Motorcycle enthusiasts, history buffs, and museum-goers unite; the St. Francis Motorcycle Museum is as history-packed, unique, and pristine as they come, proudly featuring an amazing variety of beautiful and rare bikes within its walls.
Since officially opening its doors to the public in 2016 after several years of fundraising, construction, and preparation, the Motorcycle Museum has welcomed visitors from all 50 U.S. states, as well as 54 foreign countries.
Completely funded by donations and staffed by volunteers, in an endeavor wholeheartedly backed by the community of St. Francis, the years of hard work leading up to the museum’s grand opening were every bit worth it. The space is now home to a diverse and plentiful group of motorcycles, and the building itself and arrangement of the shiny cycles are a treat to the eye that can be enjoyed by motorcycle buffs and non-riders alike.
The motorcycle museum is home to some bikes that simply cannot be found anywhere else, and the history of some of the bikes alone is enough to send chills down your spine. According to the Motorcycle Museum’s website, “The 10,000 square foot museum houses more than 135 vintage motorcycles from various manufacturers. The big names in early motorcycles, Indian and Harley Davidson, are highly represented, but so are motorcycles from lesser known manufacturers such as Flanders, Excelsior, Cleveland, Pope, Iver Johnson, Feilbach Limited, Ace, Henderson, Marsh-Metz and many others”.
Since opening, the museum has received a great response from far and wide, and Kent Kechter, board member, explains, “We have had approximately 23,000 REGISTERED visitors since we opened. Many more have visited without registering. The number of visitors per day varies a lot. Recently, I have had days numbering between 5-27.”
Kechter, who has been with the museum since it was “just a dream”, is proud of the museum and it is evident in the way he talks about it. Other current board members include Kenny Bracelin, Perry Keller, Brett Poling, Eddy Schultz, and Scott Schultz, with Poling, Scott Schultz, Eddy Shcult, Ketchter having served on the board since the founding of the museum. Each of these board members shares the same sense of pride about the motorcycle museum, and that level of pride is reflected in the upkeep, display, and variety found at the museum.
There are several factors that set the St. Francis Motorcycle Museum apart from other motorcycle museums, and most namely, the rarity of some of the bikes. “We have a wide variety of motorcycles and several are VERY rare,” stated Kechter. In fact, thirty of the motorcycles are pre-1929, with one of them being a 1902 Orient motorcycle. Orient was the first company to name the machine a “motorcycle”, and only one other model is known to exist.
Kechter elaborated. “The museum is pleased to exhibit one of only two known 1902 Orient motorcycles; the earliest manufacturer to use the term “motorcycle.” We also house 30 motorcycles older than 1929 (several of which only five or less are known to exist.) The museum is a treasure of motorcycle history and memorabilia, and the collection is one of the finest to be found anywhere.”
Originally, the museum board desired to draw folks into the community of St. Francis, and this desire combined with an opportunity to house some amazing two-wheeled machines. “We hoped to make an attraction that would draw people to town,” said Kechter. “Also, there were several collectors wishing to spread out their collections for security reasons, so the two ideas joined.”
These collections, on loan from the collectors, make up the majority of the approximately 130 motorcycles on display, some of which are the only of their kind still in existence. These machines are on loan from the collectors.
Kechter has had a great deal of motorcycle experience himself, as he has owned several motorcycles and has ridden over 50,000 miles on them. He loves to travel via motorcycle and has even completed an “Iron Butt” ride, which is over 1,000 miles in one day. Kechter enjoys operating the museum in the relaxed, small-town lifestyle of St. Francis, and he enjoys meeting people from all over the world.
The month of September will be an exciting one at the museum and in the town, as the museum is gearing up to host an event on September 17th. The event, known as Biketemberfest, will feature music, motorcycle games, vendors, food, a poker run, viewing of the museum, and more.
“Biketember Fest will be a good time! We plan to have a “meet the collectors” session where people can ask questions. We will have food, music, and lots of motorcycles in town. We also plan to have nitro bike start-ups and burnouts,” explained Kechter, adding, “The Poker Run will be a good time. All profits from the poker run will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.”
The poker run will pay out $2,500 in prize money, and there will even be a kids bicycle poker run with a payout of $100. All are welcome to come join in the rides. The Biketember Fest will kick off at 8:00am and will feature a whole day full of fun. The complete agenda for the day can be viewed on the motorcycle museum’s website.
The museum is operated strictly on donations, with a suggested donation of $7 upon entry. There is no age restriction to visit the museum,but the museum does request that visitors 12 and younger have adult supervision as the items in the museum are rare and highly valuable. If you do visit, you are urged to sign the guest book so the museum can get an idea where their visitors are from.
Additionally, the museum is entirely staffed by volunteers, and they are always accepting new volunteers. No previous motorcycle experience is required, and you can work as much or as little as you would like. If you are interested in volunteering, please call the museum (785-332-2400) or contact Kent Kechter, Eddy Schultz, or Scott Schultz for more information.
If you are planning a visit to the museum, expect to spend anywhere from a half hour to most of a full day, depending on your level of interest.
More details and information on the featured bikes can be found online as well as a detailed timeline of the opening of the museum. The museum is open seven days a week from 10am-5pm, except Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas and they would love for you to stop by, and browse the cycles, catch up on your history, and get to know you.
