx Norton Manx The Norton Manx or Manx Norton is a British racing motorcycle that was made from 1947 to 1962 by Norton Motors Ltd. A Norton had contested every Isle of Man TT race from the inaugural 1907 event through into the 1970s, a feat unrivalled by any other manufacturer, and the development and honing of...	498 cc	1958	United Kingdom
NSU Supermax	247 cc	1958	West Germany
Triumph Twenty One Triumph Twenty One The Triumph Twenty One is a British motorcycle made by Triumph Engineering Co Ltd in Coventry. The Model Twenty One was the first of the Triumph unit construction twin cylinder motorcycles...	350 cc	1958	United Kingdom
Matchless G50 Matchless G50 The Matchless G50 is a racing British motorcycle made by Associated Motorcycles at the former Matchless works in Plumstead, London. Developed in 1958 from the 350cc AJS 7R, but with the engine capacity increased to 500 cc, 180 G50s were built in the next four years...	496 cc	1959	United Kingdom
Triumph T120 Bonneville	650 cc	1959	United Kingdom
BSA Gold Star Clubmans	498 cc	1960	United Kingdom
Honda CB92 Benly Super Sport	125 cc	1960	Japan
Vespa GS	125 cc	1960	Italy
BSA Gold Star Clubmans	499 cc	1961	United Kingdom
Honda CB92 Benly Super Sport	125 cc	1961	Japan
NSU Supermax	247 cc	1961	West Germany
Velocette Thruxton Velocette Thruxton The Thruxton was a Velocette motorcycle made between 1965 and 1971. The final development of the Velocette antiquated pushrod single, the Velocette Venom and is sometimes referred to as the Venom Thruxton. Many surviving examples are 'upgraded' replicas based on the Venom...	499 cc	1961	United Kingdom
Ducati Elite	204 cc	1962	Italy
Honda CR110	50 cc	1962	Japan
Matchless G50 Matchless G50 The Matchless G50 is a racing British motorcycle made by Associated Motorcycles at the former Matchless works in Plumstead, London. Developed in 1958 from the 350cc AJS 7R, but with the engine capacity increased to 500 cc, 180 G50s were built in the next four years...	496 cc	1962	United Kingdom
Norton Manx Norton Manx The Norton Manx or Manx Norton is a British racing motorcycle that was made from 1947 to 1962 by Norton Motors Ltd. A Norton had contested every Isle of Man TT race from the inaugural 1907 event through into the 1970s, a feat unrivalled by any other manufacturer, and the development and honing of...	498 cc	1962	United Kingdom
Parilla GS	247 cc	1962	Italy
Vespa GS	146 cc	1962	Italy
Harley-Davidson KR	750 cc	1963	United States
Honda C100 Super Cub	49 cc	1963	Japan
Velocette Venom Velocette Venom The Velocette Venom is a single cylinder four stroke British motorcycle of 499cc made by Velocette at Hall Green in Birmingham. A total of 5721 Velocette Venoms were produced between 1955 and 1970. In 1961 a production Velocette Venom set the 24-hour world record at a speed of 100.05 mph...	499 cc	1963	United Kingdom
Matchless G80CS	497 cc	1964	United Kingdom
Bultaco Sherpa T	244 cc	1965	Spain
Harley-Davidson FLH Electra Glide	1198 cc	1965	United States
Kreidler Florett	49 cc	1965	West Germany
Bultaco Metrella 62	196 cc	1966	Spain
Honda RC174 Honda RC174 thumb|right|250px|Honda RC174E engineThe Honda RC174 was a race motorcycle built by Honda which raced in the 350cc class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing in the 1967 season....	297 cc	1967	Japan
Suzuki T20 "Super Six" Suzuki T20 thumb|right|A 1967 Suzuki T20The Suzuki T20 was the first production six speed motorcycle in the world. It was first manufactured in 1965 and was produced until the end of the 1968 model year. It was superseded by an updated version which was designated the T250-1...	247 cc	1967	Japan
Triumph Bonneville T120 Triumph Bonneville T120 The Triumph Bonneville T120 is a British motorcycle that was designed and built by Triumph Engineering between 1959 and 1975, when the engine size was increased to .-Development:...	650 cc	1967	United Kingdom
MV Agusta 500 Grand Prix	497 cc	1968	Italy
BSA Rocket 3	740 cc	1969	United Kingdom
Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...  "Captain America" chopper Chopper (motorcycle) A chopper is a type of motorcycle that was either modified from an original motorcycle design or built from scratch to have a hand-crafted appearance. The main features of a chopper that make it stand out are its longer frame design accompanied by a stretch front end...	1200 cc	1969 (1993 replica)	United States
Kawasaki H-1	498 cc	1969	Japan
Kawasaki Mach III	498 cc	1969	Japan
Norton Commando 750 Fastback	745 cc	1969	United Kingdom
Derbi 50 Grand Prix	49 cc	1970	Spain
Honda CB750 Four	736 cc	1970	Japan
Egli Vincent	1270 cc	1971	Switzerland/United Kingdom
Harley-Davidson Super Glide "Night Train"	1200 cc	1971	United States
Norton Commando 750 Fastback	745 cc	1971	United Kingdom
Harley-Davidson XR-750 Harley-Davidson XR-750 The XR-750 is a Harley-Davidson racing motorcycle made since 1970, primarily for dirt track racing, but also for road racing in the XRTT variant...	750 cc	1972	United States
Honda Elsinore CR250	248 cc	1973	Japan
MV Agusta 750S	743 cc	1973	Italy
Penton Jackpiner	175 cc	1973	United States
Triumph X-75 Hurricane Triumph X-75 Hurricane The Triumph X-75 Hurricane is a British motorcycle that was the first of a new breed of limited production 'factory specials'. Commissioned by BSA's USA distributor, the X-75 was designed by fairing specialist Craig Vetter. Vetter built his design on the then newly released BSA Rocket Three's...	750 cc	1973	United Kingdom
Yamaha RD350 Yamaha RD350 The RD350 was a motorcycle produced by Yamaha. It evolved from the piston port , front drum-braked, 5 speed Yamaha 350 cc "R5"....	347 cc	1973	Japan
Ducati 750SS	748 cc	1974	Italy
Laverda SFC	744 cc	1974	Italy
Honda GL1000 Gold Wing	999 cc	1975	Japan
Morini 3½ Sport	344 cc	1975	Italy
BMW R90S BMW R90S The BMW R90S is a sport motorcycle that was produced by BMW between 1973 and 1976. The first United States AMA Superbike Championship was won in 1976 by British rider Reg Pridmore on a R90S.-Technical overview:...	898 cc	1976	West Germany
Honda GL1000 Gold Wing	999 cc	1976	Japan
Harley Davidson XLCR	1000 cc	1977	United States
Moto Guzzi Le Mans 1	844 cc	1978	Italy
Harley-Davidson XR-750 Harley-Davidson XR-750 The XR-750 is a Harley-Davidson racing motorcycle made since 1970, primarily for dirt track racing, but also for road racing in the XRTT variant...	750 cc	1980	United States
Suzuki Katana Suzuki Katana The original Suzuki Katana was a then-novel sport motorcycle designed in 1979–1980 by the southern Bavarian firm of Target Design at the request of Suzuki of Germany specifically for their market....	997 cc	1982	Japan
Honda VF750F "Interceptor"	748 cc	1983	Japan
Benelli Sei	906 cc	1984	Italy
Kawasaki GPZ900R Ninja Kawasaki GPZ900R The Kawasaki GPZ900R was a sport bike manufactured from 1984 to 2003. The 1984 GPZ900R was a revolutionary design that became the immediate predecessor of the modern-day sport bike. Developed in secret over six years, it was the world's first 16-valve liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder motorcycle...	908 cc	1984	Japan
BMW K100RS	987 cc	1985	West Germany
BMW R80 G/S Paris-Dakar	980 cc	1985	West Germany
Suzuki GSX-R750 Suzuki GSX-R750 The GSX-R750 is a 750 class sport bike motorcycle from Suzuki's GSX-R series of motorcycles. It was introduced in 1985 and can be considered to be the first of the modern racer-replicas with many race-derived technologies and the looks of a Suzuki Endurance racer at an affordable price.-Air-cooled...	749 cc	1986	Japan
Buell RS1200	1203 cc	1989	United States
Yamaha VMax	1198 cc	1989	Japan
Buell RS1200	1203 cc	1990	United States
Bimota Tesi ID ES	904 cc	1992	Italy
Ducati M900 Monster	904 cc	1993	Italy
Yamaha GTS1000 Yamaha GTS1000 The GTS1000 is a sport-touring motorcycle introduced by Yamaha in 1993, sold until 1994 in the United States, and sold elsewhere until 1996. It is notable for its innovative forkless front suspension, specifically a RADD front suspension designed by James Parker...	1003 cc	1993	Japan
Britten V1000 Britten V1000 The Britten V1000 is a handbuilt race motorcycle designed and built by John Britten and a group of friends in Christchurch, New Zealand during the early 1990s...	965 cc	1994	New Zealand
Ducati 916 Ducati 916 The Ducati 916 is an Italian sports motorcycle manufactured by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. In contrast to Japanese inline four-cylinder competitors of the time, its V-twin engine produced less outright power, but a more even torque spread...	916 cc	1994	Italy
Aprilia Moto 6.5	649 cc	1995	Italy
Honda EXP-2	402 cc	1995	Japan
Arlen Ness Luxury Liner Arlen Ness Arlen Ness is an American entrepreneur and motorcyclist, who is best known for his customized choppers and hot rods. Ness is internationally recognized as a master builder.- Career :...	1300 cc	1996	United States
BMW R1200C	1170 cc	1997	Germany
Beta Techno	272 cc	1997	Italy
Morbidelli V8	847 cc	1997	Italy
Italjet Formula 50 LC	49 cc	1998	Italy
MV Agusta F4	750 cc	1998	Italy
Suzuki Hayabusa	1299 cc	1998	Japan
Cobra Trakker	1450 cc	2000	United States
Montessa Honda 315RY	249 cc	2001	Spain

External links

• Guggenheim Museum - Past Exhibitions - The Art of the Motorcycle (Note that the list displayed on this website is incomplete)