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PR Director Roger Smith to Curate Exhibit of Japanese Motorcycles

Reprinted with permission from Ed Youngblood

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club PR Director Roger Smith has been selected by the Antique Motorcycle Foundation to co-curate an exhibit featuring vintage Japanese motorcycles that will open at the Motorcyclepedia Museum in Newburgh, New York late in the summer of 2012. The exhibit, entitled "Kaizen" for the manufacturing philosophy of constant beneficial change that moved the Japanese manufacturers to the fore of the worldwide motorcycle industry, will contain upwards of 50 motorcycles, plus artifacts, posters, and advertisements of the period from the late 1950s through 1980.

At present, Smith and his co-curator Ed Youngblood are networking among collectors to locate the motorcycles that will be selected for the exhibit. While both restored and original-paint motorcycles will be chosen, in all cases very high appearance standards will be adhered to. Individuals with motorcycles and artifacts that may be suitable for the exhibit should contact the curators at rsmith481@yahoo.com or ed@motohistory.net. All property loaned for the exhibit will be insured to an amount specified by its owner.

About the undertaking, Smith said, "This will be the first exhibit at a major motorcycle museum about the influence of the Japanese motorcycle industry. Telling the story of the game-changing performance of the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers will be a daunting challenge, but we are confident that owners of the finest collectible machines will come forward to help us make this an exciting and memorable exhibit that will help collectors and the public at large better understand the tremendous contribution that Japan has made to both recreation and transportation."