Sign up for'MotoStars' spotlights General Motors Vice Chairman and lifetime riding enthusiast Bob Lutz
Posted June 9, 2008
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PrintPhoto by Jeffrey Sauger/General Motors
The motorcycling community is rife with "car guys" who have an equally strong passion for two wheels, and General Motors Vice
Chairman Bob Lutz is a bona fide member of that club. Among the the 46 storied motorcycles on display in the "MotoStars:
Celebrities + Motorcycles" exhibit are Lutz's 1992 BMW K1 and 1956 Rumi 125 Super Sport.
The man behind legendary automobiles such as the Dodge Viper, as well as cutting-edge technology vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt electric car, Lutz is one of more than 100 motorcycling personalities spotlighted in "MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles." Like all the men and women featured in this landmark exhibit, Lutz is a lifelong motorcyclist. He began riding at the age of 18, although at first his parents limited him to a scooter instead of a high-performance motorcycle. His first ride was a 125cc MV Agusta scooter, but he soon convinced his parents that big wheels were safer than small ones and moved on to a Rumi 125 Super Sport motorcycle. Little did they know that at the time it was the world's fastest street-legal 125cc bike.
"Here was a 125 which you could engage in racing on the highways and byways of Switzerland, and you could literally wax people who were riding with up to 350cc," Lutz said of the Rumi. "I loved that bike." And, he still does, having purchased the same model years later for his extensive collection. This machine has been loaned to the "MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles" exhibit.
Today, Lutz owns 15 motorcycles and he still feels the same passion for riding he did at the age of 18. "It is his love of motorcycling and his willingness to share his stories and inspire others to get out and ride that makes Bob Lutz a real-world 'MotoStar,'" said Mark Mederski, executive director of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. "Our goal with this exhibit is not only to highlight well-known riders and their favorite machines, but really delve into the passion that makes the community of motorcycling such an integral part of their lives."
Lutz is one of many prominent personalities contributing motorcycles and memorabilia to the "MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles" exhibit. Notable actors, artists, athletes, musicians, and bike builders have also provided priceless machines and exclusive ephemera for the momentous exhibit.
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