MotoStars celebrity event and grand opening kickstarts new exhibit

The new MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles exhibit is now in full swing at the AMA's Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, following a gala VIP event June 27 and official grand opening June 28.

Almost 150 celebrities, AMA officials and Museum supporters turned out for the VIP evening event to view the new exhibit, talk motorcycles with like-minded enthusiasts and bid on various items in an auction to support the Museum. Hot items included an autographed Keith Urban guitar and a 5-foot-tall Snoopy "Joe Motocross" sculpture.

"This Museum belongs to all of us, whether you are an AMA member or not," AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said in introductory remarks to kick off the gala celebration.

Among celebrities on hand were actors Tom Arnold (right), whose movie credits include "True Lies" and "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery;" Dan Haggerty, who was TV's Grizzly Adams; Perry King, whose credits include "The Lords of Flatbush" and "Riptide," and movie stuntwoman and Motorcycle Hall of Famer Debbie Evans.

"It's great," Arnold said of the new exhibit. "It's a little more interaction. There are stories behind the bikes. I like it."

Arnold's contribution to the exhibit was a custom Victory Vision, which has a special story itself.

The bike was customized by his friend, the late Stan Winston. Winston, who passed away June 15, was a special-effects wizard in Hollywood. Winston created effects for the movie "Aliens" and dinosaurs for the movie "Jurassic Park." He won two Oscars for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." Winston also worked on the movie "Iron Man" and painted Arnold's bike in Iron Man colors.

Custom-bike Builder Arlen Ness contributed wheels for the bike, Arnold said, and a lot of other people contributed to make the bike special. The bike will be auctioned on eBay in July with the money going to charity.

King (left, with Debbie Evans) owns 25 motorcycles and said he was thrilled to be taking part in the MotoStars gala event, and was excited to talk motorcycles with other enthusiasts. King has two motorcycles in the exhibit--a Dan Gurney-built Alligator and a Ducati.

Looking around at the cruisers, show bikes, dirt bikes and race machines, King said, "This exhibit gives you a good sense of the diversity of motorcycling." His favorite machine in the exhibit? Racecar driver and Alligator-motorcycle builder Dan Gurney's 1959 Norton Manx.

Dan Haggerty (left), who is a bike builder in addition to an actor, also liked the variety of machines, calling the exhibit "elegant" and noting that it showcased "a lot of different styles."

"I like class and bikes that go fast," Haggerty said, "so I like the bikes" on display near Rush drummer Neil Peart's drum set, including a custom chopper built by Austin Weiss for will.i.am, front man for the hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas.

The auction featured a variety of celebrity-related memorabilia, including a guitar signed by country music performer Keith Urban, T-shirts and posters signed by stars, and a 5-foot-tall Snoopy "Joe Motocross" sculpture (right). The statue was bought at the auction by Tom White, of White Brothers fame, for $7,500 for his motocross museum in California. Lynda James of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, bought a pink cowboy hat signed and donated by TV personality Michele Smith.

After the bidding was over and when the gala event started to wind down, Haggerty looked around and smiled.

"You meet some of the greatest people on two wheels," he said.

See the exhibit page for more on "MotoStars: Celebrities and Motorcycles."