David turns house into antique bike museum<\/p>\n
By Ridlo Aryanto<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Antique big motorbikes parading the streets
\nhave become something of a rarity as people now turn to smaller,
\ncheaper, more economical and practical motorcycles.<\/p>\n
Many big old-fashioned bikes, mostly U.S.-built such as Harley
\nDavidson, have found their way to collectors of antiques. One of
\nthe best-known collectors is David Sunar Handoko, a 45-year-old
\nbusinessman.<\/p>\n
David has turned part of his house at Jl. Ahmad Dahlan No. 8,
\nYogyakarta, into a mini museum with about 160 antique motorbikes
\nof various makes and years of manufacture.<\/p>\n
David, director of Merpati Motor Group, Yogyakarta's largest
\ntrader of new and used motorbikes, began to collect the
\nmotorbikes about 15 years ago.<\/p>\n
\"I wanted to make my collection historical proof that
\nIndonesia has a more complete variety of old motorbikes than the
\nU.S., the main manufacturer of the world's old motorbikes,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Though the collection is David's private property, the museum
\nis open free of charge to tourists or old motorbike buffs. They
\ncan spend hours enjoying the exoticism of the collection.<\/p>\n
David said that his private museum is better known overseas
\nthan in Yogyakarta. \"Many U.S., Canadian or German lovers of old
\nmotorbikes came here and praised the completeness of the
\ncollection.<\/p>\n
Among Indonesian motorbike lovers, former general affairs
\nchief of staff of the Indonesian military, Lt. Gen. Soeyono, is
\none who frequents the museum. Once inside, he will spend hours
\nadmiring and trying out some of the motorbikes inside the room,\"
\nsaid David, who pioneered the establishment of the Yogyakarta
\nchapter of the Harley Davidson Club Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"I want to move this museum to another place so that it can be
\nmore commercially managed. Visitors should be allowed to try the
\nexhibits out. Then, they could also buy some souvenirs, which
\nwould be an integral part of the design of the museum.
\nUnfortunately, the monetary crisis postponed the plan, but the
\nmuseum would have been interesting enough to lure tourists to
\nYogya, said David.<\/p>\n
He has traveled round the globe, going as far as Argentina,
\nGermany, Britain and the United States in his hunt for antique
\nmotorbikes.<\/p>\n
David said he began his hunt for old motorbikes in 1989 after
\nvisiting Canada, where he found many people riding on various
\nantique motorbikes of different makes. \"It really annoyed me to
\nlearn that many of these old motorbikes were bought in
\nIndonesia,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Then there arose his sense of nationalism. He knew well that
\nthe colonial rulers of Holland, Britain and Japan saw thousands
\nof old motorbikes brought to this country. He believes that these
\nold motorbikes, which are no longer manufactured, have a high
\nhistorical value and should therefore be preserved.<\/p>\n
The idea for the museum came while he was in Canada. \"Unless
\nthey were preserved, we could no longer bequeath them to the
\nyounger generation. Well, like it or not, I believe I have to
\ntake action and be the savior,\" said David, a father of two.<\/p>\n
Upon his return from Canada, he began collecting old
\nmotorbikes with the purchase of a 1959 Harley Davidson at Rp 5
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
Within the first three months, he had collected 100 old
\nmotorbikes. The part of the collection he wants to increase is
\nnew-classic motorbikes made between 1916 and 1966. The makes
\nvary, from Harley Davidson, Indian (US made) up to BSA, Norton,
\nChater Lea, Velozet and DOP (British made).<\/p>\n
At the beginning, David found it easy to get old motorbikes.
\nMany of his friends and acquaintances offered him their machines.
\nThen he set six criteria for the motorbikes that he would buy:<\/p>\n
First, the motorbike must have been manufactured in a limited
\nquantity (a special edition). Second, the bike should have been a
\nbest seller in its time. Third, it should have been used in
\nspecial and historic events not only in Indonesia but also
\nabroad. Fourth, it should have been owned formerly by a famous
\nfigure. Fifth, it should have a high resale value and this must
\nbe acknowledged by foreign motorbike magazines. Sixth, it must
\nhave a lot of stars in its rating.<\/p>\n
\"Foreign motorbike magazines often rate motorbikes with stars.
\nTo qualify for my museum, it should have least three or four
\nstars, as rated by a worldwide foreign motorbike magazine,\" said
\nDavid.<\/p>\n
Rare bikes<\/p>\n
Regardless of whether David really likes them or not, many
\nmotorbikes in his collection are praiseworthy. One item is a BSA
\nLightening Clubmad, formerly owned by former national police
\nchief, Hoegeng Iman Santoso. This may be the only motorbike of
\nits kind now left in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Another interesting item in his collection is a 1924 British-
\nmade Chater Lea sports type. \"According to the world motorbike
\ncatalog that I have read, only four motorbikes of this type were
\never made. The other three were destroyed during bombing in World
\nWar II. The only one left is this one in my museum,\" he said.<\/p>\n
His obsession is to establish a complete museum of antique
\nmotorbikes with catalogs, well-presented, interesting information
\nand souvenirs. \"I've got the land, actually. I need money. To
\nrealize this plan I need a lot of money,\" said David, who knows
\nthe engines of antique motorbikes inside out, as in the first two
\nyears of his hunt for old motorbikes he taught himself a lot
\nabout this subject.<\/p>\n
David has developed a philosophy of life from his collection
\nof old motorbikes. \"The world is void without the arts, it is
\nstupid without technology and it is in complete darkness without
\nhistory,\" he said. These three - arts, technology and history -
\nhave come together beautifully in antique motorbikes, he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/david-turns-house-into-antique-bike-museum-1447893297",
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