Iconic motorcycle museum to reopen in 2021 after devastating fire

Owners of the Top Mountain Motorcycle Museum, which was destroyed by a catastrophic fire in January, have vowed the museum will return in late 2021, albeit in a different form.

Around 300 classic motorcycles were destroyed in the fire, which was determined to be caused by a defective large screen in the museum’s exhibition room. The building was largely wooden.

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Located in the Austrian village of Hochgurgl, just near the Italian border, the museum burnt down on January 17, with local volunteer fire crews working hard to save the building. While a large number of motorcycles and cars were lost, the blaze was prevented from spreading to the adjoining cable car station and restaurant.

Both the cable car station and restaurant will resume normal operations in the coming months, but owners are working to rebuild the museum, as well as sourcing a new collection of classic motorcycles from around the world.

It is believed that there are already 250 motorcycles that have been promised to the museum from collectors around the world. It is hoped that the museum will open in time for the European winter in late 2021.

The Top Mountain Museum sits atop the Öztal Alps in the Tyrol region of Austria. It is a popular stop on the Timmelsjoch alpine pass that crosses from Austria into Italy. It is considered to be the highest motorcycle museum in Europe, sitting at 2175m above sea level.

Machines that featured in the original collection included a 1912 Indian V-twin, a 1942 Moto Guzzi Type S, a 1932 BMW R4, plus bikes from Brough Superior, Harley-Davidson, Ducati and Triumph (just to name a small few).