What: Wheels Through Time: The Museum That Runs
Where: Off U.S. 19 in Maggie Valley
When: Opens in mid-June (tentative)
Includes: Largest collection of vintage American motorcyles in the world and related memorabilia and mementos; gift shop; daily exhibitions; evening hours.
Contact: 828.926.6266, or visit www.wheelsthroughtime.com; PO Box 790, Maggie Valley, NC, 28751.



In the back of the unfinished museum, around 80 old motorcycles stand wheel to wheel. The mass of engines, old leather seats and odd-shaped handle bars appears to be a confused collection from throughout the 20th century. Point to one, though, any in the room, and Dale Walksler begins getting revved up. The story pours out.

“That’s a ‘48 Harley-Davidson, the last year of the springer shock. I found it in Florida, with its original paint. It’s been customized. Do you want me to crank it?” he asks.

Again and again, Walksler goes into a detailed story: this one almost won the Great American Road Race, that Indian was customized for museum manager Jeff Ring, and this old Excelsior from more than 60 years ago still has its original paint job.

“If you want to know the truth, this musuem is a collection of stories. Each bike has its own,” says Walksler.

The owner, curator and visionary of the soon-to-open Wheels Through Time vintage motorcycle and automobile museum in Maggie Valley has a compelling story of his own. The motorcycles, cars and the history they enshrine about America have become his life’s work. The collection — around 200 rare motorcycles and another 20 automobiles valued at around $12 million — is the manifestation of a love affair that started when he bought his first Harley-Davidson at the age of 15 while living in Chicago.

That led the 49-year-old Walksler to ownership of a Harley-Davidson dealership in Mt. Vernon, Ill., while he was in his early 20s. He ran the dealership for 24 years, and through skillful marketing (the original Wheels Through Time Museum was adjacent to his dealership) and hard work, the mechanic and enterpreneur prospered during the years when Harleys were considered by many to be inferior machines. His dealership consistently ranked among the tops in the nation.

Along the way, the collecting began. There are military bikes, old hill climbers, rare board track racers and many others. The oldest is a 1903 Indian that was discovered just 80 miles from the original Springfield, Mass., factory. Word got out at the rallies and shows he attended that Walksler would buy old bikes and anything to do with them: posters, sculptures, memorabilia, photos, half-built engines, frames, even blueprints of bikes from 1920s-era manufacturers that were never put in production.

“I’ve been blessed with finding and collecting the history of American motorcycles,” Walksler said. “It’s really an art gallery of American culture.”

The Wheels Through Time museum that will soon open in Maggie Valley will be 38,000 square feet. Inside will be a mix of meticuosly restored machines and others in their original condition. Almost 90 percent of the motorcycles still run, a testament to Walksler’s skills as a mechanic. That side of his personality has also prompted him to make plans to recreate a 1920s-era mechanic’s shop inside the museum.

“I want this to be both educational and entertaining. There will be a classroom and a reference library with lots of rare documents,” said Walksler.

If he succeeds, the museum will be much more than a place that only bike enthusiasts will want to see, said Walksler. In his estimation, the history of motorcycling and automobiles are a reflection of the industrial and cultural history of the United States in the 20th century. Prior to 1915, there were more than 130 motorcycle manufacturers in the country. Sixteen years later in 1931, there were three — Harley-Davidson, Indian and Excelsior (which were made in Chicago’s Schwinn Bicycle plant). Today, only Harley-Davidson is left.

The outlaw image of motorcycles began in the late 1940s with what Walksler referred to as the “bobber era.” The military men who had kept motorcycles running for the Army came home as bike enthusiasts and began to chop fenders and install other modifications. That gave way to the chopper era of the 1960s, and the outlaw image grew. Today, though, motorcycles have become mainstream, and Walksler thinks he knows why.

“How else can you change your persona for $20,000. The banker puts on his leathers, climbs on his Harley and he’s a different person,” said Walksler.

Maggie Valley is a good location for the nonprofit museum for several reasons, according to Walksler.

“The demographics are appealing. People spend money here, and they come back. It’s a major motorcycling area, but it also has a family atmosphere. Look, you just can’t beat this,” he says, arms spread toward the mountains as he steps outside.

But the museum will also help the valley if it becomes a destination for travelers. Linda Nash, the head of the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Bureau, said motorcycling is becoming an important part of the tourist town’s business.

“I think (Walksler) is the type of person who wants to do good things for the Valley,” said Nash.

As the building nears completion and the motorcycles arrive in bunches, Walksler can barely contain his excitement. He said the marketing, restoring, and systematically organizing the machines to tell a story is what it is all about.

“I always envisioned this happening, and it’s going to.”