A visit to Motorcyclepedia: A photo gallery

Jun 25, 2025

When Gerald "Jerry" Doering bought his first motorcycle in 1947, a 1929 Indian Scout, nobody could have imagined where it would lead.

Jerry Doering bought a few more motorcycles after that first Scout and he passed on his love of motorcycles to his son, Ted, who rode the Triumph Tiger Cub his father bought for him to Newburgh Free Academy, the local public high school in their home town of Newburgh, N.Y. Later, Ted built some choppers and went on to start a company selling parts and accessories for V-twins. To say father and son continued to pick up a few motorcycles over the years would be a vast understatement.

unrestored 1929 Indian Scout on display at Motorcyclepedia — A 1929 Indian Scout like this one was the first motorcycle Jerry Doering bought. It was far from the last. Photo by Lance Oliver.

Having a collection is one thing. Spreading its enjoyment beyond yourself and maybe your personal friends is another. In 2011, the father and son formed a foundation and opened Motorcyclepedia, a motorcycle museum in a two-story, 85,000-square-foot space in their hometown. Jerry Doering died in 2021, but the museum carries on.

When I first heard about the museum years ago, it immediately caught my attention because I have my own personal history with the city of Newburgh. But I was skeptical. It seemed like an unlikely place to find a quality motorcycle museum. When I finally visited, I realized I my doubts were wrong. Motorcyclepedia is well worth an afternoon's visit. And after further thought I realized how much I had underestimated the motorcycle culture of the Mid-Hudson region, as the area is often called.

At Motorcyclepedia, you'll find some oddities (like a Ducati 999S sliced in two; see below) and some predictable classics (like the original Honda CB750), but the collection overall is skewed toward early American motorcycles. You'll likely see some brands you've never seen before from the era in the early 20th century when tinkerers were bolting small engines into bicycles in backyard sheds across the country.

The signature exhibit, however, is the Indian timeline, which includes an example bike from every year from Indian's founding in 1901 to the original company's demise in 1953. There are replicas for the first few years, restored beauties for some years, and unrestored original motorcycles for others. The museum also reflects other personal interests of the founders, such as an exhibit of choppers and an alcove in honor of custom builder Indian Larry, who also grew up in the area and made his first attempts at welding in a local shop and was a childhood friend of Ted Doering's.

To get a taste of what's inside Motorcyclepedia, see the photos below. For the full experience, consider a visit yourself.

a row of early Indian motorcycles on display in the museum — Indian began in 1901 when the founders purchased a 1.75-horsepower single-cylinder engine from the Aurora company and fitted it to a bicycle. Aurora was a common source of engines for entrepreneurs in backyard sheds who wanted to build motorcycles but didn't have the wherewithal to build an internal combustion engine. Within a few years, Indian was building its own complete motorbikes. The Indian timeline is the signature exhibit at Motorcyclepedia. Photo by Lance Oliver.

A view of the large front fender on a blue 1940 Indian — By 1940, Indians were fitted with the skirted fenders that, for many people, define the look of the brand. Photo by Lance Oliver.

an unusual Indian-branded scooter — As Indian began declining, the name was licensed to other companies to make products that strayed far from the brand's history, such as this rather hideous looking 1948 scooter. Photo by Lance Oliver.

In the early 20th century, dozens of mechanics in backyard sheds began fitting engines to bicycles. Some, like Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior-Henderson, went on to become giants. Most had their moment and faded away. At Motorcyclepedia, you're almost certain to see an early American motorcycle brand you've never heard of. This 1910 Emblem was built by a company in Angola, N.Y., that lasted from 1907 to 1925. Photo by Lance Oliver.

close view of the front suspension of a blue Flying Merkel motorcycle — This 1914 Merkel Touring featured several innovations for its time, such as the first kick starter, a mono-shock rear suspension, and two coil springs in the top of the front fork to provide suspension travel while still looking like an unsprung trussed fork. Photo by Lance Oliver.

A leather drive belt with leather teeth riveted on — If you're prone to complaining about chain maintenance, give a thought to the rider of more than a century ago. Look at the toothed leather drive belt on this 1910 Wagner Tourist. Photo by Lance Oliver.

A three-wheel electric vehicle with a cloth roof and a rear-facing child's seat on the back — Think electric motorcycles are just a newfangled invention of the 21st century? Actually, 38% of the cars on the road in the United States in 1900 were electric, higher than the percentage powered by gasoline. This 1919 Carter Electric three-wheeler was an example. It even offered a little protection from a roof and featured a seat on the back for your child (right). Photo by Lance Oliver.

A white police motorcycle from the 1960s in front of a 'JFK' movie poster — Motorcyclepedia includes a display on motorcycles in the movies and TV shows. This police bike was actually in the motorcade the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It was later used in the movie "JFK." Photo by Lance Oliver.

A blue single-cylinder Triumph Cub — Jerry Doering traded a 1938 Farmall tractor and $300 to buy this 1964 Triumph Cub for his son, Ted, as his first motorcycle. It was purchased from Al Weinert's motorcycle shop in nearby Middletown, N.Y. Trivia: Al Weinert was the father of three-time AMA motocross and Supercross national champion and Hall of Famer "Jammin" Jimmy Weinert. Photo by Lance Oliver.

image of a Ducati cut in two to show the internals, and a closeup of the shock absorber — You've probably seen cutaway engines that show how the internals of a combustion engine work. But what about an entire motorcycle sliced down the middle? Motorcyclepedia has this 2004 Ducati 999S on display. Everything, from the tires to the engine cylinders, the radiator, and even the rear shock absorber (seen in the detail photo right) has been cut in two. Photo by Lance Oliver.

a radical, rainbow-colored chopper — Ted Doering used to build choppers, so it's no surprise there's a significant section of the museum devoted to classic choppers by various builders. Photo by Lance Oliver.

area with two choppers on display and several photographs of Indian Larry — Part of the chopper exhibit is an alcove devoted to the late custom builder Indian Larry, who was also a native of the Newburgh area and a childhood friend of Ted Doering. Photo by Lance Oliver.

two early Indian motorcycles that museum visitors can sit on for photos — Want to know how you'd look on a classic? Visitors can mount these two Indians for a photo op. Photo by Lance Oliver.

A white Motus motorcycle on display in the museum — It feels like just yesterday we were writing road tests and odes to the Motus. Now, apparently, it's a museum piece. Photo by Lance Oliver.

Image of an advertisement from 1989 showing an illustration of a gathering of motorcyclists at Marcus Dairy in Connecticut — In addition to motorcycles, you'll find a lot of other items ("ephemera," as museum types call it) on display at Motorcyclepedia, such as many old ads. I'm old enough to remember when this series of Kawasaki ads took up full spreads in the motorcycle print magazines, celebrating popular motorcycle hangouts around the country. Photo by Lance Oliver.

Blue Harley-Davidson Shovelhead with a beer keg mounted on the rear passenger seat — No, this is not the motorcycle that belonged to the guy who was designated to make the beer run for the entire club. This 1966 Harley-Davidson was owned by New York State Trooper Lenny Bauer and the keg was converted to hold extra fuel. Bauer built the bike to prove he could make a run from New York to Los Angeles in 48 hours. Bauer completed and documented the ride, flew home on a plane and worked three days of his 12-hour shifts as a trooper, then drove back across country in a truck with his wife to pick up his motorcycle. All in eight days. Photo by Lance Oliver.

Motorcyclepedia is located at 250 Lake Street in Newburgh, N.Y., and is open on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adult admission is $15 on Friday through Sunday and $10 during Thursday evening hours. Admission is free for ages 16 and under. It's easy to get to if you're in the area, not far from the intersection of the New York State Thruway and Interstate 84.