mattg

Even without seeing a list, you can't help but see how great a loss this is. Some vintage bikes are fairly easy to come by, but there are so many more that would be considered a treasure hunters dream come true. We can only hope that there is some potential left for restoration on a few of these gems.

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continuing the great experiment involving the effects of sleep deprivation among the marginally sane

El_Duderino

You would think they'd have a decent sprinkler system to nip fires in the bud. You'd think that any damage of the vintage bikes from water exposure would be much less than fire damage.

Gabe

Write some horribly distasteful mock news story about a Lucas fire alarm, or the cause of the blaze being traced back to an oil leak or something, but sheesh...it's like fish in a barrel. But you gotta admit, there sure have been a lot of British bikes burning lately! Maybe we are coming upon the end times?



"It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, of pleasing odor to the Lord" (Lev. 10:13)

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Gabe Ets-Hokin

Just a guy in the ether...

dwr461

I guess that the remaining vintage bikes in other people's possesion have now increased in value as their brothern have become toast. I have to agree with the comment of why no sprinkler system? You would think that the insurance company for the museum would have insisted on one.



Dave

Alf_Palaima

About the sprinkler system... being that my guess that a water system wouldn't help against the potential "engine/machinery" fire, what other options do places like this have? Wouldn't somthing like a oil and possible gas fire be nothing for water to cut down?... you tell me.



-ap

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bikervince

Yeah, but I wouldn't think that vintage bikes in a museum would still have oil and gas still in them, would they? It's not like they ever get ridden.



BikerVince

pplassm

According to this article, fire started near the elevator:

http://www.cyclenews.com/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=5373



I didn't realize that the collection was privately owned. I was lucky enough to see it several years ago. It was quite a display.

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Mongo just pawn in game of life.

BobW

One of the pictures in the motorcyclenews.com article shows the skeletal remains of the FIRST BSA, 1904. Bummer.

Closet_Bad_Ass

It is sad to see any historical collection or artifacts get destroyed. Recall a few years ago when the Taliban organization destroyed some ancient Buddhist monuments in Eastern Afghanistan. Why? Why did early settlers of California and Oregon cut down old-growth Sequoia forests?



For some reason museum fires seem to be relatively common. Probably no more common than any other fires; we just tend to hear about them.



At least this appears to be accidental. At least, letÂ’s hope so.

maladg

A fire sprinkler system would have done the trick about 98% of the time..unless it was arson or the water supply was compromised. This bites big time.

As a commercial insurance Loss Control guy, I'm going to be extremely (%^%&**'ed if when I get up to the AMA Heratige Museum here later this fall and find it without fire sprinklers. It WILL be time to open a can if that is the case!