Our next stop was The Motorcycle Room in Knysna, a fascinating museum located on the top floor of The Parking Shed in Thesen Harbour Town on Thesen Island. It houses a private collection of around 150 motorcycles, ranging from classic road bikes and vintage enduros to motocross machines, custom builds, and rare superbikes. Any motorcycle enthusiast will find this place well worth a visit!
And of course, we were especially pleased to find a piece of Czech engineering proudly displayed on the rooftop: a JAWA motorcycle, with another JAWA 450 model waiting for us inside the museum. It is always nice to discover a little piece of home so far from the Czech Republic!
The collection (🎟️150 ZAR) features a remarkable variety of machines, including 1960s Suzuki AS50s, the Yamaha RZ50—often nicknamed the “King of the 50s”—and the Yamaha TZR50. British classics include the distinctive Triumph 350cc “Bathtub”, produced between 1957 and 1968, and the Triumph Tiger Cub, manufactured from 1954 to 1968. We also spotted a 1960s Puch SRA 150 alongside several impressive BMW machines, including an HP4 racing motorcycle that isn’t road-legal and a one-litre, four-cylinder DOHC engine on display.
Some exhibits tell particularly unusual stories. Among them is a land-speed-record test motorcycle used for wheel testing on Verneukpan, a famous South African salt pan known for its land-speed-record attempts. Another memorable machine is “Savannah”, a Honda CRF Nori that rode across Southern Africa, carrying its own story of adventure and exploration.
What makes The Motorcycle Room even more interesting is that it is not simply a collection of polished machines behind glass. The museum floor also features restoration and rebuilding areas, where visitors can watch craftsmen work on and service vintage motorcycles. It is a living tribute to motorcycle history, engineering, and the people who keep these machines running long after their original production days.
