Sign up forPosted January 5, 2007
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One-of-a-kind Road King joins the Museum's permanent collection
Story by Lance Oliver
Photos by Bill Andrews
Every five years
since 1988, during its anniversary celebrations,
Harley-Davidson donates a motorcycle that's autographed by company
leaders and then is auctioned off, with the money raised going to the
Muscular Dystrophy Association.
In 1988, Sam Swope bought the Harley.
In 1993, the Harley was bought at auction by Sam Swope.
In 1998, Sam Swope bought the Harley.
In 2003, Sam Swope bought the Harley, placing the winning bid of $53,000.
If this were simply a case of determined and persistent acquisition, it wouldn't be much of a story. What makes it more interesting is what Swope did with the Harleys.
The son of a small-town Ohio mill worker, Swope has built a successful business over the past 55 years, and he quietly donates more money each year to causes he supports than most of us earn. Among his donations were the first and fourth MDA Harleys he bought at auction, which are now part of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum's permanent collection, thanks to his generosity.
"I've
been blessed with more than I ever dreamed or expected in this life, so
I should share when I can," says Swope, explaining his donations. "I'm a
firm believer in what the AMA is doing for motorcyclists."
And while $53,000 is a hefty chunk of change to spend on a motorcycle, Swope is happy it's going to the MDA.
"My feeling is, that's another worthwhile cause," he says. "I like to support that which is worthwhile."
Swope's latest donation to the Museum, the 2003 Road King auctioned off as part of Harley-Davidson's 100th anniversary celebration, is like most motorcycles in the Museum's permanent collection: It has a story to tell.
The Road King showed 8 miles on the odometer when Swope won it at auction. But in reality, it had already traveled around the world.
The bike was part of Harley-Davidson's 100th Anniversary World Tour. That meant the Road King had already visited Tokyo and Sydney, Barcelona, Spain, and Hamburg, Germany, along with five U.S. cities, including the final stop in Milwaukee, before being put on the auction block.
Swope
believes motorcycles were meant to run, so when he took possession of
the Road King it was prepped and ready to ride. He put about 5,000 miles
on it before handing it over to the Museum.
The Harley bears the signatures of The Motor Company's leadership, including CEO Jeff Bluestein; President Jim McCaslin; Head of Design Willie G. Davidson and his wife, Nancy; Bill and Karen Davidson; and Jon Flickinger, vice president for North American sales, who led the "Ride Home" to the huge 100th anniversary celebration in Milwaukee.
Like the bike itself, Swope has an interesting life story to tell. He grew up in the small town of Rittman, Ohio, where his father was a manager at the local mill. Swope graduated from Ohio State University and then settled in Kentucky. On January 2, 1952, he and a partner went into business selling cars in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. He soon bought out his original partner and built his business into a thriving chain of car dealerships.
Today, Swope owns 23 dealerships in Kentucky, and that's down from the number he used to own. He sold his nine Florida dealerships several years ago.
He's also still an active rider, with about 14 motorcycles in the garages of the two homes, in Louisville and Orlando, where he splits his time. He recently returned from an organized tour with some fellow riders that took him to Copper Canyon and the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico. Swope has been an AMA member for 20 years, and his wife, Barbara, is also a member.
"The 2003 Road King that Sam donated to the Museum is a landmark motorcycle that represents an historic moment in motorcycling in the United States. It's a valuable piece regardless of its actual price," says Mark Mederski, executive director of the Museum.
"But what's even more valuable and gratifying to us at the Museum and at the AMA is Sam's long history of support for the work we do in preserving motorcycling's past and its future, despite the demands on his time as a successful businessman. With the support of people like Sam, the future of the Museum looks bright."