Bob
1st December 2004, 00:49
The National Motorcycle Museum reopens on 1st December following a £20 million restoration project after the devastating fire that saw many machines, some irreplaceable, destroyed. The repair work has included installing a £1.2m sprinkler system - a feature notably absent before the fire.
Development manager at the museum, Nick Hartland, said: "We were devastated when the fire hit us, but the owner Roy Richards vowed we'd be back, and he was right. “
The reopening will see around 650 machines on display, with the aim being to increase this to 800 by 2007 as more bikes are gradually restored.
The fire was started by a carelessly discarded cigarette end, which resulted in a pile of air conditioning
Filters and cardboard boxes catching fire.
Development manager at the museum, Nick Hartland, said: "We were devastated when the fire hit us, but the owner Roy Richards vowed we'd be back, and he was right. “
The reopening will see around 650 machines on display, with the aim being to increase this to 800 by 2007 as more bikes are gradually restored.
The fire was started by a carelessly discarded cigarette end, which resulted in a pile of air conditioning
Filters and cardboard boxes catching fire.