Wheels through time museum & JP

[wildman]

I recently stopped at Dale Walkslers "Wheels through Time" museum coming back from Bike Week. It's located at Maggie Valley, North Carolina. It's a wonderful place, full of American made motorcycles and lots of vintage memorabilia, some vintage Lincolns and Fords, ect.
Looking at a display I noticed an old score sheet from the 1950 500 mile Jack Pine run in Michigan. I was surprised to see the winner was Gerald J. McGovern of Grand Rapids, Michigan (my home town). Gerry McGovern was in later years the owner of McGovern Cycle Sales, the only Suzuki dealer in town. I had no idea he ran Harleys offroad back in the 50's. The real surprise came as I went down the finishers list and there it was.
42nd out of 62 listed finishers was none other than John A. Penton, rider #127 from Lorain, Ohio, riding a B.S.A.! What a piece of history. I tried taking a picture of it but the printing was too small to get on camera. I asked the guide if it would be possible to copy the sheet of paper and he said " No problem, it's what we're here for". He copied it for me, no charge.
Here's the thing, Dale is closing his museum for good this summer so if any of you would like to see it you had better go soon. I spent 6 hours looking around and could have spent another day easy. The neat thing is almost all the bikes run and Dale often will start up a machine just for fun. I saw a Henderson 4 run and a Harley single too. I was just blown away with all the cool stuff. Even Evel Kinevals XR750 jump bike.
BTW, Maggie Valley is next to part of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the roads there are really twisty and tight, I almost lost the brakes on my fully loaded-up Ford Van. Yikes!
Check it out, you won't be sorry. Dan Pagel, 1975 250 Penton CC

1975 250 Cross Country, 1974 175 Jackpiner, 1975 125

[Lew Mayer]

I'm VERY sorry to hear Dale is closing his museum. It was a great museum and Dale is a great guy. The coolest thing was during the tour he would start up various bikes for you. They always started in a few kicks. That impressed me that his bikes would promptly start with so much sitting. Dale did a lot of his own work. Get there if you can before it closes.

Lew Mayer

[paul]

Man that just does not make my day. What a loss. I had heard Dale was thinking about moving but closing should not be an option. Fact is I am restoring a bike that I planned on donating to Dale. Did he happen to say what was going on?
  No doubt, anyone that loves old American bikes needs to make the trip to Maggie Valley and drive slow so not to end up a statistic cause you will if not careful. Dan was right, every time I have been ther he fires up something neat. He had an old Nucklehead with a side car giving some older woman the ride of her life around the front of the museum. Dale is a great guy and I sincerely hope closing can be avoided. Hard to beleive he cant make it as I just heard what North Carolina brings in for $ on tourists. Its not all going to the Outer Banks either...a lot of people visit the Smokies and everywhere in between. The Rally in Cheerokee is coming up and I will post the date when I find it as that would be a great time for a road riding(or off road)POGger to check out the museum and do some riding. Easy, TooTallPaul

[Paul Danik]

Ed Youngblood has a piece about the changes coming about at the "Wheels Through Time" museum in his latest Motohistory update.  Just click the link below and then scroll down a bit.

http://www.motohistory.net/news.html

Paul

[Lew Mayer]

It seems that "Wheels through Time" will remain open through the end of November now.

Lew Mayer

[paul]

Hey, I have not spoke to Dale but others have said that Maggie Valley is not doing anything to help keep him there. It sure seems like a real waste to close or move because the setting is ideal. Hopefully in the next week or two I can get up there. Maybe something will change his mind? Y'all need to check this place out because you wont forget the Traub..a bike that is one of a kind, the guy built EVERYTHING except the tires and seat from what Dale says. Easy,TTP