The Motorcycle Museum of Iceland

 Iceland. The land of fire and ice. A land of beautiful sights, Viking heritage and wonderful people. Fire and ice may sound like an adventure bike only kind of trip, but don't worry, plenty of street bikes and cruisers still make their way across the iconic terrain of this amazing place.

While this was not my first visit to Iceland, it was the first time I actually saw motorcycles there. My last visit was during the late winter season, when many roads were only accessible via 4x4. However, this time, my visit was during the early part of September, which turned out to be the rainy season. Talking to one two wheeled enthusiast, I learned that the summer is when most motorcycles hit the road, which of course, only makes sense (Most of the bikes I saw were on the last day of my visit, which was dry and cool, perfect weather for donning leathers and hitting the pavement). You might think there would be an extreme lack of motorcycling on this very unique nation, but as it turns out, there is enough enthusiasm to produce a museum. 

Akureyri, the second largest city in Iceland is home to the Motorcycle Museum of Iceland and I could barely contain my excitement walking through the doors.

The museum, which was founded in 2007 after the death of renowned Icelandic motorcycle enthusiast Heiðar Þ Jóhannsson, boasts a fantastic collection of vintage motorcycles, many of which come complete with enthralling back stories. There is even a room dedicated to Heiðar, showing off his favorite personal bikes as well as many of his metallic art creations. The museum is also responsible for hosting bike runs throughout the riding season.

If you want to check out more about the museum, here is a link to their website: https://motorhjolasafn.is/ or they can be reached on their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057433211041

In the meantime, here are some photos of my favorite collection pieces. If you get the chance to head to Iceland, I say take it, it’s a wonderful place. If you plan to visit the museum, just know that you will need to get to Akureyri, which is a full day’s drive from the international airport in Keflavik, though you can book a quick flight from there direct to the city, and the museum is almost straight across the street from the airport.