Hog Heaven

It's not the largest assemblage of motorcycles in the
world--there are probably biker bars with more hogs in their
parking lots--but "The Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit at the
Guggenheim Museum in New York City is certainly the most
diverse. The 114 cycles on display range from the first
steam-powered pedal bike, built in 1868, to a chopper like Peter
Fonda's in Easy Rider to the pinnacle of international racing,
the F4 (left) from Italian manufacturer M.V. Augusta, the winner
of 37 world championships.

Note to those attending: The wheels outside the entrance are not
part of the show. They belong to the legions of leather-clad,
tattooed bikers who have flocked to the museum, many for the
first time, helping to make this the best-attended exhibit since
the Guggenheim opened. By the time the show closes on Sept. 20,
more than 500,000 visitors will have been dazzled by the
technology, cultural evolution and style of these mystical
machines.

--Loren Mooney

COLOR PHOTO: DAVID BERKWITZ [M.V. Augusta F4 racing motorcycle on display in Guggenheim Museum]