La Grange à Bécanes: the Rhenish Motorcycle Museum

La Grange à Bécanes is a museum of motorcycles housed in a refurbished barn in the centre of the small town of Bantzenheim, in the Alsace region of north-east France. The collection was given by Raymond Lemoine of Bantzenheim and the town council and the commune supported the creation of the museum, which opened in 2013. There are over 90 motorcycles dating from before the 1960s, including models by the French manufacturers Ravat, Radior, Monet-Goyon, Terrot and Liberia and the German company Hercules. The visit begins with an opportunity toto sit on an old motorcycle and experience the adventure of motorcycling through a parade of historic motorbikes, period music and an introductory film. An exhibition presents the technical evolution of motorcycle engineering by showing the parts of the machines, such as tyres, engines, frames, brakes, headlights. The last area of the tour is a visit to the workshop where the Friends of the museum restore future exhibits.