Jim Iacozilli talks about one of the motorcycles that will be on display at the National Packard Museum for its 24th Motorcycle Exhibit.

Packard show celebrates Harley’s 120th anniversary

BY: ANDY GRAY SOURCE: THE VINDICATOR

Chairman Jim Iacozilli said the museum decided to abandon thematic shows a few years ago to create an event that would have broad appeal, but organizers decided to celebrate Harley-Davidson’s 120th anniversary in 2023 with the show opening Saturday and running through June 1.

Attendees will find some Triumphs, Hondas, Indians and Simplexes in this year’s show, but about two-thirds of the machines on display will be from the largest American motorcycle manufacturer.

“We were looking for something to show the history of Harley-Davidson, so we wanted to start out with the original style motor and then get into the pan head motors,” Iacozilli said. “We wanted to get into the first fuel-injected bike, the 100th anniversary bike. We wanted a bike from each of the stepping stones in Harley-Davidson’s progression to where it is today.”

Among the motorcycles on display will be a 1905 Harley-Davidson owned by Chagrin Falls collector and restorer Bruce Lindsay, who has loaned 40 of his motorcycles to the museum for its annual motorcycle show. It was made in Harley-Davidson’s third year in existence, it is one of only six motorcycles the company made that year, and it is the oldest still-operational motorcycle the Milwaukee-based company built.

“For the 100th anniversary, Bruce rode it from Chagrin to Milwaukee. It took him three days,” Iacozilli said. “It’s the oldest, rideable Harley-Davidson known, and we have it here on exhibit.”

Other Harley models on display include 1912 HD Model 13, 1919 HD Model H, 1928 HD JDH, 1929 HD JD V-Twin, 1936 HD El Knucklehead, 1942 HD WLA, 1942 XA Military, 1948 HD Servicar, 1949 HD Pan Head, 1951 HD Wr 45, 1956 HD KHK, 1959 Hummer, 1960 HD Sportster XLCH, 1961 HD Topper, 1966 HD CRS 250 Sprint, 1972 HD 350 Sprint 22, 1972 HD Night Train, 1973 HD Sportster, 1973 HD Z90, 1995 HD 30th Anniversary Electra Glide Ultra Classic, 2000 HD MT500, 2003 FLSTS Heritage Springer Softail 100th Anniversary, 2004 HD American Ironhorse Texas Chopper and 2006 HD VRXSE Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod Destroyer.

Some of the motorcycles this year are coming from as far as Florida. Mary Ann Porinchak, executive director of the National Packard Museum, said they’ve built strong contacts in the motorcycle community since the annual show started.

“Our committee, they go to all these vintage shows,” she said. “They get to know these guys and develop relationships with them. Then, when they hear we’re doing a show, they’re sitting at a meet with them and drinking beer and go, `Hey, we’re doing a show featuring blah blah blah. You got anything?’ And then all of the sudden, they’re here.”

In addition to the Harleys, the show will include 1917 Triumph Model H Military, 1928 Indian Scout 101, 1957 Triumph 650 TR6, 1957 Simplex Motor Scooter, 1958 Simplex Automatic Model M, 1959 Triumph 3 TA Model, 1971 Honda SL 175, 1972 Honda SL 70, 1973 Honda CT-90, 1973 Honda ST90 and 1984 Honda CR 500.

This year’s show also celebrates the 90th anniversary of the Pirate Motorcycle Club, which was started by Al Gollan, who owned the Indian Motorcycle Agency in Youngstown. According to the information provided by the museum, the earliest mention of the club is in a 1933 Youngstown Vindicator article when it began having hill climbs at a site off Salt Springs Road.

When Gollan acquired the Harley-Davidson of Youngstown dealership in 1949, the Pirate Motorcycle Club merged with the Youngstown Motorcycle Club and kept the Pirate name.

The club continues with more than 100 members around the country, and it has monthly meetings and events preserving the history of the club and motorcycling in northeast Ohio.

While motorcycle clubs are common around the country, Iacozilli said he believes the longevity of the local clubs and the multiple generations of the same families that have been a part of them is not as common. Most come and go after 10, 15 years.

“When you get into stories like the Pirate Motorcycle Club that are still an active club and still doing everything and still riding with vintage bikes and that type of stuff, that’s unique,” he said. “You don’t hear about that often. The Lake Erie Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club, which is a big supporter of us and here every year, that’s another very unique group.’

Then again, despite not having the most conducive weather for motorcycle riding, Ohio always is in the top 10 for motorcycle registration in the country, because most riders own more than one bike.

“Maybe the weather has something to do with it,” Iacozilli said. “You have so many months where you’re sitting in the garage so you cannot go out and ride. That’s when I think a lot of this restoration stuff gets done.

“The other thing too, I think, is a lot of the motorcycle enthusiasts in Ohio are into all different types of riding, they’re not just a street rider necessarily. They may be an on- / off-road adventure rider, a dirt bike rider, that kind of stuff.”

If you go …

WHAT: “24th Motorcycle Exhibit”

WHEN: Saturday through June 1. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: National Packard Museum, 1899 Mahoning Ave. NW, Warren

HOW MUCH: $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens, $5 for children ages 7 to 12 and free for children 6 and younger. For more information, go to packard

museum.org or call 330-394-1899.

SOURCE: THE VINDICATOR